to wonder why people say they would NEVER vote Labour/Tory?

[scarletlilybug]

Being something of a floating voter, this is something which genuinely bemuses me. Saying "never", that is.

"I'd never vote Tory".
"I'd never vote Labour".
What, regardless of the policies proposed/party leader? Is there no conceivable change that a particular political party could make to induce you to vote for them?

I'm downright worried by people who proclaim that "I will always vote xxxx".

For example, people who would never vote Conservative because of Thatcher? Notwithstanding the fact that she's been off the scene for almist 20 years?

OR who would never vote Labour because of Blair and the Iraq war? When he, too, is gone (or sort of - I shudder to think of him as President of Europe. But that's another issue...).

(These are just examples here of the sort of thing I've heard, to try to explain what I mean).

What's wrong with listening to the actual policies a party is proposing, making a judgement call about the qualities of their leadership - and then voting accordingly?

[lovechoc]

louii nice to see another SNP voter on here!

[fluffles]

well, my principles are generally left wing so i will never vote for a party that is generally right wing.

i'll grant you that labour have all but abandoned the left but i can't see the conservative party abandoning the right so i'm relatively safe in saying i wouldn't vote for them.

however i'd never say NEVER because if say it was a close run thing between conservative and bnp in my constituency then i'd vote conservative even though i don't agree with most of their policies.

in scotland we have snp, labour and lib dem as viable options. snp are quite left, labour sort of central (though further left than their southern counterparts) and the eternal problem with lib dems that nobody really knows what they stand for!

in westminser it's labour, conservative and lib dem.... it's not much choice really (particularly if you accept lib dem will never outright win in either parliament)...

the whole point of a political party is that despite individual variations year to year and mp to mp they all generally believe in a binding set of principles.

[alwayslookingforanswers]

I'd never vote Tory - end of. I don't have it in me to support right wing policies - no matter how "liberal and lefty" they're dressed up to be.

[serenity]

Parties may change their policies to a certain extent, and drift to the left or right over time, but they have a set of principles or philosophies at their core that will always influence them. Therefore I can say with a degree of certainty I will never vote Conservative (I disagree with their founding precepts) but I could never say I'd always vote Labour (as I don't have that same antipathy towards the Lib Dems)

I hope that makes sense!

[scaryteacher]

I'm with Serenity, except I will never vote Labour, and would find it hard to vote for the Lib Dems.

[Soojie]

I'm Scottish and so will never, ever vote Tory - the scars of Thatcher's reign still weep.

Nor will I ever vote Labour.

[SomeGuy]

Would never vote for the Labour scum. They are wrong about everything.

[said]

Everything? Minimum wage?

[Morosky]

I cannot possibly imagine a sitution in which I would vote tory, it goes against my principles and my faith both of which are dear to me. UNless of course they did a complete about turn. I have changed the way I vote though so I am not inflexible.

[elkiedee]

I'd never vote Conservative or Lib Dem. I've never voted for my current Labour MP - 1 by election and 2 national ones - I voted Socialist Alliance and Respect - it's quite a safe Labour seat and I'll probably vote Labour next time not because I'm the government's greatest fan but I can't see myself voting for other parties likely to stand.

I come from a very left wing family where the Labour Party was never considered to be that left wing.

My experience of the Lib Dems is at best pretending to be all things to all people and at worst implementing Tory policies, forming coalitions with Tories in local government, exploiting racism (Isle of Dogs in the 90s) and homophobia (Bermondsey in the 80s) in their election campaigning against Labour, and being personally obnoxious (in a previous life/job I was PA to a senior manager and the leader of the opposition used to ring up to shout at my boss every day, he usually had to make do with shouting at me instead - he later became leader of the Council and I have to say I was very pleased when he lost his seat in the last elections, about the only good news that night.

I could never do it, but would have to say that Tory voters are more likely to know that they're voting for what they want to vote for than voters for the other two main political parties here in England! While I'm waiting for the revolution I'd really like to vote for some principled socialists of a very Old Labour flavour or hard left at least, but that's not always on offer.

[Morosky]

Elkiedee I agree completely about the libdems, it amuses me that they have this cuddly image as they are ruthless in local elections, have seen this first hand.

[nellynaemates]

I will never ever ever vote Tory. Probably mostly because I was indoctrinated into believing Thatcher was the anti-christ when I was growing up (I have a Scottish socialist father).

