I know it's early, but I live in a safe seat and it is so depressing.

[hugoagogo]

I care about politics, I always vote, but I know it won't make a spot of difference which way I vote.

Are you sure it is still a safe seat?
There has been a revolution in our politics and a lot of once safe seats are at risk now from the people's insurgency and its parties.

Oh, I'm in the same boat Hugo, and so far the party I usually vote for hasn't named a candidate yet! So I don't even know where my token vote will go anyway. It's annoying when I am very interested in politics.

I'm in a safe seat too but I'll still vote. I'll probably vote for the sitting MP as I think the only possible threat to him is UKIP and regardless of bad feelings towards the current MP's party, I really don't want to have a UKIP MP. I suspect most safe seats will stay as they are. I don't think there'll be any huge changes, maybe just a handful of surprises.

I agree the sitting MP got around 70% of the vote last time! the next in line only about 15%.

Me too. It is depressing, but I'll still vote.

Trouble is, the party I really dislike have a very strong majority, the party I'd like to vote for only got 4 per cent of the vote last time, so I was thinking about voting for my 2nd choice party, who came in 2nd last time round. I checked out who the candidate was - only to find they'd recently swapped parties and joined the majority party! So there's nowhere to go, really.

Bring on PR.

I live in one of the safest Tory seats (shire county, full of farmers). I voted Labour last time just to help increase the national total.

However our MP was involved in a rather sordid gay sex court case during this Parliament, a lot of local Tory support has waned & we have an independent conservative anti-gay-bloke standing. We also have a (local) Green candidate for the first time. I will probably still vote Labour to boost national total but it will be interesting...

I feel your pain. I have lived in safe Tory seat for the past 4 elections, so my vote has never once really counted. Its depressing as I really do care about politics and want to make a difference, and there are so many people who don't even bother to vote.

We have the added thrill this time of having Boris fucking Johnson deciding he'd like to use our town to become MP of. Its so obvious that it is a move purely to further his own career, 5 years as Uxbridge MP and then party leader etc. He could not give a shit about the town I live in, yet I'm sure he will win with a huge majority - beating local politicians who actually live in the area.

I will still vote, but yes it is safe; or rather could only go to one of two parties.

I'll still vote as I couldn't bear not to. The incumbent Tory in my seat is standing down, so it is slightly uncertain but the seat has always had a huge Tory majority.

safe where i live too, pointless voting for change

Here is a list of all the seats ordered by how safe they are for Labour and Tory based on 2010 data.

Some Essex seats are listed as safe for the Tories above even Chelsea & Fulham. They may get a surprise on the day. Essex is in the heart of insurgent territory.

www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/orderedseats.html

Try living in a constituency that the main parties don't even contest, as it is the Speaker's seat. Yay, Bercow! Last election, the biggest party to dare to contest was UKIP - to be fair, there are plenty who would vote for their twattery round here.

Some form of PR would be preferable for me I think, and might help people feel more connected to politics.

Another one who's vote won't count.
We're in a very safe seat, & constituency MP is very good in one niche area and does well for that group.
But it's not a group I or my family belong to, and it does seem to be his only interest!

That was an interesting read Claig, if only to confirm what I thought about my constituency. That my vote is essentially pointless. Will still exercise the right, just with little hope.

Wondering now if I should vote for a party I do not want nor support, on the basis that it may stop the UKIP candidate from swooping in. Their stance on HS2 will sway lots of voters around my area.

Our constituency would return a donkey if it wore a blue rosette.

Depressing.

I think I'd vote for the donkey in preference

I'm the same as culture - incumbent blue retiring after many decades. Total majority. Sickening really. It just shows how total majority corrupts.

The only people to show up on the door step so far are UKIP. We are in Kent so that is one of their stronghold.

Same here (waves to paula) - I don't know if it's true but someone once told me that there were only 4 years ever where there hadn't been a tory mp.
I'll still vote - think everyone should - but knowing that it won't make a difference

Same here, I'm 48 and have never voted for a winning candidate, I always vote but it does seem futile.

Safe seat area too. Same every election. People do not like change where I live

Wow, WhoKnows, I'm impressed that you've stuck with it!

My grandmother impressed upon me that women died for the right to vote so we should always use it. Personally I feel that if you don't vote you can't complain, so, I will be off to the polling booths again this year, but I really am undecided and disgruntled with it all.