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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who the duck do I vote for?

131 replies

Hertz101 · 30/03/2023 22:31

Hi - I have a dilemma. I can’t morally vote Tory again although it probably on paper is most logical choice for me. I also cannot vote for labour I disagree with at least 3 of their major policies. I could vote locally for Lib Dem but is it worth it? Or just don’t vote? I’m sick to back teeth of lying scumbags running this country. I will never ever forgive the tories for brexit (the biggest mistake of in my lifetime that has robbed our children of opportunity) but I also don’t really agree with a lot of labour policies. Can anyone help?

OP posts:
Truckinghell · 30/03/2023 23:29

I’m sick to back teeth of lying scumbags running this country

Then you need to vote for whichever party will get rid of them. Two or three Labour policies vs...all of this...
**
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verdantverdure · 30/03/2023 23:29

Hertz101 · 30/03/2023 23:13

@verdantverdure this probably isn’t the right forum but the usual ones that people have an issue with. They are redlines for me. the private school thing is nuts frankly ! I remember Diane abbot sending her kid to private school etc just as hypocritical.

What's the private school thing? I didn't even know they had a manifesto out.

Allfizzandfun · 30/03/2023 23:30

@MakiSushi snap. No way I’m voting for any party who can’t define what a woman is. If they can’t do that, then they’ve got no chance of running the County. We’re stuffed!

HappiestSleeping · 30/03/2023 23:31

Lockheart · 30/03/2023 22:43

Spoiling a ballot means anything other than putting one cross in one box - for example drawing a picture on it or putting crosses in all the boxes.

For your purposes, you could simply write "none of the above" in large letters across the slip.

It's like registering a protest in a small way. Spoiled ballots are counted but don't impact the outcome. But they're still important because large numbers of them can send a message to the candidates that they're not representing their constituents effectively.

Voter turnout in this country is quite low, usually in the 60%s. Imagine if the 30-40% who don't vote spoiled their ballot with "none of the above".

If you don't vote, you can be safely ignored and political parties can gain power despite only being elected by a minority of the whole population. Always vote, even if you just spoil your ballot.

Show quote history

This 👆

It's our only way to vote "none of the above"

CherryCokeFanatic · 30/03/2023 23:32

Are you in a gerrymandered safe seat?

If so no point even bothering to vote.

All my votes except the referendum were completely pointless as they have been very safe Tory seats and so have no impact. Despite living within the boundaries of two different cities over the years, both areas were carved out and not part of the city constituency, instead grouped with huge swathes of posh rural areas. Frustrating.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 30/03/2023 23:34

Allfizzandfun · 30/03/2023 23:30

@MakiSushi snap. No way I’m voting for any party who can’t define what a woman is. If they can’t do that, then they’ve got no chance of running the County. We’re stuffed!

The Tories have completely about-faced in recent times and are now putting on a front of pandering to the 'define what a woman is' lot, so evidently, providing the desired answer to that banality has no relevance whatsoever to being able to run a country with any competence.

SusiePevensie · 30/03/2023 23:35

Starmer put fighting antisemitism as his first priority - Jeremy Corbyn isn't even a party member any more and Luciana Berger is. It's not perfect,but, again it's a lot better than the Tories and their dogwhistling about 'North Londoners'. What have they got against the part of London traditionally associated with Jewish people, I wonder. It's awfully puzzling.

Brexit, yeah. Catastrophic failure all around. But a) Tories started it b)Tories insisted on pushing for the hardest, daftest possible version.

verdantverdure · 30/03/2023 23:36

I tend to vote on which policies I think will be best for our country, but next time I plan to vote tactically for whoever can topple our Tory MP, because I think any more years of Tories in power is the absolute worst possible option for our country.

I'm not being manipulated by the far right or anyone else into letting a single issue deter me from voting in what I believe to be the best interests of our country.

All parties have policies I disagree with.

I'm focussing on the big policy areas this time. The Economy, the NHS, Education, the Environment...

I'm not getting sucked into anybody's culture war.

Keepthetowel · 30/03/2023 23:40

I think Rishi has dumped Boris’s hard option and gone for a softer rebranded Theresa May Brexit.
As a Marxist Jeremy Corbyn was pro Brexit and had to be heavily sat on to stop him coming out as a Brexiter as well.

Mixkle · 30/03/2023 23:42

🤷‍♀️ We’re all in the same boat. Whole island of votes floating around looking for a harbour.

Can’t vote Labour, their policies are well dodgy and they’re anti-woman and anti-semite. And anti-middle-class. 😬

Can’t vote LibDem they’re like a cheap Labour copy but with a posher accent.

Can’t vote Green they’ve gone mental and are more worried about pleasing trans activists and trampling women’s rights than actual climate change.

That leaves Tory. Unfortunately they’re incompetent and unethical and in their very long time in power they have overseen the biggest fall from prosperity Britain’s had since the dark ages.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ If there was a vote tomorrow I have no idea what I’d do. Probably vote Tory despite despising them, cos it’s bad enough having to fund private school for my SEN child after the state system failed her without Labour adding 20% to the fees.

SusiePevensie · 30/03/2023 23:42

Theresa May's Brexit was already a very hard Brexit. Boris' was that plus extra lies.

Original poster
Hertz101 · 30/03/2023 23:46

@Mixkle This is kind of my train of thought exactly apart from last bit. Can I morally vote for them? They have just so much lying and messing up. I think I’d rather abstain or just vote Lib Dem in hope that local candidate will do something.

