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.

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

GP's haven't gone anywhere. The 8am appointment dash isn't universal (not done in my surgery). Given it's not mandated, I don't know why so many surgeries do it.

I would love some sensible debate rather than both parties and the newspapers with pointless windup headlines such as
Tories planning to replace Sunak - well no -no mp wants to replace sunak cos they are about to lose an election so they’d be pm for 6months thenout
Starmer is pro palestinian
/israeli/palestinian/isr………. And on and on - Gaza is a MESS only they can fix - what some British person,mp anyone says won’t make a difference.
So and so willl raise taxes/ lower taxes /raise taxes / lower taxes -who cares it won’t be enough to change lives -just fix the appalling public services and nhs.
etc

East European countries had a lot of problems in the 1970s but homelessness wasn't one of them afaik.

Housing is a massive problem for sure. Tax evasion and avoidance. Health.

And noticing a previous post FIX immigration —— none of you have ideas

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
If that’s true then it’s very foolish. Climate change will/ is impacting the very poorest across the planet. I’m really skint and I worry about it a lot.

My top issues are:

Climate change, seas, ecosystem.
Public transport (not just environmental reasons but also because we live in a massively crowded country where most people can’t get to work or have a life without a car. We need real, affordable infrastructure.)
Health- including dentistry
Education- bin academies and Ofsted and let teachers teach
Women and children’s rights particularly single sex spaces and protecting children from dodgy adults.

And just generally, I would like to live in a country where people want the best for each other, and are willing to enter into a social contract for the greater good. I feel like this country is so much harsher, more selfish, meaner and dirtier than it’s ever been. I’d also love to see some dignified statesmanlike politicians who have the country’s interests at heart, instead of the parade of self interested, point scoring, childish, greedy, morally vacant narcissists who have been trashing the uk for the last decade.

The main issue that will swing voters this GE is: Are they Tory? The country just wants rid of them at this point.

This.

My local labour candidate keeps saying they're going to fix the NHS and public services by throwing money at it but can't actually give a sensible coherent explanation as to where that money is going to come from..........

I should add, I’m a lifelong Labour voter but am very frustrated with their mimsy attitude and I see the way our Labour council spaffs money up the wall on stupid shite. I think I want Old Labour really, just fair policies that benefit the majority. Basic really!

Our area used to be classic Tory but we had awful Tory mps. We now have a Lib Dem MP and she is fantastic. So hard working and I agree on everything she says. Voting for a decent person who actually lives in and supports your city is a good place to start - surely that way change will happen long term.

I’m wondering this too

When pp say fix NHS or sort CoL etc and will vote Labour.

What are they expecting from Labour to fix it all?

In terms of the general population, the perception of immigration being to blame for all our ills will probably get the Tories back in

That's an interesting stance because without question, every anti-immigration person I know BLAMES the tories for allowing it...... not sure what it is they think labour are going to do to tackle that though........

I genuinely do not understand those who say ‘there is no election so no manifesto.’ There is an election ….. and it’s less than 1 year away. Why on earth wouldn’t Labour want to publish it and get ‘floating’ voters excited and ready to make a positive vote for them?? They seem quite happy to win in an anti- Tory vote which is such a negative platform. The only ‘policies’ they’ve announced and haven’t u turned on are negative class war type ones. Setting ‘rich’ (middle class) up against ‘poor’. VAT on public schools; bankers bonus and non dom tax. And the total of all of these measures isn’t a weeks worth of tax taken. It’s pathetic. Give us something to vote FOR and stop this continual divisive rhetoric.

I agree with this. The Tories are to blame, but I also don't think that Labour have any intention or will to solve the problem.

Their 'solution' will probably be to make it far easier to claim asylum or emigrate here, thereby removing the need to do so illegally. Any backlogs will be cleared by handing out the right to remain. They'll then claim (technically correctly) claim that they've reduced illegal immigration.

The problems will remain though: increased strain on public services and housing, the cost of receiving people who'll be net receivers, security concerns, integration etc.

Labour, conservative , lib don't believe in the NHS anymore for everyone but a two tier system. If you've money pay for a GP, physio, scheduled operation. Your employer will eventually offer it within the employment package.

If you haven't the money then the NHS is there in a scaled down form.

We moved north (hopefully not forever) in summer 2022 and I have been astonished at how many Tories I've met here compared to where we moved from.

I grew up in a different part of the north that doesn't really vote Tory (huge understatement there) and have found the mindset of most of the people I work with currently beyond comprehension. It doesn't matter how you point out how much Tories hate the poor/disabled/poor elderly/non Caucasian (beyond a handful of wealthy tokenistic figures), the love and devotion for the Tories remains...

This sort of view is so short sighted.

I don't have kids, but don't resent my taxes going to help pay for their health, education and childcare for their parents. If we want a better functioning, healthy society one of the main places to start is to nurture the children in it from they day they are born.

Blair understood this, reprehensible as he is.

Control of immigration.

I am a Labour voter, but have to admit I have my doubts about Streeting's attitudes to the NHS. I don't like or trust him.

I wasn't trying to correct or educate you @EasternStandard - more just making a general observation. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

VAT on school fees is a stupid gimmick that will backfire and make private schools even more elitist, while punishing those families that scrimp and save to send their kids private, because the state offering doesn't meet their DC's needs.

And I agree with you @Lea3

No party can publish a manifesto until closer to the election. Domestic and global politics moves quickly. All the while the Tories continue to make things worse, so we'll need to see how much shit we're in by the time the GE comes around.

I don't know why the government won't just hold a May election. They're hemorrhaging votes left, right and centre and things are not going to get any better for them. Or us while they cling desperately to power.

Immigration.

I agree with much of this. I live in a strong Labour area and may well vote for them simply to stop the far right parties getting in but I don't think Labour have outlined any plans I could get on board with. This has been a safe seat for them but tories too a local seat last time and are significantly more vocal and engaged with the community so it is risky I think for Labour here now. I used to be a LD supporter but they are utterly hopeless now. Greens are probably more aligned to my preferences but stand no chance here.

IClaudine - If what I have read about Streeting is true, he is veering towards privatisation of the NHS. Also some of the things he has tweeted in the past are awful. He doesn't sound like a very nice person.

Immigration
Crime
Gender shite/safe spaces
Environment
Unions/strikes

Both parties need a good kicking -

We've had immigrants in a nearby village hotel for a time. Three rapes of local women and one knifing before the hotel said enough. Welsh labour still spouting everyone welcome. Well no they bloody aren't.