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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Silly question about voting in the election-sorry I'm a wee bit dumb!

56 replies

user1493759849 · 04/06/2017 09:35

Sorry to ask here; posting for traffic.

I live in an area that is verrrrrry Conservative. Approximately 60% of the population of my (fairly rural) county, voted Conservative in the election in 2015, and it's usually around that figure. (Labour got about 15%, and libdem 6%, UKIP 13%, something like that.)

So here's my question...

When I vote in a GENERAL ELECTION; if I vote for Conservative, am I voting for my local Conservative MP, or for Theresa May directly? And if I vote for Labour, am I voting for my local Labour MP, or Jeremy Corbyn directly?

While I'm here, also (another daft question,) if Corbyn decides he wants to push something through (or May for that matter,) is it true they cannot do it unless the majority of the MP's agree with it? (So like Corbyn couldn't take down Trident like he wants to, unless the majority of his party say yes?)

Please be gentle. Blush

OP posts:
Purplemac · 04/06/2017 09:36

You are voting for your MP. The MP with the most votes in your constituency wins that constituency. The party with the majority of winning constituencies can form a government. If there is no majority, two or more parties can form a coalition government.

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 04/06/2017 09:37

You're voting for your local MP. The leaders are chosen by the party not by the public, though they are seeking reelection in their own constituencies.

Creatureofthenight · 04/06/2017 09:38

You can only vote for your local MP. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that gains a majority of seats, but they must be an MP too. So if the Torres won a majority but May did not win her seat, the a Tory party would elect a new leader and they would be PM.

theduchessstill · 04/06/2017 09:39

And any policies do need to be voted through parliament yes.

Purplemac · 04/06/2017 09:39

So whilst you are directly voting for your MP, you are indirectly voting for the next Prime Minister.

And yes most decisions have to go through parliament.

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 04/06/2017 09:40

Decision making is a bit more complicated.

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/modern/uk_gov_politics/central_gov/revision/1/

robinofsherwood · 04/06/2017 09:40

Legally you are voting for your mp. They could if they wanted switch parties mid term and they'd still be your mp. But party members are subject to the party whip and are expected to vote as their party dictates. They can revolt though and would if something went completely against party policy (e.g. Trident - although I dont think there are any plans for a vote on that even if labour wins). There are also free votes on certain issues, where your mp votes as they feel right - I think fox hunting will be a free vote

Creatureofthenight · 04/06/2017 09:41

Excuse my typos.
As for your other question, it depends on what they are pushing through and whether it requires a change in law. I think a PM could theoretically decide to do something without support from their party, but they would then risk facing a leadership challenge.

Shoxfordian · 04/06/2017 09:42

You vote for your local MP not Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn unless they are your local MP

Either party then needs a majority of seats to form a government. I think it's 300 and something although you could check that. This vote comes from across the constituents.

And yes the government needs a majority of votes from MPs to put through a new law. The prime minister can't just dictate a new law but usually they have the majority of seats in the parliament and the mps should all vote for the laws suggested by their party although they don't have to.

Hope that helps Smile

PaperdollCartoon · 04/06/2017 09:46

There's 650 seats in the House of Commons. Each locally elected MP sits in one of them (so MP for Leeds, MP for Reading) In the general election you vote for who you want to sit in your constituencies seat. Whichever party wins the most seats (a majority of 325 seats or more) gets to be in control. So if the Torie's get the most, the leader they have chosen is Prime Minister. If Labour win the leader they have chosen is. If a party have the majority of seats that means when the MPs are voting in laws, that party is most likely to win, because they have the most people voting. MPs don't always vote with their party though.

If no party gets 325 seats or more it's what is called 'hung parliament'. This is how we got a coalition in 2010, as the Conservatives and Lib Dems did a deal to join up, as between them they had a majority of over 325.

MrsD28 · 04/06/2017 09:46

You are voting for your local MP, not for the national party. The party with the most MPs has the right to form the government (i.e. the prime minister and the cabinet) and the leader of the party with the most MPs therefore becomes the prime minister. That is why the geographical distribution of the vote matters - if everyone in a particular area supports one party then that party will get lots of seats from that area.

The government can make some decisions without the support of MPs - decisions that require no change in the law, for example. But if they want to change the law, then they have to get all of the MPs to vote. In reality, lots of other decisions are put to a vote because the government (i.e. the prime minister and the cabinet) want those decisions to be shown to be supported by the majority of people. Since MPs are our representatives in parliament (i.e. they stand in for us and vote on our behalf), support from the majority of MPs is seen as support from the majority of people.

A bit simplified, but that is basically it.

Original poster
user1493759849 · 04/06/2017 09:46

Thank you, you lovely people. Smile I know I sound daft, and I'm not 100% thick (haha,) but I genuinely wasn't sure.

TBH, I was considering voting for Labour, as I do like Jeremy Corbyn quite a lot, but am a wee bit worried about a couple of his policies, (like I wouldn't want Trident taking down,) so if I know all/most of the party has to vote for it, then that makes me feel a bit better. I do wonder though if it's even worth me voting for Labour when the Conservatives have a (fairly large) majority every time in my area?

But then I guess if everyone thought that, no-one would vote would they?! (Unless they wanted to vote for Conservatives?)

