Anyone else wobbling about voting Labour?

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

I desperately want to GTTO but the last few years have taught me that ‘any change’ isn’t always good and things can get worse, even if you think they can’t.

I’ve watched all the debates now and Starmer is so… wet. I don’t like him. The first thing he did when women’s rights were mentioned his first thought was men who ‘identify as women’ and how ‘marginalised’ they are. When asked about immigration he squirmed and squirmed before muttering about his role as DPP (who cares? We want to know what you plan to do NOW). When asked about his support for Corbyn he said ‘but I didn’t think we would actually win..’

There’s something about him which is making me very uncomfortable and I just have a bad feeling now about what would happen if he was leader.

Anyone else? If you’re not voting Tory or Labour, who are you voting for and why? I assumed I would vote Labour this time but my gut is suddenly screaming at me not to!

It’s always fairly close between Labour and conservatives in my seat, so voting for anyone other than Labour is effectively giving half a vote to the tories.

I will vote Labour with no real enthusiasm or expectation for them to be anything other than ‘not the tories’, but at the moment, after 14 years, that’s enough for me.

I don’t care if you believe me or not.

I think people meed to realize the polarization of politics in the last 10-15 years has led people to expect a politician to make a whole lot of promises about execution before they get into office and know the true state of affairs the last party has left it.

Starmer refuses to make promises he can’t keep AS he should. But so many people fail to see how the conservatives are manipulating, gaslighting …almost trying to brainwash. It is scary!

It’s fascinating that anyone thinks DPP is irrelevant in the same message as complaining about women’s rights. He’s very serious about DV and cracking down. As a victim I think this is huge. Also its helpful to have lawmakers that have a bloody education in law!

i think people need to pull their heads out of sand and realize they should be voting for whoever is most capable of getting the country back on track. We’re a democracy we can still push for changes. There’s more to civic duty than voting.

I’m voting greens because they have better policies about transport and climate and nhs. But I am only doing so because I live in a safe labour seat. If I wasn’t sure of the labour win I’d vote labour.

Yes, if you support the Greens you can safely vote for them this time as there will very likely be a Labour landslide anyway.

@ChurchCats Ironically I and most members of the public do not think you can change sex. But we also do not think all Trans people are evil rapists.

No wobbles at all! The current government has been so bad. They need to be removed.

Starmer isn’t who concerns me. I’m neutral on him. It’s other senior figureheads and Corbynites still in the party who are a concern.. They’ve only put Starmer as figurehead to try to appear more centrist.

That’s probably what I’ll end up doing. I can’t face another 4 years of the tories, and until a few months ago I was excited for a labour government, but I can’t kid myself that I am anymore. I ignored the first couple of red flags but now they’re everywhere. Equally I don’t want the libdems who seem to be Wokerati Central, or the Greens who seem utterly batshit. Nobody seems to fit what I want.

Just spoil your paper-that's an equally valid choice.

I dont think ive ever voted.

Could you give us some examples of these great steps forward for women's healthcare, safety and protection, employment rights and childcare provision that have been achieved over the last fourteen years?

Examples of how vulnerable women (those in prisons, refuges or homeless shelters/temporary accommodation as well as those in poverty) have been helped and supported would be particularly useful. Please be specific.

Yes exactly - Starmers government is going to be yet another Conservative government. And I don’t believe be cares about vulnerable people - he certainly doesn’t care excessively about the genocide in Gaza, he has ridiculous claims for what he’s going to do with the NHS. 40,000 new appointments every week!! With who? Where is he planning to get the staff and clinic space from? Lifting the burden on nhs staff by opening up self referral to specialists!! ( which will do the exact opposite). Immigration - no safe routes?

And while yes - Corbyn etc were at the left of the party - a good leader can manage and hold a party in a more centrist position. Starmer has just chucked out the “ difficult “ members of the party.- Corbyn, Faiza Shaheen and if he could’ve got away with chucking out Diane Abbot he would have. Weak man, weak policies and a lot of old Labour votes lost

I'm voting Labour don't want the other shower of shit getting in again!

@Another76543 That is not true. Loads of the extreme left wing have been expelled from the labour party. They hate Starmer.

And nor do I but there is an increasing number of women who do rape, according to the police you know, with their female penis.
Why oh Why is this. Is it because we live in a climate where a man who rapes with his male cock can suddenly become a woman when he is tried.

The answer of course is, 'yes'. Even 30 years ago, the very idea of a rapist being referred to as 'she' would have been laughed out of court...a mere moment later, we are expected to take it seriously and be called transphobe if we don;t.

But completely pointless and barely anyone will notice and no one will care. The only people who'll see it are the counters and maybe one or two candidates will flick through the spoilt papers, more to check they really are spoilt and not to actually read them. Will all be forgotten/ignored the morning after.

Far better to vote for "someone" that is the closest alignment to your own views. It is more likely to end the typical two horse race is constituencies if more people vote for the less popular options and it may encourage others to vote for other than the two major parties if they see the voting numbers for the lesser parties start to increase.

Yes, you are being completely unreasonable to suggest that this country could better cope with another 5 years of the party who has systematically slashed and burned everything they could reach for 14 years than a Labour leader who you just don't find very likeable.

And a vote for anyone other than Labour or the Tories in most areas, you may as well have stayed at home or spoilt your vote.

Either you want to GTTO or you want to make some vague point about trans women or some other bullshit, but you can't do both.

FWIW I've never liked Labour less than I do this election but I'm doing the right thing to save what's left of our public services and economy.

It’s a no brainer in my constituency. Red wall area that fell to conservative last time around. The conservative MP has been useless, can’t even say anything they’ve done.

The standing Labour candidate has been serving the area for a long time with good track record.

The new standing Conservative candidate seems to have recently been flown in from the other side of the UK. They are not local, and not even ever a former resident of the (devolved) nation they are standing in. Not a chance I’ll vote for her because how on earth is she going to have any clue about what affects the locals.

That's the same system that gave Thatcher and Blair and Johnson stonking majorities on circa 40%. It's called First Past the Post. Very few countries use it afaik?

But its a bit like the Lords. Everyone says God how awful until their party gets in. Then it's ' as you were chaps'.

@runningonberocca you sound more left wing than me. I am a centrist. I want the NHS to work again. I want someone who cares about business - the current conservatives do not unless it is a business run by their mates. Most people in Britain are centrists and want a competent well run government.

I know that!

It is all academic now, anyway. Labour is going to win regardless of threads like this trying to spook the electorate.

My Tory MP is Pru Leiths son. Absolutely will not be voting for him- he’s a complete idiot. No clue who the labour candidate is but they’ll still be getting my vote regardless.

You can ask for a chaperone in any intimate examination.

I’m seeing Gynae at the moment, my Consultant is a man, and has intimately examined me .. if he was in a dress shouod I suddenly be concerned he’s a sex offender ??

I Don’t see many Trans people round here .. I don’t think many people do on a day to day basis. My daughters best friend is Trans, she’s stopping over on Saturday, in my daughters room , and will be in zero danger.

This notion that all Trans-People are closet sex-offenders is bizzare. This coming from someone who thinks that some places should be based on biology

Underfunding of public services is a much much bigger threat to the safety of women and girls, that who uses which toilet

you are being completely unreasonable to suggest that this country could better cope with another 5 years of the party who has systematically slashed and burned everything they could reach for

Did I?