Do people who are politically active do so tactically?

[TWINSETinapeartree]

I know of course that my allegiance does not change anything but it matters to me.

I have been a member of the labour party since I was 18, always been active. I have in recent years had moments when I have considered leaving the labour party but thought it was better to try and make local change from within. I was approached about standing to be a local councillor for the labour party in my previous town, some for of political career does interest me.

I have now moved down South to real tory land, the labour party were third in the last elections and it was a big gap.

Conservative 23,714 44.9%
Liberal Democrat 21,470 40.7 %
Labour 4,596 8.7
UK Independence Party 1,918 3.6
Green Party 1,117 2.1

I am thinking of joining the local liberal democrats as I do think our tory mp is quite an odious man but labour are very unlikly to shift him. This coupled with my feelings of unease at some things labour have done make me feel my decision would be right.

But another side of my hates tactical voting and switching of allegiances.

If they find out you've got a labour background, won't they 'out' you?

I think you should go with the policies you believe in.

Resigned from the LP this year after many years membership although I wasn't active.

I have a backstage labour history, so lots of canvassing, leafletting etc. I did not take the offer to stand as a councillor as I had too much on.

I have always assumed i was labour if that makes sense, but the Liberal policies seem to match me but in my heart I feel labour and feel a traitor for betraying that.

at the thought anyone could be bothered to out me.

Same as you leafletting etc. I'd love to have gone for a councillor or something but as on a previous post - far too paranoid that I'd be 'outed' in all sorts of ways. I'm hetrosexual I don't mean that. Don't know where you live but it's dog eat dog where I live. Quite aggressive politicing to say the least.

I thinks its known in 'the business' as 'skeletons in the cupboard'. I was probably being paranoid actually. But to keep the tories out you should probably go for it. LP got silly in my opinion. I stayed loyal until I could bear it no more.

I have been discussing it with dp and althogh of course I am not arrogant enough to think me doing a few leaflet drops I will keep the tories out. This is real tory heartland here but the seat is on the Liberal's hitlist.

I have things I culd be outed form which was one of the reasons I did not stand as a councillor as I knew it would come up.

Twin, if you've got the stamina for the fight, go for it. I wish you the best on it.

Thanks, I am assuming the is a nice

Indeed it is. Absolutely genuine. Why are we still up?

Going to bed now. x

DD is ill I am waiting for her to last at least half an hour without throwing up

Hi Twin, is DD better? Hope so.

I think a little, I didnt get her to sleep until about 6 this morning. She slept until about 2 and is now on the sofa. It is not like her to lie down but she has stopped being sick.

Bless her. How old?

1. Even when she is ill she was still a drama queen. She wailed "This cant be happening to me" " no more I cant take any more" "Will ever get better?"

While I think I could probably vote tactically, ie for a change of government rather than for an individual or particular party, I'm not sure I would be able to actively campaign for the party I was voting for.

Which I know seems a bit daft, but there you go.

Having said that, at the only general election where it has been an issue for me, I couldn't bring myself to do it. And indeed have sttod many times as a paper candidate in unwinnable wards to give the faithful somewhere to cast their vote. Came awfully close to winning the unwinnable ward once...

If you are a true believer, I think you are better off joining the party you believe in and buiding it up locally. But that does take vast amounts of time and effort. Far more than the people who moan about not being canvassed at election time seem to think.

I have actually never even voted tactically, what you have said has realy made me think. I am going to spend some time reading up on Liberal policies as I want to work for a party I beleive in. I want to be equally sure that if I continue to work for th LP I do that not just because I see myself as a certain class or because of what they used to stand for.

As someone who as canvassed often I know exactly how much work it is,

Laughin at DD. Hope you get a better sleep tonight.

Good luck with the party work.

Oh I know you are a real activist Twinset. That was a sideways swipe really at all the people who expect 5 leaflets and a door knock before they will exercise their democratic right.

I used to quite like cavassing although you do meet some odd people, and lots of people who say they will vote for you of you get them a new kitchen of the council or similar.

I once knocked on the door and a woman invited me in to talk to her husband, I wondered in only to discover her husband was very ill and was probably close to dying. She then insisted on feeding me and gave me a sunday roast.

Dd has just asked the virgin mary to stop her farts.

ROFL. Did it work? The Holy Mary Virgin Queen of Farts.

Twinset, haven't the Labour Party actually betrayed you? (Well, all of us, really.) Is your loyalty not to a party which no longer exists?

Jux, I feel the same and Twin is asking our advice because she feels she wants to change her allegiance and that is fair enough isn't it?

See my above thread, resigned this year after many years of membership. Betrayed? Definitely. And whilst I said I wasn't active, I mean that I wasn't full on but I have banged on doors and leafleted with absolute trust in the past because I beleived in them.. not now.

So, who do we support if not LP?????

In some ways yes Jix, they are definetly not the party I joined in the days of John Smith.

I love being politially active, it is part of who I am.

Sadly the Holy Virgin queen of farts let us down.