To ask for help who to vote for?

[GaryShitpeas]

I had no interest in politics before it started affecting me when the last lot of dickheads came into power

And never voted cos it bored me reading about it and I never thought it would affect my life. I realise it's this kind of apathy that is partly to blame for the situation we are in now and I'm really embarrassed.

Anyway I genuinely don't know who to vote for other than I'm not voting for the current lot.

Basically to give an idea of what matters most to me. I'm 35 mum of 3 (working but skint) and live in a rented council house. I care about the poor, the disabled and the elderly being looked after and tbh I have no qualms claiming tax credits in fact we need them and don't want to lose out there. The cost of living is a big worry (Hence the need for tax credits) and I care about housing and it being affordable, and think there should be way more social housing. And also better regulation of the private rental market. I also want some hope of being able to afford to buy my own home before I'm too old to get a mortgage! And want my kids to have the same chance. I also care deeply about the nhs and want it to be looked after (or at least saved?)

So. Any ideas? Or all they all full of bullshit? (I suspect the latter tbh)

There's also www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com . Definitely look at the policies - ignore what others tell you, ignore the media. Just look at it in black and white.

I find our system so frustrating. FPTP just means loads of us are completely disenfranchised if we live in a safe seat of a party we don't support.

I'll be told off for not seeing the big picture (but I see the government I might get now, not in 20 years time) but vote tactically if you need to. However, I'm not sure what that means anymore. For example, my mum is a lifelong Labour supporter (and member) but where she lives Labour would never win. So she doesn't vote Labour, she votes Libdem to try to keep the Tories out. Sometimes she has a Libdem MP, sometimes Tory. I don't suppose she thought the Libdems would help the Tories stay in power.

BUT - is anyone voting Libdem this time? Although I abhor tuition fees, I think the backlash against them has been rather unfair as I am sure they've done a bit (although not enough) to hold back the worst excesses of the right-wing Tories. But I do fear that not voting Libdem will lead to more Tory seats and so a Tory majority - possibly slightly supported by the odd UKIP seat.

I am talking about England - I don't know whether the SNP will really wipe out Labour in Scotland and I don't know how successful Plaid will be in Wales.

As for UKIP - women voting for them are turkeys voting for Xmas. They just want us to go back to the 1950s and of course that was SO much better than now. I wonder how long it would take them to roll back every employment right we have if they actually gained power?

Not sure about the SNP but I'd rather have them in a coalition than UKIP. And if they had a say in running the whole of the UK I wonder if they might lose interest in running an independent Scotland - after all - the UK is bigger.

Labour are unelectable until they have a new leader with some charisma and presence.

The Green party - well they say a lot of sensible things. As a protest vote, maybe.

Ultimately I like Caroline Lucas, Gisela Stuart, Sarah Wollaston and Ruth Davidson. Can they get together and form The Sensible Party?

I'm voting tactically this time round and unbelievably will probably end up voting ukip locally because they're the only party likely to oust the labour people Republic I live in. There's a phrase I never thought I'd write. The way my council have been shafting us all and claiming huge allowances and sitting on the boards of social housing providers and earning huge salaries from them too is an absolute scandal. The nepotism is unbelievable too as is the investment in just one town with the rest left to go to ruin. I wonder how many others live in my borough?

Realistically the Tories won't win in this borough because it's a typically northern red town so if ukip is what it takes to begin altering the status quo and see a change then so be it.

Nationally, I'll be voting conservative. I really like my MP on a personal level, but ed and ed. No thanks.

Well said silveroldie. I will probably vote Tory but I want to find out more about our local UKIP candidate as I could be swayed.

Good grief! How could anyone here even think of voting for UKIP?
Seriously unpleasant policies and weird candidates.

On the first linked test I scored 25% Labour, 25% Conservative, 25% Lib Dem and 25% Green. Very useful!

On the second I learned that I have a fair bit in common politically with Gandhi which is cool.

The third asked a lot of questions I had little interest in answering but matched me up with the Greens.

I think I'll probably vote Labour... All I want is for the Tories to fuck right off. Labour is the best bet.

