Gaza is a foreign war and councillors can't effect it

[mids2019]

Just this really. No matter how strong your feelings on Gaza why vote for local councillors ,who should be concerned about verge cutting and leisure centres, on this issue.

Your councillor won't finish a an audit committee on car parking charges in Oldham then get on the phone to Benjamin Netanyahu to have a go.

Are councillors getting votes on this ticket going to be any good for advocating for good local services.

I would not vote for someone who supports a genocide. I think it shows a serious lack of basic morals and would not want them to represent me in any shape or form.

Away with you and your logical argument.....

Sadly, people increasingly vote based on "tribe" and so will write-off someone because they disagree with them on a single issue.

It's possible that this trend is a little worse on the left that the right - on the left someone will be shunned because they are "wrong" on a one specific issue (for example, Gaza or Trans - just ask Rosie Duffield) while Tories have historically been a broader church which recognises that there are social conservatives and economic conservatives who need to rob along

I think most people aren’t going to put how well you cut verges ahead of how you perceive the slaughter of innocents. Israel’s actions are seen and not supported by anyone with any heart at all.

I think @ConnieCounter has given a very rational reason why to vote or not to vote for someone. Their stance on an issue is a good predictor of how they will vote in other areas of public office. I always look back and see how candidates have voted in local councils or parliament votes, it's the best way to know how they are likely to vote in the future.

At the end of the day though councillors serve a four year period managing local services. Again even though they may despise the death in the Gaza ardently they simply can't effect anything there.

Not voting Labour could help reform or the conservatives and I am kind of guessing those who are pro Palestinian would not want those parties to win??? It doesn't make strategic sense in a way voting for independents.

Also no candidate wants the death and destruction and I am sure the vast majority of local councillors we want a ceasfire so I don't think labelling candidates as pro war really washes.

I just think people may look at their councillors performance in two years time and realise their bins are being collected less frequently and get annoyed

Yes, I'm saddened but not surprised to read posters talking about not voting for a candidate who "supports genocide". On the one hand, that's obvious. But in the real, messy world, pretty much no one from any of the well-supported parties "supports genocide". Of course, one may or may not agree with their stance on the war and what if anything the UK should do in response to it but this sort of labelling is childish and particularly irrelevent in local (vs. Westminster) elections.

But why am I wasting my time saying this?....

Again even though they may despise the death in the Gaza ardently they simply can't effect anything there.

You've completely missed the point. No one expects them to effect anything there but their stance on it indicates to a voter whether their values align with yours

I just think people may look at their councillors performance in two years time and realise their bins are being collected less frequently and get annoyed
You've no idea how these candidates will perform and local and by elections have always been a space for protest votes and to send a message to the government in power.

I totally agree op.

It's not childish. In my opinion it's a genocide.

I'm actually saddened that you can't see that it's a genocide, or a series of heinous war crimes at least.

But it seems that for some posters (I'm not specifically talking about you because I am not familiar with your user name), but for some posters, Israel can literally do anything, kill anyone, destroy entire cities, families, hospitals, universities you name it, and they will excuse it. I am extremely disturbed by this, and equally I won't ever vote for someone who thinks like this. Luckily I don't live in the UK so I will almost certainly never face having to vote for someone like that because where I live no one supports Israel and their genocide.

I don't care about verges, pot holes or whether the bin collection dates have changed. I can't get stressed out about such mundane tasks.

I do care about whether my local MP or Councillors view aligns with mine about issues like Gaza.

I don't care what my local councillor thinks about a conflict that is nowhere near here. Their view is irrelevant...they can't change anything over there. Like a pp said, what are they going to do about it?! I view voting on this the same way that I view those who vote based on the trans issue. I think voting on single issues is really dangerous.

Local councillors focus upon local issues, they do not influence foreign policy.

@Dulra

A councillor may on day to day basis deal with anti social behaviour, housing issues, education, social care etc. so it is a good idea you vote for some that can get the job done.

Even if you voted for someone that said they would ban arms sales to Israel they simply cannot influence foreign policy; it doesn't work like that. It would be bizarre if someone in a town hall made a speech about Gaza when the funding of the civic hall was higher up the agenda. I think it could potentially be a waste of a vote.

Principles matter to me. I choose to support people who share my principles.

I don't think sharing my principles necessarily precludes someone from organising bin collections or verge-cutting.

Not voting Labour could help reform or the conservatives and I am kind of guessing those who are pro Palestinian would not want those parties to win??? It doesn't make strategic sense in a way voting for independents.

I knew this was would be a ‘vote Labour’ post.

This is an issue for Keir; his ‘everything to everyone’ persona has alienated a core group of his electorate.

Are the Labour shills going to tell people concerned to hold their nose and vote anyway, same as they tell the women concerned about safe spaces and rights of women?

You STILL are not getting my point...

Can you outline which councillors have been voted in that you don't think can deal with anti social behaviour, housing issues, education, social care etc. but care about what happens to Gazans? You seem to imply that they can't do both.

Absolutely correct, OP.

I wonder how many people voting in local elections in Tel Aviv register protest votes based on Rishi Sunak’s asylum policies? Maybe they like to indulge in pointless self-indulgent virtue signalling like British liberals do…

100% agree with you OP. Councillors are voted in place to deal with local issues.

@Supra

@Dulra

you register a protest vote but what does the councillor do for the best four years?

I wonder how many people voting in local elections in Tel Aviv register protest votes based on Rishi Sunak’s asylum policies
Are the Israeli government supporting Rishi Sunaks asylum policies?

Maybe they like to indulge in pointless self-indulgent virtue signalling like British liberals
So who should these "British liberals" be voting for in your opinion? What candidates do you think everyone should be supporting? Who aligns with your values? Because you obviously think some voters have got it wrong

What councillor? Do you mean protest votes as in spoilt vote or have they actually voted for someone on the ballot paper? because they are very different things and I now don't know which one you mean

I think it's mad too. A local election is just that really a chance to vote for who you vote to manage local services for the next 4 years. Interest to see Bankrupt Birmingham is still voting Labour despite having to pay 10 percent council this year and next year too at least plus lose other local services too.

@Dulra

it is the voting for councillors who are have one message, Gaza. I just don't think they would be effective councillors as it is hard work for minimal recompense.

@caringcarer .

I agree. Why would you vote for a party that has bankrupted your city just to keep the Tories out on that issue of Gaza?