To think there are more options than just Labour and Conservatives?

[SarahH12]

On social media, the papers and on here it comes across that they are the only two options. What about Lib Dems, the green party, plaid (if in wales), SNP (if in Scotland) etc. I'm so fed up of this election. I don't want either of the main parties to get in as I don't believe in either.

I voted remain but this whole thing is just dragging on and part of me just wants them to get it over with as dragging it out is bad for the economy. I can't bring myself to vote Labour and I don't think I can bring myself to vote Conservatives either as I work for the NHS. Is it a cop out to vote someone other than the main two though? We all know nobody else stands a chance!

Why 'can't you bring yourself to vote labour'?

I don't agree with taxing higher earners more, dragging out Brexit by having another referendum (with no idea what Labour will be campaigning for), scrapping the married tax allowance etc. I feel Labour will just put the country to shit financially and I really don't agree with the way they run (or propose to run) their welfare system.

@Inspace - Does Labour feel that Corbyn was the best candidate to lead Labour to an election victory? That's one of the things that bothers me. I don't doubt his sincerity and committment, but he didn't win against May last time media attention since regarding anti-Semitism in the party and Corbyn's lack of policy on Brexit hasn't helped his case. He promoted Diane Abbott to cabinet positions that she isn't capable of. He seems to put old loyalties before ability. Is his judgement on cabinet appointees sound? I'd genuinely be interested to know the view from inside Labour.

Won't this go down in history as the election Labour absolutely should have won (nobody should lose to Boris Johnson and his cabinet), but didn't listen to voters or public opinion in the last few years and refused to change the leadership and clean house on issues? Many voters want change, to end the Brexit saga and to protect the NHS. This election was theirs to lose.

How can you not agree with higher earners paying more tax!!! What a selfish attitude. I do agree that Corbyn is not enough of a 'face' to win the election, but he is a decent leader with very good intentions. People should be voting for the party's policies, not just whether they like the leader or not. We're not America.

Labour should have been able to do a 1997 by shifting a bit more centrist in their approach. They've not dared to align themselves with remain voters and their policies are at odds with a lot of the reasons that some voted leave, so in a one-topic election they're in a weird no-mans land talking about nothing but the NHS.

Well 'hammering' Labours policies span far more than just the NHS! The welfare state and education to name just two. There is more to life than Brexit

Yes, I know, I'm not stupid. But a lot of voters are mostly focused on Brexit and Labour's approach to it is likely to lose them seats.

We’ve had nine years of Tory rule and they’ve fucked it up. I can’t believe people would vote them in again in the hope of change. But then again, I can’t imagine anyone not agreeing that higher earners should pay more tax.

Well hammering you're the one who said Labour are talking about nothing but the NHS. Which is incorrect

Sorry, forgot a bit off the end: this has to be the election that shifts the Tories to stop further damage to our most vulnerable. So vote for whoever is most likely to shift the Tory seats, which for me is SNP. I cannot tell you how much I don’t want to vote for them.

I agree Pumper. Vote tactically! I live in a wealthy area where Labour don't stand a chance. So I'm voting Lib Dem to boost their chances of outing the Tories, despite being a staunch Labour voter. My son lives in a Labour controlled area so he'll be voting Labour.

Well, you could vote Labour safe in he knowledge that there is not a snowball's chance in hell they get a majority so there's no prospect of them implementing anything in their manifesto.

If you want to protect the NHS, that's only going to happen with a second referendum and that's about the only policy Labour could potentially get through a hung parliament, as it would have the backing of the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid.

The only parties I'm aware of that don't want a second referedum are the Torries and the Brexit Party.

Why would you disagree with taxing higher earners more? It’s to benefit the entire country, yes it’s peoples own hard earned money but surely they would want to help others, it’s not raising so much that they would then become poor themselves, I feel they’d barely even notice it missing.. people need to stop voting for themselves and start voting to benefit the entire country, that’s the only way it’s going to become a less shit place. As for voting other party’s, if you believe they will do the country good then you should vote them, there’s still the chance of a coalition.

We do seem to staring down the barrell of a Tory majority but, in the event of a hung parliament, I'd imagine:

The smaller parties support legislation for a second referendum, but no other Labour policies;
Corbyn negotiates a softer Brexit and pits it to a referendum;
Once the referendum is done (whichever way it goes), a vote of no confidence in Corbyn is triggered and he either fucks off or we have yet another GE.

We are stuck with a first past the post system. In my constituency at the last election the votes were Conservative 47%, Labour 46%, everyone else 7%. Similar pattern historically. There may be more options that Labour or Conservative but there is no point anyone in my constituency voting for them. Lots of people in similar situations.

I voted remain but this whole thing is just dragging on and part of me just wants them to get it over with as dragging it out is bad for the economy.

There is no 'getting it over with' - there are still years of negotiations and trade deals ahead. YEARS. Johnson's deal is far from 'oven ready'

What would get it over with, on the other hand, would be a second referendum, won by Remain, which could put an end to the whole sorry mess.

As for nobody else stands a chance, that depends where you live. Sadly my MP, who is an absolute fucking muppet and widely recognised by his epithet 'Failing', has a majority of 20,000 so there's no hope for me.

There are many seats however where the margin for victory is a lot smaller and your vote could indeed make a difference. It's worth doing some research in case that helps you decide (assuming this isn't yet another Labour-bashing thread thinly disguised with a wide-eyed 'who shall I vote for?' veneer)

I’m in a safe conservative seat. The Tory candidate is dreadful but it’s a posh area. I’m wondering if a Lib Dem vote might stand a better chance of shifting him. They came third last time but only slightly.

Well hammering you're the one who said Labour are talking about nothing but the NHS. Which is incorrect.

Really? All I see on my timelines are promoted tweets featuring Corbyn talking about protecting the NHS. I couldn't tell you their education policies and I've already voted for them. I concede I can however tell you their inheritance tax stance because it's put so many people off them.

If you want to protect the NHS, that's only going to happen with a second referendum and that's about the only policy Labour could potentially get through a hung parliament, as it would have the backing of the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid.

This is why.

In the last GE the Lib Dems did much worse than normal after Nick Clegg jumped into bed with the Tories. Now, in wealthy areas they may get back into 2nd place, so voting tactically for them may help stop the Tories getting a majority. Depends on the numbers in your areas of course.

One thing that pisses me off as a centre-left voter is the space all of teh smaller parties give themselves/are given by the media.

Lib Dems are the remain party.
SNP for Scottish Independence.
Greens for environment.

Yes, these are core policies, but the NHS is always treated as Labour's issue, economy as the Tory's... The smaller parties never get a good chunk of debate on those areas.

One of my favourite party policies was a Lib Dem policy on removing the NHS and Education from government control and forming cross-party representative management of them, so that they don't become a political football subject to change every five years.

Wasn't intended to be a Labour bashing thread at all. I was asked why I wouldn't vote for them so I explained. I've checked out the last few elections in my area and there isn't a hope in hell of getting anyone other than Labour or Conservatives. My area has been Labour since the 1980s.

Considering lib dems stand no chance part of me wants to vote Conservatives as I really don't want a Labour government.

Yep, I voted Lib Dem in 2010 as they had some great ideas but all they are remembered for is tuition fees rising to astronomical amounts.

It's sad @hammeringinmyhead as they've got some really good policies. It's just such a shame they are remembered for that. I was a student at the time and I'd still rather vote for them than the other two parties.

Well if you feel you can vote for Boris the pathological liar there's no hope