To vote with my head instead of my heart?

[ImNotDaveGorman]

I need advice from random people as I don’t like to talk politics in real life.

I’m in scotland and we have an election next month. The 2 main parties in my area are SNP and conservative. TBH I really dislike them both, but absolutely detest SNP. For reasons I’m not going to get in to I really don’t want scotland to be independent (also, that is not what I want this tread to be about!). I found it so difficult during the last referendum-people were horrific to each other and I want that vote to stand.

So, every time there has been an election I have voted for the party I do like, but every time the results come out the percentages are tiny for any party that is not SNP or conservative! So, basically, I feel like my vote is being wasted.

So....
YABU-vote with your heart for the party you want

YANBU-vote conservative, the lesser of 2 evils (in my eyes) and hopefully we won’t have to go through a second referendum

Again-this is not a thread to change my mind on my reasons for being against Scottish independence, so I won’t be having that argument.

Many of Scotland's problems can be traced back to the way former Tory governments treated Scotland.

I don't think the Tories had that much to do with the rise of manufacturing in China

@pourqouimoi

Yes but it's the Tory party who have been in power in Westminster, where most economic policies are made.

The parliament in scotland has been devolved since 1999!

It has these powers... the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation

Same position here in Scotland. I'm looking at the bigger, longer term picture.....

Remember independence is forever, yet a Tory vote is just for a short term.

Does anyone know how the roads can be so bad? I'd say they were Eastern European standard, what with the tractors, the craters and the lack of footpaths at the sides, but Eastern Europe has moved on while Scotland's roads have got worse.

Its hard to believe that there still aren't motorways between the main cities. To drive from Edinburgh to Aberdeen involves going through a 40mph limit and several roundabouts in Dundee, a dual carriageway with many minor roads joining and leaving it and again the likliehood of farm tractors. Never mind no motorway to Inverness. No wonder the economy's depressed. Thousands of hours of working time must be wasted in traffic jams and travelling slowly stuck behind tractors!

“Does anyone know how the roads can be so bad? I'd say they were Eastern European standard, what with the tractors, the craters and the lack of footpaths at the sides, but Eastern Europe has moved on while Scotland's roads have got worse.”

A lot of that stuff isn’t the Scottish government, it’s the council...

Look up maternity care in Moray and the information about roads to aberdeen (our consultant unit). It’s shocking and unsafe. Absolutely horrific

@ImNotDaveGorman I don't live near there but have relatives involved in the maternity from Elgin and the stories they tell are awful.

The SNP will never ever see my vote. Tory it is to get them out.
The SNP think they are untouchable and needs to be shown they are not.

I don't give a fuck about independence and will never vote for it, to even mention it when the whole world is an utter shitshow due to Rona. Just think how many starving children there will be, as there won't be any money. Oh wait we have a money tree in Scotland.

I'm tactical voting and Labour is the option so Labour it is. I really dislike them all though, I felt like spoiling my paper at one point. It's like choosing between having a shit roll or a shit sandwich.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation but hey, I got a baby box 🤷‍♀️
I would rather a safe pregnancy and delivery, but no...the baby box...

@reprehensibleme

It's no wonder people are considering voting tory when you observe the utter disdain coming from SNP supporters for anyone worried about another referendum and the fallout, the HCB, GRA, the mess the education system is in, drug deaths etc etc. Even if the SNP lose a few votes but not seats it may just cause them to consider that they may actually be wrong about some of their policies, wrong to even be considering another referendum now. Probably not, but we can hope. Laguna and Pourquoi, you're not going to get people to change their mind with your somewhat sneery attitude, not even trying to understand why people may not think the way you do.

In your opinion there seems to be a bit of the 'no true Scot' about anyone who doesn't want independence and won't be voting SNP. Thanks for that.

Totally agree. The subtext of the comments about people must really hate themselves to vote Tory or the Orange Order are quite clearly out of order but pretty much par for the course for the ardent nats.

They're also not self-aware enough to spot that their name-calling and mud-slinging and general bitchiness just proves the opposing view completely - who wants to go through another toxic independence referendum when you're subjected to that sort of stuff every day for 6 months or more?

