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Original poster

I want to use my vote

103 replies

Pinkyyy · 10/12/2019 09:40

Hoping some of you may have some good advice on how to get my head around who to vote for. I've tried and tried to understand politics but I just can't seem to get it. I think I prefer conservative but I'm not even sure what I'm basing that on.

There are so many different names of people who I've heard, like Corbin, Boris etc but I genuinely don't know what they stand for. Am I right in thinking I either need to choose labour or conservative?

Maybe I'm a little too late and am a helpless case. My family were never interested and have never bothered to vote but I really feel like I should use mine as every vote counts.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinkyyy · 10/12/2019 19:08

@SlowAndWild what do you mean am I for real? Does anything about this thread come across that way to you? There's no need to ridicule me for trying to educate myself, a luxury you probably take for granted.

OP posts:
gamerwidow · 10/12/2019 19:20

For someone like you who has no idea about policies the voteforpolicies.org.uk/ website is really useful.
You can say which issues are most important to you and then pick from a range of options which policies you like best.
At the end it tells you which parties most match your answers.
Remember you have as much right to vote as anyone else and your opinion matters too. Do a bit of research and use your vote proudly.

gamerwidow · 10/12/2019 19:22

FWIW it’s worth I’m voting Green as the party which is the best fit for my opinions but if I was in a marginal seat I’d vote for which ever party was most likely to keep the Tories out.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Politics
7dayslater · 10/12/2019 19:53

I'd urge you to vote Labour if you truly value the NHS, and would like to see a fairer society overall. A conservative government does not care about you unless you earn a lot of money.

Sadly child poverty in the UK has increased by half a million since the Conservatives came into power in 2010.

KnowBetterDoBetter · 10/12/2019 21:10

I'm not sure if it is always best to vote wholly on manifesto promises, if the party has a track record in not following them through. Then, they're just meaningless.

For example, in 2015, the Conservatives said that they would build 200000 starter homes. How many have they built in the past 4 years? Zero.

Alternatively, you can look back and have a look at what previous governments have prioritised. This data is more meaningful than manifesto promises. If the NHS is a concern of yours, take a look at the graph attached.

Lastly, our school has been encouraging us to take a look at this website. See how the proposed manifestos would affect your child and their school, and see which of your potential MPs have pledged to vote against any cuts to school funding.

schoolcuts.org.uk/schools

I want to use my vote
Pinkiii · 10/12/2019 21:26

Everyone will be a bit biased on this thread based on who they are voting for and i’ll be one of them

Tories have been in power for 9 years and haven’t delivered on any of their promises, they have cut funding massively in emergency services and NHS, they haven’t built any of the 20.000 housing they had promised to do for first time buyers.

I would read their manifesto from 2015 and see what they have delivered on and then read what they are promising now.

SlowAndWild · 10/12/2019 21:26

People here are telling you who to vote for, for their own political reasons. They don't give a shit about educating you.

gamerwidow · 11/12/2019 06:18

People here are telling you who to vote for, for their own political reasons. They don't give a shit about educating you
Yes that’s going to be true for most posts and indeed most media you see. It’s very hard to find an unbiased opinion don’t be afraid to disagree whatever party you go for in the end.

CupoTeap · 11/12/2019 06:30

Thanks for the who should I vote for quiz, very helpful

ButterflyOfFreedom · 11/12/2019 06:38

Please vote.
Please do NOT vote Conservative.

Original poster
Pinkyyy · 11/12/2019 07:10

Thank you everyone for all the help and links. I realised I would get biased opinions and that's okay because people are bound to feel strongly about what they support. All help has been useful and I really feel confident that I can use my vote wisely. It's true that no party is a perfect fit, but I think I've found one I align with most and for the first time my vote won't be wasted.

OP posts:
Deathraystare · 11/12/2019 07:50

Thanks for the quiz The Teething Poo - but I thought I would get Green but it came out Conservative!! Never in a million years would I vote for those bastards! Help!

Deathraystare · 11/12/2019 07:52

Re the quiz I think the problem is I do not understand some of things so voted neutral, However I recognised enough of the 'Tory' things to say absolutely do not agree so cannot understand where I went wrong.

Gilead · 11/12/2019 08:22

I’m a very strong socialist. I am disgusted at the amount of people on here trying to influence a voter who has clearly said they don’t understand and need help. op please use the policy websites linked and don’t be influenced by what others are voting. You need to go with your conscience.

SlowAndWild · 11/12/2019 08:23

@ButterflyOfFreedom Freedom means we vote for who we want, not for who YOU tell us to........ffsHmm

Horsemad · 11/12/2019 08:25

I came out of the quiz as equal Green Party (not a surprise to me) or Labour.

We have no Green candidate here though.

JammyDodgersandPeas · 11/12/2019 08:29

If you're on Instagram, take a look at @simplepolitics for a really good breakdown of what the policies are.

Bimbleberries · 11/12/2019 08:49

NHS documentary:

www.facebook.com/UTKNHS/

Bimbleberries · 11/12/2019 08:52

If you don't want the NHS ruined, and you don't want Brexit, then don't vote Conservative!

Bimbleberries · 11/12/2019 08:58

Also remember that 5-year governments can be changed (often even before the 5 years is up!). Brexit is irreversible (at least with the current very good deal we get - we'd never get that again). So in the short term, if you don't want Brexit and the consequent economic difficulties, vote whoever in your area might beat the Conservatives. Then there is always a chance later on to change the government, as that is not a 'forever' decision the way Brexit is. If you vote for someone else and don't like how it's going then, you can change your mind.

But if you feel strongly about stopping the madness of Brexit, which will dominate the government for years/decades to come trying to negotiate all these separate trade deals, then do what you can now to stop it.

The campaign about 'Get Brexit Done' is really misleading, because the deal there is now, which took years of work to get, is only the very beginning. There are hundreds more deals that would have to be done like that over the next decades. It will not be even close to being done for a very long time, if we go ahead with it.

So I'd think very seriously about your position on that, and decide what matters most to you right now for the very short term for this election. I would not be surprised if there is another one before the 5 years are up anyway, as this one will be dominated by Brexit.

ButterflyOfFreedom · 11/12/2019 09:33

slowandwild

I agree. Of course you can vote for who you want. I was just giving my thoughts. Isn't that what this thread is about?
Why have you singled me out? Loads of people on here are giving their opinion on who people should / shouldn't vote for.

Am I allowed to say if you want to keep the NHS, please don't vote Tory? Or us that too much????

MrPickles73 · 11/12/2019 09:38

If you think it's OK to be antisemitic vote labour.

ButterflyOfFreedom · 11/12/2019 09:41

If you think it's ok for the rich to get richer, the poor to get poorer, the NHS to be sold off... vote Conservative.

SlowAndWild · 11/12/2019 09:43

Yawn

Bimbleberries · 11/12/2019 09:44

You don't have to agree with every single part of the manifesto to vote for a party. You might well disagree with anti-Semitism, and yet still decide that Labour is going to be best for your view on the NHS and Brexit, or whatever. I might vote Lib Dem, despite disapproving strongly of their views on women's rights.

Pick the issues that are most important to you and/or most irreversible (Brexit!!) and do your best. Nobody will assume you approve of every single thing a party has ever said or done.