Thanks again folks. Smile

OP posts:
tava63 · 04/06/2017 09:47

You vote for an MP for your constituency. That MP will be subject to their own Party Whip at Westminister so is expected to vote in line with their Party, if they don't they can be disciplined - in all Parties there are some who rebel. You will have an idea what issues they might rebel on by finding out about your local candidates. For example the Conservative Ken Clarke rebelled against Hard Brexit issues recently. Regarding Trident - the majority in the Labour Party have a different view than Corbyn and that I believe is reflected in their Manifesto (the Manifestos are each Parties programme for government). Corbyn has said he accepts the Manifesto. Theresa May has repeatedly said this General Election is about Brexit. Personally I am voting for the Party that reflects my view on Brexit.

Limitededitionseveninch · 04/06/2017 09:51

A third of registered voters didn't go to the polling booths in 2015; imagine if all of them had voted. So definitely vote Smile

PaperdollCartoon · 04/06/2017 09:51

It's not daft at all! It is quite complicated and always good to ask questions.

I'll be voting Labour despite being in a Tory stronghold. Jeremy does want us to not have nuclear weapons, but has said he won't get rid of them (same as he's a republican but has said getting rid of the monarchy isn't something he's interested in pursuing) so I wouldn't let that colour your thinking.

EBearhug · 04/06/2017 09:55

You are voting directly for your constituency MP. You can only directly vote for Theresa May if you're in her constituency.

We do not vote for a prime minister - we vote for our constituency MPs, and the party that wins the most constituency MPs becomes the party in power, and their party leader is invited by the Queen to form the government.

I guess it would be possible for a party to win, but the party leader not to get in in their own constituency, but party leaders aRe usually put in safe seats, so the chances of them and other high up party members not getting in is low, though Ed Balls showed it can happen.

Many people will vote for their local MP because of who their party leader and therefore who they think will become PM, so in that sense, they are indirectly voting for There's May or Jeremy Corbyn or whoever else.

Parties are meant to stick to what they put in their election manifestos, but there have been loads of examples where they haven't, regardless of the party. Once in power, any changes they want to make to laws and so on, have to be debated in parliament and voted on by the House of Commons, then the House of Lords, then goes through a second reading, possibly with amendments. So even if Jeremy persuaded the Labour party to change its policy not to support Trident, and even if they were in power, it would still have to go through the full parliamentary process. This is where having a majority in parliament helps the party in power, because usually, their own politicians will all vote the same way, though there will be some areas where MPs are allowed to vote as their conscience dictates (usually thongs like abortion or euthanasia). Plus not all MPs vote on all motions, so the party whips exist to encourage voting particularly on things where it's not clear which way the vote will go and so on. You can see how often and which way your current MP has voted in the past if you go online. Some are very active, others less so - but as well as sitting in parliament, they are also expected to spend time in their own constituencies, because they are representing you (whether or not you voted for them,) and have constituency work as well as sitting in Westminster.

CaptainWarbeck · 04/06/2017 09:56

It's always worth voting, even if one party has a large majority. If everyone thought like that, nothing would ever change, and some MPs do lose their seats despite previous big majorities because public opinion has changed in their area.

You could vote tactically if you don't want a Conservative government - ie give your vote to the candidate other than the Tory one most likely to win. That might be Lib Dem, or Labour, or SNP etc. You can search for who you should vote tactically for by putting in your postcode here or you could vote swap here.

sashh · 04/06/2017 09:56

It's worth voting because even if you think it is useless MPs and parties do look at the 'margin' they win by.

SeveredPixieBits · 04/06/2017 09:59

Not daft at all. You read on here all the time "I couldn't possibly vote for Corbyn/ May" as if everyone is directly voting for one person in a big popularity contest.

usefultoken · 04/06/2017 10:00

Glad you asked the question op as I was a bit unsure too and google results assumed basic knowledge!

BeverlyGoldberg · 04/06/2017 10:08

PP have answered the question but I just wanted to say that please don't believe you are thick. You really aren't. This is such a massive part of our democracy but it is barely touched upon in schools. People can quite easily be excused for not knowing.

Original poster
user1493759849 · 04/06/2017 10:11

LOL glad it's not just me who is a bit unsure, and thanks for being nice folks. Smile

I did the 'tactical vote' thing, @captainwarbeck and got THIS answer...

In your area the tactical advice is to vote for Labour. But don't get your hopes up. The combined vote of Labour, Lib Dem and the Greens would not have been enough in 2015 to beat the Conservatives 2015 result
33,041
Conservative
18,370
Lab + Lib Dem + Green

'Don't get your hopes up!' it says!!!

Not much help LOL!

Still, as some of you said, if everyone thought 'what's the point?' nothing would ever change!

OP posts:
CaptainWarbeck · 04/06/2017 10:19

Wow you really are in a very blue area!!

Still use your vote though. Even one extra vote shows more support for that party.

TheHiphopopotamus · 04/06/2017 10:20

So whilst you are directly voting for your MP, you are indirectly voting for the next Prime Minister

This is what I'm struggling with at the moment. My MP is Dan Jarvis (Labour) who I really like and who has been brilliant for our town. I really want to vote for him. But I can't stand Jeremy Corbyn and I absolutely do not want him as PM.

Having said that, I think I'm attributing my single vote with too much power. There's no way this town will vote for anything other than Labour so I don't think I'll bother in the end Confused

Seniorcitizen1 · 04/06/2017 12:57

It is posts like this that make me wonder whether we should introduce an intelligence test before people are allowed a vote. It would have been very useful prior to EU referendum and we wouldn't be in the mess we are in re Brexit