To thinknit's a bit shit that we have to compromise our true political beliefs to getbtories out/ keep Starmer out/ insert political party you hate?

[malificent7]

For example, I really value the green party but they stand no chance and i'd rather vote to get rid of our Tory seat. I'd rather vote labour than lib dem but in our constituency it's best to vote lib dems if you want the Tory mp out.
Tbh they are all shit in one way or another with the left and their fixation on gender stuff but i cannot tolerate Tory policy any longer.

But...every option involves compromise, that's the whole point - unless you're going to run for election yourself, and even then you have to learn to compromise if you want to achieve anything of value.

The only system which would not involve compromise would be true democracy - a referendum on every issue that comes up. For all other systems, it's "the closest shit option".

People have always voted tactically 🤷‍♀️

That's why we need proportional representation

Yanbu.

The party political system in the UK is completely broken.

I'm seriously considering drawing a cock and balls all over my ballot paper. I do not like or trust any of the whole rotten lot of them.
I've voted for all the major parties at one time or another (except the SNP shudders ) but this time I'm stumped.

Come to Scotland! I haven’t so much as glanced at a manifesto for the last 20 years. You just see which party is most likely to beat the SNP and vote for that. I voted for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party last time round. Crazy! But that’s what you have to do to protect the country from the absolute apocalypse that independence would bring.

100% agree . I am politically lost at the moment , a former Lib Dem or centralist labour supporter I am not in a million years going to vote Lib Dem due to their gender policies . The gender stuff in the tories is the only policy I agree with though since they are all words and no action ( no clarification of equality act being given parliamentary time for example ) think that is just vote chasing .

Plus a vote for SNP instead of Labour is effectively a vote for another term of Conservative government since Labour need every MP they can get to form a government (apart from those areas where a LibDem MP is the only realistic alternative to a Conservative/SNP MP since LibDems would likely form a coalition with Labour but SNP are unlikely to be able to ideologically).

Proportional Representation would help. Lobby your MP.

I will blame the Lib Dems forever for fluking their way into a semblance of power and then fucking up the one shot this country has had (and will have for the foreseeable future) at getting rid of FPTP.

I’d rather cut my ear off than vote for a party that can’t define what a woman is.

Which leaves very little except Tory and I’d rather cut my arm off than vote them.

I genuinely have no idea and need to make time to really research our local candidates - a v strong Tory seat here.

I also am not convinced that Labour have put their anti-semitism behind them.

A lot of people say this, but the fact is that Nick Clegg didn't realistically have any choice in the matter - much as he'd have loved to be in the driving seat, he wasn't.

You said it yourself; Labour and Conservative have a vested interest in not ditching FPTP. It's a self-perpetuating system.

As for "...a long run-up so more info could have been properly circulated and discussed"...it would've turned out just like Brexit - deeply vested interests driving the conversation and chucking innuendo at anyone who disagrees.

Not the Will Of The People, apparently.

Totally homeless politically at the moment. Our local MP (party irrelevant) is very un-popular for various reasons, but I did vote for him/her last time. No idea if they are standing again, or being replaced, but not sure if I'll vote the same way again, as I don't fancy the other party much either, and the minority parties have no chance of getting enough support to form a government.

It's a mess.

The run up to the AV vote was very short, considering it was (supposedly) about changing a fundamental part of our system.

There was also an incredible rump of stupid who voted against it because it "wasn't proper PR". Ultimately I don't think they would have swung it, but it was a harsh light on the critical think of the average person.

It'd be far more shit to not compromise, and Starmer gets in or the Tory nightmare continues?

^^^^^^^^

He did it because in politics you take your opportunities when you get them. You don't wait around for a better position because it might never happen.

15 years down the line shows that he was right. There was no second vote on PR in the last 15 years and precious little likelyhood of it happening in at least the next decade.

It's the same reason why when people say parties don't want to win elections are talking bollocks.

Political parties seek power first and foremost. when they get that power then they think about how to deal with the issues that face them. Because even if you inherit the worst position ever, there is always the chance that something like covid or a minor war might crop up and change the game completely.

There is no party I can vote for. My starting point is women's rights. Once we get past that, I will look at other policies such as the economy, the health service, education etc.
Not one of them gets past the starting point. Women's rights are in a mess because of the Tories. They had years to fix the problem and only make noises now in a last desperate attempt to win votes. I don't trust them. And, anyway, they fail on everything else that matters to me.
No other party can be trusted with women's rights.

I know people will be against thus buy its why I don't vote. I cant in good consciousness vote for any of the candidates.

Unless you set up your own political party, you'll never find one that's perfect. Tactical voting to get the least worst option is the most pragmatic use of your vote.