OP posts:
Daffodilsandtuplips · 30/03/2023 23:47

I’ve got the same dilemma, I can’t in all conscience vote Conservative…yet the best mayor this area has ever had is Conservative. He’s done more for the area than the long standing Labour ever has. he’s delivered on almost all of his manifesto promises and he’s working on delivering the rest. Teesside, the home of steel. The steel works were shut down and the once thriving industry which supplied some the best steel in the world was left to rot. The site is now being revitalised, it’s being cleared for new industry, all linked to a Freeport, investment in sustainable energy. He recently secured government funding worth millions, stopped our local airport from becoming a housing development and we now have a fully functioning airport once again.
Im torn.

Original poster
Hertz101 · 30/03/2023 23:47

Perhaps we need a new centrist party like macron in France - came from nowhere. Of course that hasn’t worked out perfectly

OP posts:
saraclara · 30/03/2023 23:49

yoshiblue · 30/03/2023 22:35

Vote tactically for whoever is most likely to kick/keep the Tories out of your seat.

That. I wish my vote made a difference in my oh so Tory constituency. I'd vote for anyone who had the best chance of turfing out a Tory, frankly.

saraclara · 30/03/2023 23:51

We did have a new centrist party. The Social Democrats. They burned out pretty quickly, and then amalgamated with the Liberals so wet now have the LibDems. Who basically are centrist.

verdantverdure · 30/03/2023 23:58

This time @saraclara most "safe" Tory seats are up for grabs.

verdantverdure · 31/03/2023 00:01

Daffodilsandtuplips · 30/03/2023 23:47

I’ve got the same dilemma, I can’t in all conscience vote Conservative…yet the best mayor this area has ever had is Conservative. He’s done more for the area than the long standing Labour ever has. he’s delivered on almost all of his manifesto promises and he’s working on delivering the rest. Teesside, the home of steel. The steel works were shut down and the once thriving industry which supplied some the best steel in the world was left to rot. The site is now being revitalised, it’s being cleared for new industry, all linked to a Freeport, investment in sustainable energy. He recently secured government funding worth millions, stopped our local airport from becoming a housing development and we now have a fully functioning airport once again.
Im torn.

Freeports are really bad news though, aren't they? What UK laws are they "relaxing" for yours? Environmental? Tax? Planning? Employment?

verdantverdure · 31/03/2023 00:02

Hertz101 · 30/03/2023 23:47

Perhaps we need a new centrist party like macron in France - came from nowhere. Of course that hasn’t worked out perfectly

I believe we're calling that "Labour".

verdantverdure · 31/03/2023 00:05

Mixkle · 30/03/2023 23:42

🤷‍♀️ We’re all in the same boat. Whole island of votes floating around looking for a harbour.

Can’t vote Labour, their policies are well dodgy and they’re anti-woman and anti-semite. And anti-middle-class. 😬

Can’t vote LibDem they’re like a cheap Labour copy but with a posher accent.

Can’t vote Green they’ve gone mental and are more worried about pleasing trans activists and trampling women’s rights than actual climate change.

That leaves Tory. Unfortunately they’re incompetent and unethical and in their very long time in power they have overseen the biggest fall from prosperity Britain’s had since the dark ages.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ If there was a vote tomorrow I have no idea what I’d do. Probably vote Tory despite despising them, cos it’s bad enough having to fund private school for my SEN child after the state system failed her without Labour adding 20% to the fees.

Who was in charge of the state system when it failed her?

TheHateIsNotGood · 31/03/2023 00:11

The next elections are local govt elections so no ousting of national govt anytime soon.

I'm in a true blue constituency with indie-tory-greenie local reps. Think I'll prob vote for the local Labour candidates, better than not voting or spoiling.

Can't say I'd vote the same in a General Election, will wait and see.

Paul2023 · 31/03/2023 00:13

If you live in the Home counties (south east) the Tories have life long big majorities. Sussex, Kent Surrey and Essex is mainly Conservative.
I don’t think that will change. For me , that’s my problem anyway.

MarshaMelrose · 31/03/2023 00:16
Donald Duck Dance GIF

Vote Donald.

saraclara · 31/03/2023 00:20

verdantverdure · 30/03/2023 23:58

This time @saraclara most "safe" Tory seats are up for grabs.

I can only hope!

saraclara · 31/03/2023 00:27

Mixkle · 30/03/2023 23:42

🤷‍♀️ We’re all in the same boat. Whole island of votes floating around looking for a harbour.

Can’t vote Labour, their policies are well dodgy and they’re anti-woman and anti-semite. And anti-middle-class. 😬

Can’t vote LibDem they’re like a cheap Labour copy but with a posher accent.

Can’t vote Green they’ve gone mental and are more worried about pleasing trans activists and trampling women’s rights than actual climate change.

That leaves Tory. Unfortunately they’re incompetent and unethical and in their very long time in power they have overseen the biggest fall from prosperity Britain’s had since the dark ages.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ If there was a vote tomorrow I have no idea what I’d do. Probably vote Tory despite despising them, cos it’s bad enough having to fund private school for my SEN child after the state system failed her without Labour adding 20% to the fees.

You seem to be looking for things you disagree with, rather than agree with. No one party is going to reflect all your views and opinions exactly.

Even if I agree with all your reasons not to want to vote for each of the other parties (and I do agree with you on some) there are SO many more things that I disagree with in the Tory side, that there's no way I could vote for them. And since, among many other things, they're the party that have let your child down, who on earth would you?

Look at all the parties again and find what you DO agree with or DO like about them, rather than looking for things you don't agree with. Voting for the lying, evil, public services destroying Tories because of single issue concerns with the other parties, makes no sense.

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