If there was a GE today who would you vote for?

[87SPD]

Bit cheeky but I’m curious to see if there are genuinely any Tory voters out there at all following another disastrous week for Rishi Sunak.

So who would get your vote?

I‘ll go first, I would vote Labour. As much as I would love to hear more on policy and a firm grittiness from them, I do understand that Keir Starmer is doing the best he can, in that he can’t alienate a large proportion of the electorate so needs to toe the line.

@comfyoldcardi I have spoiled my paper in the past. I lived in a very Tory town (with an MP with a 30,000+ majority despite being as effective as a chocolate teapot) and I'm a Labour voter. At local and council elections I often didn't have a candidate I could vote for - no Labour candidate and only Independents of indeterminate provenance (usually ex-Tories), UKIP, Tory and another dodgy party with Britain in its name. I spoiled my paper with 'none of the above' across it because, for me, not voting at all is simply not an option.

But I totally agree that those not voting are the biggest problem. They certainly hold the balance of power and that's a problem.

At least you thought about it and turned up. I respect your choices.

I live in a strongly Conservative constituent (David Gaulke was our MP). Most of my friends and family are Conservative voters and will be doing the same at the next election.

That said, I very much doubt it will make a difference as the Conservatives have lost the swing voters, and possibly some diehard supporters too.

Labour, but with zero hope of Starmer changing the direction of the country. In effect I’d just be voting for a very slightly more moderate Tory Party.
IE, basically more of the same shit and failed policies but a very slight improvement over the current lot.

I know an ex-Tory mayor who says he doesn't plan to vote Tory in the next general election. ("This shower are not the Conservatives anymore. They don't 'conserve' anything. They are not the party of the countryside, of sound money, of law and order or the Church of England anymore")

And an ex-Tory voter who prefers Starmer's party discipline to Sunak's weakness.

I have hope.

I mean I'll take "slightly better" but I hope for more.

I probably won't be voting Labour because I expect the Lib Dem candidate to have the best chance of ousting our Tory MP in our constituency, but I do expect Labour to form the next government and take on the almighty mess this country has become.

In effect I’d just be voting for a very slightly more moderate Tory Party. I think you are right, but anything is better than what we have been living through: dishonest nest-feathering people with no integrity whatsoever - and any party that let BJ become PM is totally f*ed as far as I am concerned.

I will vote tactically to get them out. Not simple as it sounds round here unfortunately.

Do you mind me asking what motivates them to vote Conservative? It's not a smart comment- I genuinely would like to know what people think they offer them as I really can't understand it.

Do you mind me asking what motivates them to vote Conservative? It's not a smart comment- I genuinely would like to know what people think they offer them as I really can't understand it.

I guess it's similar to asking a diehard Labour supporter why they wouldn't ever vote Conservative. Because they don't agree with their political ideologies. I wouldn't ever vote Lib Dem or Labour for that reason.

I would vote for an alternative party if one exists in the future. I know others won't agree but I don't think the current government has been particularly Conservative (given the tax burden is at its highest since WW2j. It will also be deeply unpopular on here but I like Rishi Sunak (although it's not hard after Boris).

What is it about the ideology of the current Conservative government that particularly attracts you to voting for them?

What is it about the ideology of the current Conservative government that particularly attracts you to voting for them?

Apologies but I've long since given up having political debates on MN as when I (and other Conservative voters) have, it's been an unpleasant pile on, punctuated with some truly offensive insults.

l think we all know the key differences in ideology between Labour and Conservatives. One isn't right or wrong, they're just based on different principles.

Do you mean the abuse i got yesterday from a right wing tory voter?

I'm afraid both sides have their share of idiots.

If you don't want a political debate on MN, then confused as to why you post regularly..... on political threads?

I know what you mean

I'm afraid both sides have their share of idiots.* If you don't want a political debate on MN, then confused as to why you post regularly..... on political threads?*

I was answering a specific question about who will still be voting Conservative and why. Most of my friends as there isn't another party that better fits their ideologies. If there was, I suspect there might be a different outcome.

I don't agree with insults on either side. But from the threads I've been on, the Conservative voters have had some horrendous insults. Thick, racist, immoral, evil, I could go on.

I completely respect the reasons why you vote Labour. There's no right or wrong and I can appreciate that some prefer a socialist party for perfectly valid reasons. I don't but that's why we have a vote.

I have been unable to identify an ideology with the current government, would you like to share what it is?

Sorry I'm really not being rude- but this really doesn't answer my question. I'm looking for specific policies you have benefitted from or their policies that you agree with. Can you give examples? I'm really not being facetious. I'm genuinely trying to understand.

The thing is, if you call people names on MN, the posts will be deleted (if reported) insults come thick n fast from Tory supporters, usually in the form of sarcasm and condescension.

Labour isn't a socialist party, it wasn't even that under Corbyn, the manifesto in 2019 would have been centre left in a European context, i suspect Starmers one will be more John Major than Harold Wilson.

I'll be voting to get rid my current Tory MP, be that Lab or LD because after 13 years, nothing, absolutely nothing has improved, almost 3 terms is enough to show some improvements and their behaviour over lockdown was appalling, millions obeyed rules or at least the spirit of them, whilst they partied and other people died.

One of my favourite colleagues votes Tory (and asked me not to tell anyone!). I like to think we both want similar things for the UK, we just disagree about the best way to achieve them. For example, my colleague fears that public sector pay rises will make inflation worse and I concede that she’s probably right.

On the other hand, I think some of the things the Tory party does are morally indefensible. Giving extremely lucrative contracts to their rich but under-qualified mates? Partying through Covid whilst normal people weren’t allowed a final visit to their dying relatives? Underfunding Social Services to the point that many Councils are at risk of going bankrupt within the next few years? Cutting legal aid? Allowing companies to pollute our rivers and beaches to the extent that 75% of UK rivers pose a serious risk to human health? …

Labour isn't a socialist party, it wasn't even that under Corbyn, the manifesto in 2019 would have been centre left in a European context, i suspect Starmers one will be more John Major than Harold Wilson.

Their website begs to differ....

Their website begs to differ....

No it doesn't. Those are societies affiliated to the Labour party, not the Labour party. You could just as well say that because the Labour party has trade unions affiliated to it, the Labour party is a trade union.

You're right though that the Labour party does describe itself as socialist, in some circumstances - most particularly in its statement of aims and values which starts "The Labour party is a democratic socialist party..."

It's difficult because many peoples' understanding of what socialism is has changed and become so much broader over recent decades. For any really meaningful definition of the word though, to do with collective ownership of at least some of the means of production, there's no way the Labour party under Starmer, with its current (lack of a) program, could be considered socialist. Its self-description is simply wrong.

It's no more wrong than describing itself as "democratic" though. 😁

Did you even bother to read what you just posted?

There is a vast difference between Socialism as you might have us believe it is and a Democratic Socialist party, such as Germany and Sweden have & the UKs Labour party is.

Labour just to remove these

This election will be awful. Lots of stuff about personalities, wedge issues and an attempt to go full yank presidential style.

Labour aren't that exciting and with public finances as they are, they can't offer a lot. But the Conservatives are incompetent. That's why people will vote for Labour, because of mortgages, cost of living, schools and health. The Conservatives have screwed up the basics. If they had a growing economy instead of largely stagnant one with high taxes then they would be competitive. That is all it is for most people, that they've lost their competence and the ability to govern well.

Is this a joke?

I'll vote for whoever can beat my Tory MP.