Why do you vote the way you do?

[RaspberryHartleys]

Inspired by another thread touching on what the results of a hypothetical election would be tomorrow, I was really surprised to see some of the comments.

Why do vote for the party you do?

Is it:
A) lifelong party voter and align with the party's fundamentals (e.g. supporter of a small State and lower taxes for Tories, higher public spending and increased taxes for Labour supporters)
B) a specific one issue that matters to you (e.g. Brexit/women's rights/taxes etc);
C) a belief that the party are a safer pair of hands financially/socially than the other parties available; or
D) something else entirely?

I'd be interested to understand what goes into these decisions for people. I know what factors I use when coming up with my voting decisions but I have incorrectly predicted quite a few votes in recent years and would be intrigued to hear how others make them?

D) I look at which party most aligns with my ideals. I live in a labour safe seating so I know I don’t have to worry about my lack of voting letting party getting in who I disagree with as in that sense my vote doesn’t count. So I’m a floating voting, normally between Lib Dem, Labour and Green.

Thats a really interesting angle and one I probably missed!

Follow up, if you vote according to your ideals and yet your choices varies across the parties, is that because your ideals change between elections or because you believe the parties change theirs?

I vowed to vote SNP until we have an independent Scotland. After that, in the first general election we have, my vote will be up for grabs again. But we need the SNP to have the mandate for now.

So I guess thats almost a B for you @IncludeWomenInTheSequel?

Would your alliance change if say, Labour became pro Scottish independence?

Not wedded to a specific label because it is about what and not who I vote for. I have voted variably in the past, based on a mix probably of B and C. I absolutely despair at the two main parties in the last election and I still do.

Covid-19 may a catalyst for change. For one thing, as a whole we are going to have to learn to live with less, but that is actually dictated by climate change. That will be a challenge for those who want more and will require a greater transfer of wealth to those who do not have enough.

If I were to vote tomorrow it would be Green, but I know that would only be a protest vote for the Green Party have no real prospect because they have only ideology.

@RaspberryHartleys

Thats a really interesting angle and one I probably missed!

Follow up, if you vote according to your ideals and yet your choices varies across the parties, is that because your ideals change between elections or because you believe the parties change theirs?

A bit of both. Things like Brexit and changes to sex Ed curriculum which were issues last year but not in some of the previous elections and now my focus might be more parenting friendly although I’ve always been concerned with education.

Probably not because I wouldn't trust them to commit to it, and even if they did they wouldn't get enough votes here to get into government and implement it anyway.

Tactically, to prevent the SNP getting a seat in our area. It's worked since before the neverendum started.

A. Fundamentally I believe that help for those struggling- financially, socially- should come from the state and that much of that money has to come from taxing the richest.

It doesn’t really matter for me personally as I live in a safe labour seat with one of the biggest margins in the UK.

I want to support Labour but I don’t feel that the party knows what it believes in anymore.

I will always vote but I know if I didn’t bother the same MP would be back in again.

D for me - I look at the manifestos and decide from that. If I don’t like any of them, I tend to vote for an independent candidate to help them get their deposit back.

Not that it makes a blind bit of difference in my area!

I vote for individuals who i like regardless of their party, and i usually only vote for women as they are so under represented in government.

I always pick the party that most closely aligns with my values and priorities. Like the first poster I also float between Labour, Greens, and Lib Dems. I do that online 'vote for policies not parties' thing where you choose your favourite pledge on various areas of policy and it tells you who is most closely aligned. My pre-survey 'gut feeling' choice and survey recommendation have never not matched.
I live in a very safe Tory seat so my vote makes bugger all difference, sadly.

I vote for the party that has always aligned to my views so I would be A. I don't agree with all they do but I believe that overall they are the best party.

However I live in a different party stronghold that will take a few decades to overturn so my vote makes little difference unfortunately.

I vote for the only party who had their headquarters in my country. I vote fro the party who speaks my language, literally.

I refuse to vote Tory and I spoil my ballot paper due to the other parties refusal to protect women and girls rights.

I vote for whomever is the least barking mad and/or the least seemingly incompetent. Aside from the above, misogynists and antisemites will never receive my vote.

My vote is quite easy to get - be sane and don't facilitate and condone hate crimes against your own constituency.

Probably A - I vote Labour because I despair for our future with a Tory government. I much prefer Corbyn to Starmer but will continue to vote Labour regardless (although personally feel that the current Labour Party is really quite centrist but I suppose compared to our right wing government it probably looks a lot further left). I hope we will get a second chance at something like The Corbyn Experiment in my lifetime, and that will really need to start with a Labour government I expect.

A.

No party is ever likely to match perfectly so best fit. Currently that’s Tory unless we get a good independent choice. I’d spoil my paper than vote Labour.

Look at the manifestos. Look at the current party members. Look at what they say on social media and how they conduct themselves. I hate the current culture we are in of SJWs, cancel culture and identity politics, and I see those sort of people aligning themselves with labour. Especially saw it on my social media and it was quite gratifying, after their hectoring, bullying, overbearing attitudes on Facebook, to see their reaction when Labour lost.

An informed decision that includes carefully considering all of the manifestos and selecting the one that most closely aligns with my beliefs, values and the future direction that I would like the UK to take. I'm shocked at the number of people who rely on biased media for information and don't bother to do any in-depth research for themselves.

I want to live in a county that look after its people. Taxes high earners and the likes of Amazon etc and invest in all the services you see in eg Germany. Good infrastructure, carbon-neutral housing, good and affordable education and health. So you might be taxed more and have less in your pocket (not that we are a low-tax economy anyway) but you have good state provision, essentially a social democracy. Narrow the gaps between rich and poor, not spending a fortune on poor housing. Moving away from British short-termism, working closely with unions to make sure that working people don't get trampled by corporations. Essentially governing for us, not big business. No party in the U.K. offers this, some not at all, some in parts but I vote for those broadly in these areas. Claiming we must be rule by the market has driven us into the shabby, broken -down, divided, insecure and unhappy country we live in. And from whom increasingly only a lucky few benefit.

People on here and in real life THINK I'm a lifelong labour voter, I'm not.

I look at manifestos, voting records, parliamentary speeches and debates, and sm yes (but realise this can be quite misleading)

I vote according to the party and representative who most closely aligns with my views on a wide variety of issues but which mainly include treating everyone fairly regardless of demographic and taking care of the vulnerable in our society when needed.

I've never voted Tory and I never will, they don't have views or beliefs I agree with in any area, but I still look at their manifesto etc too because I think it's important to be informed.

I've had interesting discussions with people vehemently in support of certain parties (and this applies to all main parties) yet in the discussion it's become clear they don't actually understand that the party they're promoting doesn't really align with their views!

I find it very odd they don't know this. I don't understand voting for anyone without knowing what they stand for.

I've also come across a lot of people who vote for a certain party because that's who their parents or spouse vote for which I also find very strange.

I start afresh each election.

And vote for who I agree the most with at that time.

Taxes high earners and the likes of Amazon

My post is a bit off topic, but does Amazon pay proper taxes in other countries but not UK?
I’ve always presumed that Amazon uses some loophole whereby it doesn’t pay much tax anywhere but I’m happy to be proved wrong.