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?

[DreadingSeason2020sFinale]

Let's face it, it's like choosing between flesh eating diseases. There is no good choice.

[Deathraystare]

I mostly vote Labour (but not now). I don't think I can vote next time really. Feel sad about it. I voted that way because our local labour guy is very good.

[Graphista]

If you think Tories aren't "twaw" you're wrong, they are just as bad as the rest on this they're just a lot quieter on the subject! But they're the ones changing laws and regs on this stuff

[Gingernaut]

My constituency is solid Labour.

The current MP is a complete 'Yes man' and when he dies/retires, my constituency will be certain to have some Londoner parachuted in.

No one is being groomed in his place, so it's a dead cert we'll have some no mark anyone has ever heard of.

I voted Conservative last time, he didn't even come second.

[Lessstressedhemum]

I will vote SNP until we have independence. I don't care of other parties suddenly change tack and become pro independence because I wouldn't split the vote. SNP need a strong mandate.
After that it'll either be back to SSP or the Greens once things settle down a bit.

[Mischance]

I vote for anyone who stands even a passing chance of getting the Tories out round here. Never works because the assorted opposing parties do not have the wit to combine forces, so opposition votes are split and back comes the blue boy. .

[AgeLikeWine]

I was a Labour member and activist in the Blair / Brown era, but the party lost my support when Corbyn was elected leader. I didn’t leave the Labour Party, it left me.

Since 2015, I have voted Lib Dem, which seems like a wasted vote, as they can’t win in my area but I had no alternative. I could never vote Tory, obviously, and I couldn’t vote to make Corbyn PM when he would have been hopelessly and dangerously out of his depth in the job.

[HirplesWithHaggis]

In the next election (May, for the Scottish Parliament) I will probably vote SNP in the constituency ballot, because I want independence. I will almost certainly vote ISP (Independence for Scotland Party) on the list ballot, because I want to protect women's sex-based rights and none of the rest of them do.

[CeramicGuineaPig]

I didn't really explain properly above - I don't mean I will vote against them for the hell of it, but if they had policies I didn't like, and I felt that by voting against them I wouldn't stop them getting in, I would vote against them.

[CeramicGuineaPig]

A. Because I feel that a party will fiddle about with its policies especially before an election in order to attract the most votes but may well go back on this once elected, however its fundamental ideology is what will, in general, drive the way it governs. I will vote against my party of choice to "send a message" if I am pretty sure they are going to get in anyway, or if I think it won't make much of a difference, but in general I will stick with them as our fundamental ideologies match.

[Coldemort]

I'm in what in 2016 was the most marginal seat in the country (labour took it with less than 300 votes). I feel a pressure to vote labour as an anti-tory vote. Stupid FPTP

[catlovingdoctor]

I vote Labour becuase I feel the Tory hike in tuition fees has negatively affected the rest of my generation and me at a time when things are difficult enough- considering how much more expensive property is now compared to ten, twenty or thirty years previously.

Also, I agree more with their stance with several (but not all) foreign policy issues. Mainly the selling of arms to the Saudi government which have been used to destroy Yemen, and the fact Labour have generally been more Pro- Palestinian in their policies than the Tories.

[Eng123]

@WizWoz
I get the labour issue but why they Tory by default, surely the most aligned party by default...who ever that is?

[WizWoz]

B. I refuse to vote for Labour because they have a number of ridiculous socialist policies and insist that TWAW. Until that changes I will vote Tory by default.

[RaspberryHartleys]

Really interesting - thanks for all your thoughts.

Someone mentioned the voting system, I think this is pretty key in how a lot of people choose to vote too. Education is key

[titsbumfannythelot]

A combination of those, but I can't vote for a party lacking a credible leader.

I'm usually labour but really couldn't see Corbyn leading the country. I disagreed with a number of his policies too.

If I was a Tory voter who voted for Boris I would have cringed myself inside out by now.

[notafanoftheman]

I would add another factor that influences how people vote: the ridiculous fptp system. I live in a country with PR and I vote for a minority party because it’s not a completely wasted vote .

[TheSandman]

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

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.

Yep me too. My vote may stay with the SNP or it may slide to the Greens. Labour are going to have to do some work modernising themselves I'm sure it will reinvent itself as a purely Scottish Labour/socialist party - but what are the Tories going to do in an Independent Scotland? They are going to have to become something other than the Conservative and Unionist Party after spending the last four years banging on about 'remoaners' and 'getting on with Brexit' without really showing themselves up to be the bunch of hypocritical chancers that they so obviously are.

[Kernowgal]

Interesting question and depends what kind of election and where I’m living at the time. I’m definitely another floating voter and have voted Labour, Green and Lib Dem over the past few years.

I’m probably most closely aligned with the Greens.

[Andante57]

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.

[PumpkinsPatch]

I start afresh each election.

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

[Graphista]

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.

[midsomermurderess]

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.

[Lily193]

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.

[HartnellAvenue]

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.