Does anyone else feel disenfranchised?

[lucydogz]

For the 1st time in my voting life, there is nobody I want to vote for. I've got a gut feeling that there's a lot of other people feeling the same way. I've never voted Tory, and think that they have lead a lamentable campaign.
We have a good Labour MP, who's likely to get in again. My DH canvasses for them, and the general line is 'don't think about JC, vote for the MP'. But I feel that is unbelievably naive. Our MP was part of the revolt against JC, because, as a member of the shadow cabinet, they found him so difficult to work with. So Labour want us to vote for a leader that his own party can't work with. The only shadow cabinet he can scrape together are pretty poor.
I think he's had training to make himself more appealing in interviews (which TM could certainly do with) but, essentially he's still not someone I feel could run a country.
The Lib Dems don't appeal either.
Anyone else in the same boat?

Yes absolutely in the same boat. The problem is I feel I have a moral obligation to vote. Never in my life have I disliked so much in each manifesto.

I think we need to share the wealth of the country more fairly. I think we need to raise the salaries of NHS workers. I feel that TM has totally the wrong attitude to Brexit. I think abolishing university tuition fees and trying to privatise the railways is a bad idea. The bullying of sick people and lack of compassion shown towards mental health is abhorrent . I think that affluent pensioners, like myself, should pay much more towards the Exchequer. I don't think my children should expect to inherit my house or savings, while other people are paying for my care.

The thought of Johnson, Davis and Fox having a place in Government and making decisions that affect so many young people is appalling. I want a leader who supports the unions and workers Rights but is not anti-big business.

Well yes although not exactly in the same way as I would happily vote labour, lib dem or green as nothing can be worse than the current government. But my vote will be worthless as it is in a safe conservative seat. I do vote but ultimately my vote will not count and I feel unrepresented and disenfranchised. I would love a hung parliment with parties having to work togzther where a range of views to represent the diverse and opposing views of the public can be debated. But I think the status quo will stay.

Yep same here . I feel that I should vote but have no idea who to vote for.

Utterly disenfranchised. Have no faith in Conservative or Labour senior politicians at all. Will either vote LibDem (as a Remainer) or Green.

My Con MP has a 10K+ majority so the only thing we can do is reduce it as much as possible. No-one is going to overthrow her (Justine Greening btw)

Yes. I don't want another IndyRef but I cannot bring myself to vote Tory and JC as the alternative makes me want to weep....

totally agree with you petal about affluent pensioners. I'm one myself, and I think we're unbelievebly and unjustly favoured (because we get off our backsides and vote, I guess).

In my opinion TM has made so many Uturns, that I am suprised she is not giddy. JC is admirable in that he is constant but he constant about so many things I don't agree with.

Yes, I'm not voting.
Extreme right, extreme left, weak middle

The leaders are all frighteningly incompetent aren't they? Is this the way we are going now? I mean when you look across at Americans electing an inexperienced moron like Trump (and that's being generous) you realise that politicians like Obama are just a blip.

What is it that people hate about Corbyn? His manifesto is pretty sensible, its not really hard left as countries like Denmark and Sweden have been using the same type of model for years. Austerity has not worked and the effects of cutting police and the nhs are clear. We desperately need a change and a fresh start, especially in brexit negotiations.

Likewise. And I live in an extremely 'safe' Conservative seat.

I feel I must vote, yet I know that my vote won't make any difference, and I haven't a clue who could lead us safely out of this monumental cock-up of a situation.

Silkybear, I won't vote Labour because of Corbyn. He does not convince me he will take a hard line against Islamic extremists. His track record on dealing with terrorists is not something that I approve of.

He wants to be every ones friend, and you can't.

And it's a shame because I know the NHS and education could do with a labour government. But this current terror threat is making me feel I have to swallow my pride and vote Tory. Also don't think a new government right in the middle of an ISIS campaign through Ramadam is a good idea either.

