Which issues are the ones likely to swing a general election result ?

[Georgeduhamel]

Seems to be a big difference in real life outside MN and MN.
Most people I know are frustrated by the state of public services and the lack of money despite sky high taxes. Local schools are falling apart, NHS non functioning despite best efforts of the staff and our town centre is now reminiscent of an East European backwater in the 1970s with barely any shops and homeless folk on every corner. We also have a particularly inept Tory MP so I anticipate people will want to get rid of him.
Which things will affect your vote ? What’s most important ? In some respects I guess it depends on your personal situation and where you live. Leafy affluent home in Surrey life might not have changed, council estate in Rochdale you might be more eager to get rid of the current lot in government.
On MN, maybe understandably, gender ideology and labour’s uncertain stance seems to be a hot topic but does that trump the cost of living crisis or the lack of GP appointments or 24 hour delays in A/E ?
Fwiw I’m in agreement with most of the GC arguments but that won’t influence my vote for Labour.

Scrapping Nom Dom status won’t happen. This also irritates me as I knew it was a shite way to go ages ago for obvious reasons. They’re so bloody slow that it takes them longer than I do to get it. It’s now just being ‘modernised’ not scrapped. Here from five days ago

https://www.ft.com/content/5cf89302-931b-47ef-add9-e206998dddf0

If they are reading my posts get rid of the VAT on private schools, it’s also shit and damaging. Thanks

I agree with you. But just reading responses here it’s clear it’s not what most people in RL consider a priority. And tbh if you can’t afford to feed your kids I’d forgive you for not really giving it enough attention. But the general apathy (esp seen by the Tory party tbh) is totally depressing especially when you compare it with say gender issue. I mean, really?

Standard of living
Investment in education, nhs
Crime
Housing
Immigration

in that order I think crime and what is seen as lack of dealing with everyday crimes is becoming a more important issue for voters

Housing.
Immigration.
NHS
Social care
Benefits

I think climate change is way down on the list it’s something for governments to sort out. The only people I know who are extremely worried tent to be those that are not worrying about how to make ends meet

Where we live things have deteriorated significantly over the past decade, not just post Covid.

I think people are just sick of work not paying. The idea of working, paying taxes and having a good standard of living is just not true anymore. We are all but taxed to death and services just get worse. We are told that Net Zero is some sort of utopian uplands where we will all be shitting white gold and have air so clean you could bottle and sell it. But to get there we must be taxed more, Green levies and carbon taxes, it just make me cynical TBH.

Apparently we can fix the atmosphere by paying extra taxes, but not the NHS or the Police!

Really?

We had a bloody fantastic PCSO here who literally knew everyone, even the little shits had a grudging respect for him. He kept a lid on things and was always someone to go to when you didn't know who else to go to. But because of "budget issues" he's been moved and nobody has taken his place.

TBH I am giving serious though to not voting at all, why can't we have a "Common Sense" party?

A party that would stop all the bullshit and waste.

People never seem to understand that Labour are not in government and will announce their policies once an election is called and not before then

While I agree it’s (mostly) governments to sort out, sorting out means shit loads of investment in green infrastructure, and frankly quite boring but very expensive stuff like insulating our houses. And unless you have a rapidly growing economy (ha!) then that will mean higher taxes or less money for public services etc. So everyone needs to get involved in the debate.

I think the COL crisis is the biggest issue right now where I live, followed by investment in public services and housing.

Everything else is a nice-to-have issue (gender/trans issues, environment etc) when the basics have been sorted. It's all very manslows hierarchy of needs. We are struggling with the safety and security needs, everything else is minor until then

The point is that many people are too preoccupied with everyday living it’s utterly draining to be constantly worrying how to make money last until next pay day it’s all consuming along with looking after a family/working

it’s a nice idea we all get involved but many just have enough on their plate without taking on other issues when it does not have an immediate impact on their life

The economy - cost of living
Housing
The NHS

These are the things that impact most people's day to day lives.

VAT on school fees and small boats are not significant issues for most. The VAT policy is generally popular amongst the electorate and the tiny number of people who might be directly affected by it will largely be traditional Conservative voters so it will have an insignificant impact on any swing. The small boats issue might take a few votes from the Conservatives to the Reform party, which is all good if it splits the Tory vote.