Totally cult like. Those who aren't ardent Nicola fans are misguided, and should be reeducated. The idea of respecting other people's opinions and acknowledging them as equally valid does not exist.

@Blanca87

Greens? To be fair I don’t understand the Tory mindset of lesser of two evils? Cronyism, corruption and the Brexit shit show, I’m amazed anyone could bring themselves to vote for them.

^ this!

@ImNotDaveGorman

Look up maternity care in Moray and the information about roads to aberdeen (our consultant unit). It’s shocking and unsafe. Absolutely horrific

I know.Dave and @HercwasanEnemyofEducation who wouldn't enjoy this journey while in labour or worrying about their pregnancy. But hey the magic money tree will pay travel and hotel rooms is the offering from the Dr Greys closure isn't it? Superb.

In Wales i can vote Tory but get Labour. I won’t be voting Lib Dem which is probably my natural home because they are TWAW as are Labour.

I may vote Plaid if they are committed to women but I think they are TWAW so will probably vote Tory and a other but not Labour.

If I was in Scotland I would be voting Out SNP. We need strength and a United UK, not separation and division. We shouldn’t have left Europe and we shouldn’t leave each other. My family has a foot in three nations so no to independence. Nationalist, divisive and dangerous.

I would and will be definitely be voting Tory. We really must ensure that these Scottish Nats. realise we do not want them any more and we certainly don't want another referendum. Please god no. The vile attitude the SNP to anyone who dared to disagree with them was appalling. They all seem to think they are in the right and that anyone with an opposing view is in the minority. They were absolutely dumb founded when they lost the last referendum they all live in such an echo chamber. Everyone else keeps quiet as they don't want to be shouted down so they have no idea just how many of us there are.
So go on girls, let's show them we won't put up with any more of this crap.

I'd vote Tory. It might go against the grain but if Sturgeon gets another referendum Scotland will go through all that shit again AND you might end up with independence to deal with. I don't think the Scottish Tories are on the same level as English.

SNP will not get my vote. If that means voting conservative, so be it. Fed up of hearing about independence

Thank you all for the advice/info. It’s good to know I’m not alone!

Again, for those saying just have a second referendum, I know more than one person who compares anyone against the SNP to a member of the Nazi party. Funnily enough that’s hard to hear from people you consider friends!

I'm voting against snp I don't know if anyone else feels there is so much pressure to support independence

I think the point a lot of people are making isn’t that folk should vote SNP but that you’re a hypocrite to vote Tory while hating their policies when you could vote Labour or Lib Dem and at least retain a modicum of liberal politics.
I don’t give a fuck who people vote for but it’s sheer stupidity to switch to the political right and the disgusting politics of the tories when you’re normally a left-leaning person purely to ‘get the SNP out’.
We don’t have FPP here and those votes do count and every single Tory vote gives a stronger and stronger mandate to Tory policies to fuck over Scotland at every single opportunity.

We really must ensure that these Scottish Nats. realise we do not want them any more and we certainly don't want another referendum

Haha speak for yourself. This thread is not representative of real life and people I know, if all you intended Tory voting folk think it is you are all in for a big shock after May 6th. Not long to find out eh!

I forgot to mention The Hate Crimes Bill - who in their right mind would support that? Specially when it's ok to hate women, but not the rest.

But that's not what is being said, @AlmostInsane. The OP says right at the start of her post that the two main parties in her area are SNP and Conservative.

The constituency part of the vote is first past the post. So the ONLY way of trying to ensure that the SNP doesn't get that particular seat is to vote for whoever is in second place - WHOEVER THAT MAY BE.

In my area it's a straight SNP/Labour split and I'll be voting Labour for exactly the same reasons. But that's OK with the MN left wingers because it's Labour and not the Conservatives.

On the regional list you can vote for whoever you please and because of the different way the seats are allocated, smaller parties can and do get in.

So many SNP faithful reading this thread as "I am going to vote Conservative as that's the only way of stopping the SNP" whereas it's all about tactical voting, not the parties concerned.