To post every day until the next election to remind you to VOTE.

[NorthernLurker]

Seeing as the government appear to have kicked off their campaign I thought now was the time to start nagging talking about voting.

This weekend's talk about pensions shows in a nutshell why we need to vote. The government - any democratic government worldwide - is swayed by the need to please those they think will vote for them. So if you're not getting what you want from this government you need to vote because it is only when everybody like you votes that the wind will change in your governmental favour.

Register to vote, talk to your friends and family about voting, create some momentum and you will see change. The election of 2015 could see the biggest turn out from women under 40 ever. Anything is possible. There's been talk in the past about the 'mumsnet' election - well wouldn't it be great if that was a reality. Not in the sense of posters all voting one way, that's not the point. The point is wouldn't it be great if every user of this board voted? If every user of this board made their voice heard. It can happen.

And I'll be posting every day until it does

Fuck knows WHO to actually vote for. Milliband is wet, and doesn't seem to have any clear policies on very much tbh, wouldn't vote for David Cameron if a gun was at my head, and have lost all respect for the liberals. Not a particularly 'Green' person, I haven't totally taken leave of my senses, so that rules out UKIP and the BNP, so who the fuck is left??!!

Thanks northern we moved house so I will make sure we are registered in this area.

I have never missed a single vote, not for the GE or for local ones. Proud of that record. And getting my DP and DSS involved now as well, cant be bad!

As I say to them Its far from a perfect system, but its all we bloody well have!

Monday bump :)

I always vote because I feel I owe it as a duty to the suffragettes who went through hell on our account. We take the right to vote far far too much for granted. There are still so many countries where women don't have a vote, and have no economic power and their human rights are abused. We're just so lucky living here.

If you don't agree with any of the candidates standing, please don't just spoil a ballet paper, please write /email to the candidates and TELL them why you don't support them. It need only take 5 minutes and if enough people do this, it would make a difference. Politicians take note of letters.

Good it makes me sick to think there is. A chance however small Wallacered ed balls might get in.

Got to get every one voting anything but labour

What would happen if the majority spoiled their ballot? I know it's not likely as most people won't bother but just wondered.

I will be voting, in the vague hope of getting rid of my MP who claimed for a second home despite living less than 20 miles from parliament and doesn't actually care about her constituency.

Adikia, it depends what the write, if there were 2000 spoiled ballots that said the same thing then politicians would be keen to tackle that issue, if it didn't clash with their core values ( I don't think any major party would react in that way to a bring back hanging message )
Very few people currently spoil their paper, maybe 20 out of 40k. Most if those will be mistakes - ticks instead of crosses, then one or two will write a message.

If you spoiled your paper what would you write?

Tuesday bump - on election day turnout is reported. So what if every parent reading this site when out and voted and encouraged their friends and family to do so - turnout would rocket and that would be reported. Then if more people spoilt their papers that would be reported on the news too. What happens in polling station is noticed, it's reported. What you do at home, not turning out, refusing to engage - nobody sees that. Nobody knows. It's unnoticeable. If you want to be noticed - get out and vote

OP I think you should be proud of yourself.

Oh ok I will be proud if I can keep these threads going till May next year and then people come on and post that they've voted for the first time in years or for the first time at all. I know a lot of people aren't bothered about this but I think it's so important and I have found this thread really interesting so far.

newyearhere

Why are you against having "none of the above" on the ballot?

Wednesday bump!

Thursday BUMP!

yanbu. people that think not voting/ruining ballot papers will contribute towards a movement which will eventually lead to the breakdown of our political system are wrong. this is a dangerous view.

it will lead to autocracy. we are nearly there already. vote.

period

Who should I vote for?

Who for?

The Tories are vile towards the poorest and most vulnerable; their policies towards the disabled in particular are Hitler-esque. Food banks in the sixth richest country in the world, FFS! Workfare and zero hours, jesus wept!

Ditto UKIP.

Labour are full of middle class posho twats who've never done a real days work in their lives, who allowed the banks to get away with murder when they were last in power, who let an insane property bubble get totally out of hand, who allowed millions into the country to depress wages and provide cheap slave labour for greedy firms, who removed the right to a free higher education, who started a stupid and illegal war costing billions, who... god I could go on all day here.

BNP? I'll vote for them; provided the vote in question is "which party shall we throw off the nearest cliff on to sharp pointy rocks?"

Lib Dems? I used to vote for them but seeing them sell out and go along with the revolting Tories over the last four years has sickened me: never, ever again.

So who? The Greens? What a waste of time!

Totally disillusioned with the whole mob. Won't be voting for any of them, as none of them give two shites about me and people like me, and refuse to feel guilty about it.

Fuck the lot of them!

Cailleach Puts the point stronger than I have but our feelings about the parties are the same.

So to those that say that I should vote, Convince me (those that are disillusioned with the main parties) not that I/we should vote (because I/we would love to) but who I/we should vote for.

Nothing I can say can convince you who to vote for - and it shouldn't. It's your choice, your right, your risk. Because yes sometimes you vote for somebody who disappoints you. That happens a lot. They disappoint you a lot then you put your faith and your vote in somebody else. No party is perfect, no party will give you everything you want. You have to take a chance, gamble on it. Point is when you do that you are heard, you exist in a political sense. When you don't vote - you're null and void. Nobody needs to do what you might like, gear policy towards you because you don't matter. That's the point of this thread - there are hundreds of thousands of parents on this site. if they ALL vote we can move the debate towards our issues. It can happen.

represents the Civil rights movement in the USA. A movement that changed what had always been and what seemed unbreakable. If you make yourself count you can move and change events. IT CAN HAPPEN.

Try voting. You don't like the result you get, you try again.

Boney it depends on who is represented in your AREa. I am a member of the labour party. I have been very impressed by their efforts to consult with their members on policy issues. I have been invited to attend lots of events as well as, of course, support campaigning. They are guenuinely active in trying to recruit members from all walks of life and their are opportunities for those members to progress within the party. I have been involved in raising social issues in my work for a charity. EXACTLY these issues are being translated into policy by labour. We dont know how they will perform in office but I do believe that there are genuine efforts bein made to address issues of inequality which are more prevelent than ever under the current govt.

sorry nak

and shit grammar. for which breastfeeding is no excuse

As some background

I used to be a floating voter, where I lived (a dedicated tory area) campaigners from all parties would visit and discuss issues and polices on the doorstep.

Where I am now, I am in an area where I am lucky if I get a leaflet through the door to say who the candidates are.

I will always use my ballot but if the parties show no interest in me and my issues what is really the point?

Parties make mistakes. The ground can shift and they don't notice and then things change. That's what happened in Tatton when Neil Hamilton lost and Martin Bell won. That was a previously rock solid Tory area. When people go, with independent minds to the ballot box and vote freely it IS possible for things to change. Like I said before. It's an act of faith.

Regardless of what you think about the 1997 election and its results take a look at . This was a huge change and I will never forget watching it unfold on tv and knowing I was a part of it. Because I'd voted. No guarantee you get what you want but you participate anyway.

Sorry to rain on the parade of the 'write to your MP' br