GE candidate lives miles away

[mamansnet]

Just received my postal vote. The party I'd usually vote for won't win in this constituency, but a principle's a principle. Which is also the cause of my dilemma.

The ballot paper says the candidate's registered address is not only outside the constituency, but bloody miles outside the constituency. It's as though they know they haven't got a hope so have just parachuted somebody in.

I'm really annoyed by it as I strongly believe candidates should live locally, even if it's in a neighbouring constituency. But I can't bring myself to vote for anyone else on the paper. This might be the last time I get to vote in a GE (I'm outside the UK) and obviously, there are big issues right now, so spoiling my vote isn't an option.

I'll probably vote as usual but wondered how do other people feel when they see this? Am I overthinking it?

Two candidates in my constituency in the north east are based in the south and I have a feeling that neither has ever been to the area. One of the candidates is from one of the major parties and I was really surprised to see that they hadn't been able to find someone local to stand for them. I personally would never vote for a candidate from outside of the constituency because I have doubts about their loyalty to the local area and couldn't be sure that they would act with our best interests at heart or even fully understand the impact of some government policies on our area if they are living somewhere else that may have a different experience of the policy.

I attach considerable importance to a candidate being local.

And if a preferred party was parachuting one in, the next thing I wouid look at is the manifestos of local independent candidates, plus the minor/bizarre parties.

It'll never happen, but I do wish that just once there was a Monster Raving Loony in the house.

Ours lives in London we are 2 hours away at least , says they’ll move if they win. We are relatively fortunate as even though I won’t vote for our incumbent mp he’s a good local bloke who would have had my vote and many others if he ran as independent.

Check this one out.

Mayor of Lambeth and tax avoider has been parachuted into Sandwell.

I agree op - candidates should be local. How can they represent people if they don't understand the area?

Candidates don’t need to be local. They can rent in the area and move in if they are elected. Many MPs don’t represent where they actually live or where they come from. They can still be great constituency MPs and understand issues both locally and nationally. Their local party will have adopted them.

I get that @BubblesBuddy, but I strongly feel that they need to at least be familiar with the area before putting themselves forward. There's a very distinct cultural identity in my area that people care about and I don't believe that this candidate had even been to the area before being selected. They hadn't yet been selected 2 days before the deadline - that says to me that it's a case of better anyone than no one.

I've had to grit my teeth and vote for a party I never thought I could vote for, but my family says they've done the same!

Huge numbers of MPs are not local. They never have had to be. They can learn and local issues are only part of the job. As this is an election that was called before the 5 Year term was up and more MPs than usual resigned, changed parties or were de selected, deadlines were tight. I would expect a highly educated candidate to make the effort to know about the constituency but with candidates coming forward via central selection lists, quotas plus Brexit plus Momentum plus finding safe seats for favoured candidates I can see why we get what we’re given. There are plenty of precedents for this and it certainly isn’t new, if somewhat undesirable. You either have to trust that they’ll learn or vote for a local.

It's definitely allowed.

Doesn't mean it's wanted, though

same here. We've had a conservative candidate parachuted in from their 2.8 million pound address in Putney a couple of weeks ago. It's pathetic and yet another reason why I won't vote for them.