Well I'll be damned if I vote labour, I live in Wales where they've just about fucked everything up. Our NHS is crippled, the schools are under performing and councils are making cutbacks. Labour have done a disastrous job here and I want better for my family so I'll be voting Cons. We desperately need to sort out the countries finances, especially after that last shower of shit, Brown and Bliar

We desperately need to sort out the countries finances, especially after that last shower of shit, Brown and Bliar

LOL at still blaming Labour for the country's finances after 5 years of the coalition.

I voted for greens last time and we ended up with this coalition. I will vote Labour, never Conservatives.

They are all useless OP, I don't know either. I wish we could have a 'all twats, get rid' box to tick. I'm sure voter amounts would shoot up if we did.

The problem with a 'None of the above' or 'All twats, get rid' option on a ballot, is that that option would win by an overwhelming landslide!

You just have to engage with the system and hope for the best. I don't see why British politics have to be so like US - I don't care what politicians look like really - we have to see past that.

Anyone voting Tory should hang their head in shame imo. Despite their callous attacks on the poor and disabled the national debt has actually got worse!

Labour is the logical choice to get this shower of evil shit out but I cannot bring myself to vote tactically if it means spineless Ed for pm - it will be more of the same with a slightly less slappable face.

I will be proudly voting green.

I would love to vote Green again, but they will never win, so will (IMO) just let the conservatives in again. I'm not willing to take that risk so will vote Labour. If the Tories get in again I will weep for my country.

That vote for policies website is not unbiased despite its claims to be. It is run by people who are very left wing and presents policies in ways which mean people are more likely to be told they should vote for a left wing party.

The Tories made a big fuss about how they would cut the deficit.

They've made pretty much no effort to actually do so. They've made trivial savings in welfare at the expense of massive misery and the need for foodbanks and then spent the savings on tax cuts.

Couldn't imagine voting for them now and judge as selfish anyone who would (unless it's a tactical vote to keep out UKIP!)

Muminhants I love your definition of ukip. I also wonder why anyone who isn't a white male would even begin to consider voting for them.

I did all those websites too, to see if I would magically fall into a political party shaped box. No such luck. I always wondered about the greens, and I now realise just how left wing they are. And anti Europe. I am pro Europe.

So for the first time in my life I am undecided. Labour need new leadership and policies. Lib dems need a leader. Greens could do with some seats (but not too many). Tories need some non white, non male, non public school intake and a dose of reality. Ukip just need to fu k off back to extreme land where they belong.

Labour and Greens.
I'm a dyed in the wool socialist.
even though there seems to be very little difference today between Labour and Tory.
Still, never voted Tory, never will.

Good grief! How could anyone here even think of voting for UKIP?

Quite easily, I voted for them in our local election.

Anyone voting Tory should hang their head in shame imo.

And I believe exactly the same about Labour voters.

As for the Greens, they're just a complete joke.

When is the voting happening?

I've also never voted and I'm 22 this year. politics doesn't interest me tbh, don't watch the news, read newspapers etc so have literally no idea what they're about and what they're doing. When it's happening etc

If I'm honest I just never cared and wasn't bothered. I'm now starting to feel that I should vote but it still doesn't interest me

Voting day is a few months off.

Wrappedinablankie voting matters because MPs get to decide on how our money is spent, who benefits (and who doesn't) and how as a society we live.

I would say with the rise of political extremism across Europe and here (ukip I'm looking at you) your vote counts more now than it has for a long time.

Blankie:
the general election is Thursday 7 May.
general elections are always held on the first Thursday in may, every five years, unless parliament is dissolved before that date.

yes - you should vote.
you should inform yourself about the policies of each political party, their track record to date, their representatives in your local area, and then make your choice(s).

ensure you are registered to vote.

we've all witnessed the struggle for democracy in the Middle East since the Arab Spring. That alone should be enough to separate our arses from our sofas in order to go to the polling stations and make our voices heard.

DS will be eligible to vote for the first time, I've just made sure he's actually on the register. I don't want to force my views down his throat but he hates Cameron more than I do, so I'll make sure he gets to the polling station!

I am actually shocked ant so many tory voters on here, I thought MN was more lefty!! And as for the UKIP voters - wtf.

How do you think the tories are sorting out the country's finances? Cutting welfare etc? It's bullshit. We are still in a mess, the poor are poorer and the rich are richer - that is what you vote for when you vote tory. I am in scotland and will be voting SNP.