To have exercised my right NOT to vote in today's elections

[taratill]

Just as the question says.

First time I have not voted in my adult life (24 years).

Just can't bring myself to vote for either party. Traditional labour voter but Corbyn is impossible to vote for (anti-semetic/views on self ID)

Torn between feeling guilty and hoping that enough people have not voted / there are voter analysis done that realise that labour have lost votes due to this and will evoke a change of leadership!

thanks wreckless

We had two people knocking at doors today, the second was an actual Labour councillor at about 8pm...

In our ward, we had the choice between Labour, Conservative and BNP. As I had planned to vote for an anti- Brexit party, I spoiled. It feels as though even the illusion of choice has gone in our borough.

But I can't blame people for choosing not to stand for their minority party around here. It's a Tory stronghold and must be very demoralising to work so hard based on strongly held principles only to be annihilated on the day because local voters only care about getting the lowest possible council tax.

First time in 42 years I haven’t voted. I don’t think voters are being listened to at all and decided not to waste my time. I believe Theresa May to be incompetent, ineffectual and unable to take responsibility for her actions of the past 8 years. I could not vote for Jeremy Corbin or indirectly Diane Abbot as I intensely dislike both.

9%?! Come on Britain, how will things change if you cba to vote?

Suburban - surely with a 9% turnout that's one long break?

Only teasing :p

I had a leaflet from labour, and a much smaller one from some wacky fringe communists. I live in quite a proactive community, and was surprised by the change. Not a single knock upon the door. I had thought that I'd get more here than in the city centre where we used to live.

Seriously you sound like ‘2 legs bad 4 legs good’
I’ve thought this about certain labour ‘fans’ for a long time now.
They’d vote for a donkey as long as it wore a red rosette.

YABVU

I’ve thought this about certain labour ‘fans’ for a long time now.
They’d vote for a donkey as long as it wore a red rosette

I’ve thought this about certain Tory ‘fans’ for a long time now.
They’d vote for a donkey as long as it wore a blue rosette.

If the Tories returned to their one nation roots, i d change my voting pattern but on balance i dont that will happen, they are moving even more extreme right on par with le Penns FN (check out their two manifesto's)
So, i never thought a British Government would actively deport/deny nhs care and travel bans on British black citizens in my life time... how much more right wing can you get?

If the Tories returned to their one nation roots, i d change my voting pattern but on balance i dont that will happen, they are moving even more extreme right on par with le Penns FN (check out their two manifesto's)

No they are not, you are trying to creep this insinuation in across multiple threads, just because you have stumbled across a year old craig murray article does not make it true, and you're deliberately missing the point that UKIP took a lot of labour supporters and that a lot of traditional labour strongholds voted leave and that is ignoring the ex bnp who are now ex labour councillors (ex being they was voted out, not kicked out of the party)

Le Penn's FN and the former BNP ran populist policies that are designed to hoodwink against the racist shite, the fact that Macron is more to the right of cameron shows the situation going on in france at the moment and nothing to do with the imagined tory going more right wing.

Yabu. You weren’t “voting for Corbyn”, you were voting for local councillors. And there are plenty of examples of smaller parties gaining councillors. Look at Lib Dem’s.

Not voting isn’t a protest. Spoiling a ballot could be. In my area 60% didn’t vote. I’m pretty sure 100% of that group are dissatisfied with the local council judging by the comments I see on our local FB page. But without voting I don’t think there is a right to complain.

We had a choice of two candidates, I voted for the person who could do the most good in my immediate area.

I would and have spoilt my ballot paper than not vote. Not voting screams couldn't be bothered rather than a protest vote so I'm afraid YABU OP.

I had a local Labour MP before this election and I have no bloody idea where he’s disappeared to! I just went to tick the ballot and it was someone else’s name... I voted Lib Dem for the first time (usually labour) and they won.

Mousefunky I didn't realise there were bye-elections as well as the local council ones, and I assume - as I've seen no reporting of the outcome - that the result was an unnewsworthy Labour hold?

Le Penn's FN and the former BNP ran populist policies that are designed to hoodwink against the racist shite, the fact that Macron is more to the right of cameron shows the situation going on in france at the moment and nothing to do with the imagined tory going more right wing

I have never heard of Craig Morray, i googled FNs manifesto, deport illegal migrants, vote on leaving EU, cuts in social welfare..... the tories have enacted far more than this!
Macron more right wing than DC, dont make me laugh.

You can argue all you like the Tories are not this right wing party but does not change the facts. from cuts in disability benefits to austerity to Windrush to leaving the EU, these are policies that even M. Thatcher didnt support.

and it answers the OPs question because local councils do not have any power, whatever council you have in your area, they are just an extension of central government and its why so few bother to vote and in a LE no ones cares.

Not voting is not a protest: it lumps you in with all the people who can't be arsed to turn up, it's a vote for the status quo.

Why didn't you research the other candidates? Look at local Independants. See what your local Lib Dem or Green candidate was working for personally.

I vote Labour for GE, but my council vote has gone Lib Dem recently as our local candidates have been excellent - and have continued to be excellent since being elected.

I have never heard of Craig Morray, i googled FNs manifesto, deport illegal migrants, vote on leaving EU, cuts in social welfare..... the tories have enacted far more than this!

You should take a look at the socialist policies that the BNP and NF cloak there abhorrent stuff under, vote on leaving the EU was in labour's manifesto during Blair and would have come up by default in a few years anyway.

Cuts to social welfare, again even Labour under JC wasn't going to undo all the cuts to social welfare.

"illegal immigration" is an issue that every country on earth deal with, the BNP and FN was not going to stop with just the illegal side though were they

So far, they are not the same, you are just looking at things through Partisan glasses and then broadbrushing and trying guilt by association

Macron more right wing than DC, dont make me laugh.

I think you need to do a bit more research and take a look at his economically conservative stance, he is also enacting a lot of the policies you listed above

You can argue all you like the Tories are not this right wing party but does not change the facts. from cuts in disability benefits to austerity to Windrush to leaving the EU, these are policies that even M. Thatcher didnt support.

Of course the Tory party are traditionally right wing, you are trying to muddy the waters between the extreme right and the Cons which shows your not coming at this from a balanced mindset, leaving the EU has traditionally been a left wing issue, the fact you try and paint it as an extreme right wing not only proves this but ignores the fact that one of the longest standing eurosceptics is currently leader of the opposition...

@jasjas1973

I presume you will do a full 180 if Laura Southern has actually smuggled herself into the country?

twitter.com/Lauren_Southern/status/993096564427165697

Illegal Immigrant, someone who no doubt you do not agree with, mental gymnastics...

Given there are so many people in the world still fighting for the right to vote I think not exercising your democratic right is ABU. I think that a spoiled ballot or a blank ballot makes your point more clearly - you’d like to vote but can’t find a worthy candidate!