I completely see the irrationality of that, but I also have a very rational dislike of many of the current Tory policies and their attitude to society in general. Basically I just don't trust them to look after those in need ahead of those who have lots already.

[wicked]

I would never vote Labour.

I do not like big government interfering with our lives/jobs.

I prefer behaviour to be influenced via the taxation system rather from specific laws.

Hence, I only vote Tory.

[seeker]

Parties have fundamental core values that make them the party they are. So I can say that I would never vote Conservative, because they have core beliefs that I cannot support. If they changed do much that I could vote for them they would no longer be the Conservative Party.

The same goes (I hope obviously) for the BNP or UKIP>

However, I would never say "I always vote....." I know who I would always like to vote for, but particularly in local elections sometimes pragmatism wins over ideology.

[nighbynight]

I also have seen the LibDems behaving far worse than the Conservatives or Labour at local level.

I cant see myself voting for any party in the near future, because they all support the same status quo, and I would like to get rid of the self-styled "royal" family and the aristocracy club that keeps them there.

[notagrannyyet]

Well yes I would say 'I will never vote Tory'

But that doesn't mean I would always vote Labour. I really disliked Tony Blair. He is very clever but just an older version of David Cameron IMO. Also he did take us into Iraq. Tories would have done the same no matter what they say now.

I do think Gordon Brown is OK and he comes over as more sincere than DC.

Agree with what seeker says about local issues.

If I ever felt I was waivering over my views of the tories I would wander down to the local Conservative Club. Not for a drink, but just to remind myself of who the local tory grandees are. What ever PR job the leadership do they will still be there.

[skihorse]

My political ideals have changed over the years - and the votes I placed whilst younger were right for me at the time (protest and local issues) - now, I know where my ideals lie for myself and for (I feel) society.

I just wish more people would examine the evidence, use logic and challenge their own thought processes.

[notagrannyyet]

My ideas have changed too. Especially when I had first DC.

If I was only thinking of myself/my own family then by rights I should have voted conservative. I'm not a what's best for me person.

In the end my vote won't matter (safe tory seat), so those of you who disagree have no need to worry.

I'm not as well educated as many of you. Would like to have been but mum thought O levels were enough for a girl! I hated her for years, but fortuneatly made up before she died.
I do use the 'evidence' as I see it.

Do I challenge my own thought processes. Yes so do my own DC. The oldest 3 are all able to vote. The 3 still at school sometime make me question my sanity!

[skihorse]

notagranny I don't think an opposing vote in a safe seat doesn't matter - I think particularly in these times someone saying "no" really does matter. OK, it doesn't change the outcome but at least the safe seat knows that not all their constituents are happy.

Furthermore, I gather you're a little older than mid-20s so your O-levels are probably worth 6 A-levels in "today's money"!

[AitchTwoToTangOh]

my hand just wouldn't make the X for a tory. and lol at thatcher's been off the scene for 20 years. they all dampen their knickers for her still.

[notagrannyyet]

Yes In my day if you did 7 O levels. You were fairly bright. If you did 8 everyone knew you had been to private school!

Can't wait for the 'hustings'. THe conservatives round here get such an easy time....'til they knock on our door!.

[phoebeophelia]

Where I live all the polititians are independant, so no political parties.

Quite miss political parties.

[MillyR]

If David Cameron gets up and announces that the Conservative party of the 1980s was an immoral government that destroyed the lives of many people, and is responsible for many of the social problems we have today, and that he is so ashamed of what Thatcher did that he would like to apologise for what was done and will change the name of his party to something else as a mark of respect for the damage caused.

If that happens, and a petition of Conservative members shows his party supports him in the apology, and the name 'Conservative' goes as it is so associated with the immorality of its disgusting past, well then maybe I will read his policies and consider him when deciding who to vote for.

Until then, I will never vote Conservative.

[fembear]

I don't understand this "I can never vote Tory because I fundamentally disagree with their core values"

Tory core value is 'equality of opportunity'. What's wrong with that - I prefer it to Labour's 'equality of outcome'.

[CloudDragon]

i could never vote tory as tha basis of the party, the idea of the individual being king, is one that I do not agree with. Also I don't beleive in keeping the market completely free as I don't think the starting point is a level playing field.

That said I do swap between all of the left of centre parties.