I haven't decided how I'll be voting - most likely Lib Dem's or labour, depending on their policies. Very Tory area (been blue since the 1930s!) however that might change as our boundaries have recently shifted.

I read what their manifesto was likely to include in a Telegraph article on the 14th Feb, I thought their Intent is scrapping current system and modernising it.

The return of GPs was one of them, scrapping the 8am dash for appointments.

Obviously, as a poster pointed out there is no election called at the moment so no official manifesto.

lol at scrapping then modernising, ie still having a nom dom system in place

Rather than the initial declaration of getting rid of non dom status altogether

That’s not happening because it’s a shite policy. They took time to realise it because they are slooow

When it comes to a GE, I am always surprised at how many people vote for a particular party because they always have rather than thinking about what current policies most align with their views.
I think it's also safe to say that Brexit proved quite how many are influenced by sound bites rather than underlying policies or thinking whether the sound bites can actually work.
I'm a floating voter who tends to decide at the last minute. The country is a mess at the moment & the Tories don't seem to have any ideas or decent people left yet I have concerns about various Labour policies and that's without them having announced many yet.

For me, everything flows from a lack of money. So, innovation, improving infrastructure, looking at rejoining the EU, attracting investment, and turning the public into a better workforce.

Neither of them are up to it.

I would support higher taxes and prefer Scandi system of fantastic childcare, health care etc in return for higher taxes to make life fairer for all

How is this fair? I’m not paying for your childcare - you should look at workplaces paying a living wage so you can afford your own children.

@dancinginthewind
When it comes to a GE, I am always surprised at how many people vote for a particular party because they always have rather than thinking about what current policies most align with their views.

indeed. Which is why minority floating voters like you hold so much power come the GE.

Only if they live in the right area, most of the time

It’s not the pp’s fault that childcare is atrociously expensive. Totally bonkers that see many working mums it literally makes no sense to work and therefore pay into the system.

I too would happily pay higher tax in order to live somewhere where public services are available to all and actually work.

And you can see it in Reeves no bonus cap because apart from a handy gimmick it’ll be the same set up.

Labour have apparently been having meetings with business leaders in London and listening to what they have to say. Capping bonuses isn't a good idea, because it doesn't encourage people to make loadsa money. When London was booming, it was because workers, particuarly bankers, were incentivised to make shit loads of money for themselves and their employer/London/the country at large benefited off the back of that. If you make it so people can't get rich doing what they do, they'll go and work in New York or Frankfurt, where they can. Brexit has been an utter disaster for the UK economy, so whatever gets it going again, including bankers' bonuses, is a bit of a no brainer. I take it is a sign that Reeves has been listening to business leaders that she isn't promising to do the usual Labour schtick of taxing the rich so much that they piss off abroad.

You don’t have to convince me. It’s the pp who thinks VAT on private schools means more to come.

Of course people piss off abroad when you tax them too much. The idea that Labour are doing the school one as anything but a damaging gimmick for a type of voter is laughable.

It’s not the pp’s fault that childcare is atrociously expensive. Totally bonkers that see many working mums it literally makes no sense to work and therefore pay into the system

I too would happily pay higher tax in order to live somewhere where public services are available to all and actually work

Why? Why wouldn’t you prefer employers to pay a living wage so everyone could afford their own childcare and then feel better off after the first three years when they no longer pay it? Why should they be fearful for the ‘help’ of free childcare? It just undermines wages.

Addressing immigration is paramount. Without curtailing legal immigration to accept only those who are needed and taking drastic steps to end illegal immigration, none of the nation's internal problems can be solved.

The current trajectory is unsustainable, as evidenced by rising crime rates, deteriorating public services, housing costs spiraling out of reach, and a military facing serious challenges because on the one hand a significant part of our population (those who'd traditionally join) is alienated, and on the other, a now-significant element simply feels no real connection to this country or its heritage and views it as little more than an economic zone.

We're in Wales labour run for decades, with the attack on farming, 20 mph roads, council facing bankruptcy, health trust in special measures. I won't be voting Labour or their concubine Plaid.