Is Lib Dem not an option for those who want to put more money into health and education, but worry that Labour under JC is too left wing? Genuine question. I'm a Labour voter so not canvassing for the Lib Dems.

There are so many reasons silky, but the fact that he couldn't work with most of his elected MPs kind of says it all.

I think it depends on your constituency. Here it's a swing seat between red and blue and UKIP (shudder) currently blue.

God I do not want UKIP in a libdem vote is not going to achieve anything.

Is Lib Dem not an option for those who want to put more money into health and education, but worry that Labour under JC is too left wing?

It most certainly is. But my personal objection against Labour is not because it's "too left wing" for me. It's because I believe this country needs to put a lot of money into health and education (and policing)....so it makes zero sense for me to support a party that's going to take the country out the single (EU) market and make the country so much poorer.

Voting for Labour would be like planning to spend your golden eggs on really critical essentials whilst simultaneously slaughtering the goose. In my humble opinion.

I agree with a lot of what you have said, OP.

I live in a safe Tory seat. My vote can only ever be used as a "protest".

Perhaps you could vote for one of the smaller parties who have no chance of getting in, to ensure they get their deposit back, and to increase their political coverage. (Remember, UKIP had only one MP, but are always on QT, because of share of the vote. If you want to hear from the Greens, or the WEP, for example, voting for them may help to give them a voice in the future.)

that's a good idea hardcore

We have a good Labour MP, who's likely to get in again. My DH canvasses for them, and the general line is 'don't think about JC, vote for the MP'. But I feel that is unbelievably naive.

Likewise we have a good Labour MP. Unfortunately, hell would freeze over before I will vote Labour because our MP is a member of Corbyn's shadow cabinet and I certainly can't vote for someone who sucks up to Corbyn. Shame really but our MP has committed political suicide and hasn't a hope of getting re-elected.

I felt as you did at the start of the election, OP, but actually now I feel happy to vote for Corbyn. His manifesto really impressed me. Presumably you've read it and don't feel the same, so YY to voting for an independent or smaller party.

I would love a hung parliment with parties having to work togzther where a range of views to represent the diverse and opposing views of the public can be debated.

Nice in theory. But don't forget the Tory/Libdem coalition which was pretty much a disaster. We seemed to get the worst of both worlds with two parties having to do some pretty shoddy negotiating behind the scenes to get anything done at all and then there being no consistent/cohesive decisions being made. Tax policy was a classic case in point where there were changes made which worked against eachother, pulling in different directions, which were clearly some kind of "tit for tat" rather than a sensible road-map. It also meant a lot of difficult decisions/changes just weren't made at all.

What petalmepotts said, more or less. think I'll vote green or lib dem, then whatever happens it won't have been my fault...

Yes, as someone from
Northern Ireland who now lives in Scotland a general election serves to remind you how little your vote counts to the big parties at Westminster. (Am not pro Independence, btw.)
I live a safe SNP constituency and Labour and Tory main campaigns are both that they'll oppose a second Indy ref... which feels a bit divisive given not all of us put Independence or the union at the top of our wish list... Am heartened to hear others in U.K. feel disenfranchised, it's not just us then

Totally agree with being disenfranchised. I'm totally obsessed about the election at the moment, because I just can't finally decide where to put my vote - although obviously my single vote makes no difference. My family's sick of hearing me moaning about it.

His manifesto really impressed me. I felt it was basically just what everyone wanted to hear, to get the votes. What's not to like about money for everything? Better for 95% of the electorate, so it's bound to garner votes. Or am I just a total old cynic?

I don't think anyone really wants to win this election, except TM, whose career is at stake, because Brexit'll be a disaster for whoever is in power.

The leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party was on Daily Politics a week or so back. Jo Coburn stated that they had never retained their deposit and asked if it was an aim of theirs.

He replied "No, because if we retain a deposit our polices obviously weren't loony enough"!

I can't help but think they may well retain a deposit or two this time!