How will you vote if there is a general election?

[nospeak]

Just being nosey... Don't answer if you don't want to. From some of the comments that I have read on threads it seems that even the vomit-inducing BNP are more popular than the tories.

Me first, I will probably not vote. Live in a tory stronghold and it just doesn't seem worth it.

And no, there isn't a loon party round here, unless you count the BNbleeping P, which I would rather wear a thong made of cheese wire than vote for.

what's the point in absataining though? what will it acheive? even if it is on the ballot paper? are you seriously saying that all of your local candidates are as bad as each other? that you can't see any point in any of them? politics is all about compromise you know.

If my mum was ever asked this (eg exit pollsters) she would give them a Hard Stare and declare that we have a private ballot nowadays - thanks to the Liberals.

Shame they don't exist any more, Lib Dem isn't quite the same thing.

Not sure. Almost taken in by GB as he's such a nice change from TB. But the tories plan to save our inheritences by getting filthy rich foreigners living here to pay 25K a year for the privelige of being taxed abroad rather than here is such a damn fine idea. (ducks, but I really like that the US ones can make it tax deductible so it'd be paid for by Uncle Sam).

Oh Sue you are in a swing seat. At least you have an electoral purpose. The vast majority of the voters are just spare pricks at the great big wedding of a general election, no? I'm in a safe Tory seat and doubt that there will be a Green, so will probably end up LibDem as per bleeding usual.

Not sure how I feel about absteining. I think in local elections, I can understamd why it may be done, but in general elections, well, it's just too huge a deal to me to not vote.

I'm not into tactical voting either. Eg I live in a LIB Dem strong hold, but would never vote libe dem. Labour will never win this seat, but I will turn out at each general election and vote for what I beleive in. Even though I know it won't help them win a general election one iota.

(Unless the lib dem's get their way with proportional reprsentation )

It's called apathy. I might vote Tory just to try and cause a big news upset. But that would be going right against my conscience, which is reasonably important to me most of the time. If I was a politician then compromise would be the order of the day. But I'm not, so I'm allowed to stick to my principles.

But what principles Sue?

In effect you're going along and saying look at me blowing a raspberry in the face of what is actually a fair democratic system and please could you count my raspberry because it is mine, even though it has contributed nothing positive to the process.

What I mean is, isn't it so much better to vote FOR something rather than AGAINST everything?

Yes. That's right. It's completely asinine and I've had a shite day and I don't really give a monkeys.

Vote for the cretin in blue who doesn't believe in any of the things you do, or vote for the cretin in red who doesn't believe any of the things you do. It doesn't make the slightest odds. Well, it might here, but neither of them actually offer a cat in hells chance of doing any of the things I would support (and I know, cos I've written several letters to the current MP)

I've never spoiled my ballot paper before, but I'm that cheesed off with the whole shabby shooting match that, short of civil disobedience, a spoiled ballot is the least I can do.

I think a spoiled ballot paper is a reasonable statement - 'none of these people represent my views'. I don't think that's blowing a raspberry. If there is a sufficient number of spoiled papers, it might send a message to the main parties that voters are a bit fed up with them all occupying more-or-less the same crowded space at the centre of the political spectrum. I don't think it's true to say that the full spectrum of political views are represented in the average seat - Sue has described her available options on here before and they are genuinely limited.

Options are not limited at an election though are they? You have Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, Independent and sometimes BNP etc.

Remember, you vote for the party not the individual really. So non voters are effectiveley saying there is not a party I wish to support.

So do ou want a whole new political party?

Spoiling a ballot paper is an interesting course of action, but it can never achieve anything beyond a sense of personal satisfaction.

My advice to habitual spoilers would be to stand as an independent. They can be remarkably successful in the right ward.

Labour again here. Am a Lib Dem by conviction, but we have a comparatively marginal seat (used to be Peter Bottomley's [ughughugh]) and a very good, principled Labour MP currently.
Wretched Lib Dems did less canvassing round here last time than the BNP

Evening Des, how are you?

I shall of course be spoiling my ballot paper by making it clear that I am voting for the imaginary Elvish party, which promotes soft-focus magical lighting effects in all available woodland.

Well, I realise that you won't agree with this as a Labour supporter, but from my perspective there's not much to choose between Labour, Tory and LibDem - for instance, I'd like a party that will tax the rich until the pips squeak; I'd like a party that will enforce road pricing and flight taxes until people are forced into greener methods of travel; I'd like a party that will increase development aid to the UN-recommended mimimum of 0.7 per cent of GDP RIGHT NOW; I'd like a party that gets rid of our nuclear weapons; I'd like a party that abolishes the charitable status of public schools and revokes all state funding of faith schools; I'd like a party that will disestablish the C of E and introduce a fully elected upper house; I'd like PR; I could go on... My views are just not represented by the big three, and the Greens can't afford to put up candidates in all seats.

Labour for me.

Not at all cause I am not allowed to

DrNortherner ... I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Thanks

Suebarooeeeooeeoo (or whatever) you're barking mad, but I actually think the elves stand a good chance if they stand ... for long enough without hovering.

PW ... naturally I don't agree with much of that , except for the greener form of travel. As a life-long walker, I'd like to see much more done in that area.

PW, I don't agree on all of those (But a big thumbs up on the no more state-funding for religious schools from me) but that's pretty much the case for me. No one party represents my views, and the crunch issues just aren't there.

And I'll stand as an independent when I can hock my spare kidney to pay for it.

Vote for me and I'll enstate Elvish as a language on all local authority leaflets and take my crutches into parliament to box some ears.

Tory.

We own and run a small business, not fatcats by any stretch, provide quite a few jobs, yet we've been screwed by Labour.

This govt seems to let big companies (and big party funders ) act with impunity, yet bullies smaller businesses into paying more and more. eg. We have to pay the same amount of employer's NI contributions for our employees as Glaxo et al How can that be fair?

I'm also amazed that anyone can even think about voting them back in after Iraq.

Yah, and the Tories wouldn't have gone into Iraq? My *rse.

Desi, it's be my halloween name. It only works if you say it in a ghostly voice. I'm easily pleased. On MN names at least, if not politics.

And women died to give us the ability to choose. There isn't an awful lot of choice IMO.

I'm rubbish at this names business. All I can think of is PolicywooooOOOOO, but it's a bit frikkin lame.