With local elections coming up, will you vote and why?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
As many of you know, we often draw on Mumsnet conversations to show politicians and policymakers what life actually looks like for families.

With elections coming up across Scotland, Wales and parts of England, we’d really like to hear where you are on it all.

Are you planning to vote? What’s shaping your decision? And what issues matter most to you locally right now - are they being addressed in a way that actually feels meaningful?

We also know plenty of you feel disillusioned with politics, or unsure whether engaging makes any difference. If that’s you, it would be really helpful to understand why - and what, if anything, might change your mind.

Thanks,
Justine

I will vote tactically to oust Labour from our area.

I will vote, I always do.

Our local (Conservative majority) council nearly went bankrupt and haas to be bailed out by the government recently. There is a fair amount of dissatisfaction with the council but I am consulting voting for them because I do not want Reform.

Yes I will vote.

I'll vote tactically to try to keep Reform out which, where I live, means voting Tory.

However the local Tory councilor has been effective and hard working over the last few years so I'm ok with that.

I always vote but I've had feck all communication from any of the candidates bar the Reform wazzock and I've trawled our council website and can't find a single piece of information about any of the other candidates. No idea who is standing or what they stand for.

I’m voting this year, for reform

I shall be voting, my grandmothers' generation fought hard to win votes for women. There is family jewellery in suffragette colours, which was bought as 21st birthday presents. I believe that it is our civic duty to vote and that it should be mandatory.
I shall be voting for experienced effective local councillors who have done a good job previously. Hopefully the useless incumbent will lose the seat. In these elections, I am far more concerned with local issues such as potholes and uncollected rubbish than National issues. I most certainly won't be voting Reform.

I always vote. This year it will be independent. Can’t stand Labour in the current form

I always vote, and have already voted this time (postal vote) for our local Ward Councillor. I genuinely don’t care which party he represents (although I’m so relieved it isn’t Reform); he has been a fantastic Councillor, and has done so many positive things for the local community.

Yes, I will vote as we are privileged to live in a democracy, and an age where we are allowed to vote. I consider it incredibly important that we all ALWAYS vote.

I get cross with people who say 'there is no point', when of course there is a point, when in many cases if everyone who didn't vote, had voted, it could completely change who gets elected.

I will be voting for our current local Cllr who is a very good listener and who represents us very well.

I also get cross when mainstream media - including Clive Myree at the head of tonight's news programme - state that this is the 'biggest test of opinion since the General Election' when this vote has nothing to do with the National Government and is about who will best represent their constituents on the local Council.

I live in Conservative-led Surrey and will be voting to facilitate a Tory defeat so they are not running the Council any more. This is because Surrey County Council's adult safeguarding team launched a campaign of bullying and harassment against me after I took a care home that nearly killed my Mum to the press over 10 years ago - the same bastards are in charge even now. Last year I sent a round robin to all the County Councillors, scores of borough councillors and loads of journalists about what they did and why - I'd also twigged they were trying to kill Mum off via dehydration, though I'm not sure passive euthanasia is even illegal in this country. Nobody replied.

I'd taken the issue to my then MP Chris Grayling - we had three meetings with him - and I found him devious though not initially, it took a while to catch on. He turned petulant when eventually I lost patience with him. I'd voted for him in 2014.

Sadly the new Lib Dem MP Helen Maguire hasn't done anything about it either and I think I was being breadcrumbed on the issue.

I'll be voting Lib Dem and Green, one each, this week. Signs are it will hand over to Lib Dem, Labour don't stand a chance here, never have. I would vote Labour otherwise, seems to me they're trying to make the country less corrupt and fairer after 14 years of the Tories.

That all said, I'm not even sure social workers get the sack even with a change of party control, they seem to have diplomatic immunity.

I’ve voted Labour all my life, but the party has turned so much more right wing on certain issues that I can no longer justify it. It’s tragic. They may as well be middle of the road Tories.

Also, I don’t want them to change because of feedback-I want them to actually state (and live by) principles ,values and policies that aren’t nebulous.

I always vote. We have a significant local issue going on so I will be voting for the independent councillor who is present and hardworking for our area. Even if that wasn’t the case, I will be voting my socks off to limit the damage which is looming from Reform

Yes I’ve already sent my postal vote.
I don’t fully agree with any of the parties. I’ve voted Labour. The councillor lives near me and does get involved in local issues which directly affect me. The reform candidate did not list their address which whilst totally legal is something I alway check. I want to ensure that they actually have a vested interest in making where I live as nice as possible.
Likewise the Green candidate, no address listed so they could allow absolutely anything to destroy where I live, I also do not want more and more punishments inflicted on motorists. I say this as someone who walks almost 4 miles a day to and from work.
I’ve seen their batshit ideas about preventing traffic from getting from A to B and I don’t agree with it.

Wales here and I am voting conservative. Our ‘’first on the list’ conservative candidate is a pretty sound person and I want to send a signal of support to Kemi Badenoch as she’s a rare example of an intelligent principled politician. She’s been outspoken against the horrific rise in racism to Jews.

Greens are cesspits of anti-Semitism and misogyny, and Plaid much the same. Not voting for them.

I'll vote in a probably futile effort to keep Reform out. It's a real shame, because we have some excellent local independents who have actually made positive change in our community, but the flagshagging racists are loud.

No option for voting where I live but if there wereI would vote in the hope of keeping Reform out. I wish Ed Davey would step down as feel Lib Dems might stand more of a chance if he left( took his tarnished legacy with him).I am really worried that Reform/ Tories will gain more power. Am aware Labour could do better!

I've already voted by post.

We have a brilliant local Labour MP and a brilliant local LibDem county councillor. So you be voted LibDem but at the GE I will almost certainly vote Labour.

ETA unless it looks like Reform will win in our area, in which case I'll vote for whichever party is most likely to beat them

Really struggling. My area is Green and Tory neck and neck. I used to vote Green but with Zack Polanski then seem to have gone barmy. I must vote but will have a look at Labour and Lib Dem’s.

I feel like it's my duty to vote, as a mother to daughters. However I think all parties are the same. I used to think they were all the same as in they were all trying their best, but now I think they are all the same as in all as corrupt and self serving as each other.

I'll be voting to keep Labour out. I cannot vote Green so it will prob be Libdem or Reform.

I'll be voting for the best candidate for our area. He's a Lib Dem, which isn't who I'd usually vote for, but he is interested in, and works hard for the local community, which is what these elections are all about

I’ll be voting for an independent candidate, he’s been great over the years, was on the council a few years ago back and lost his seat but has kept up campaigning on local issues.

we’ve only had material through from him and reform.

Looks like it between Conservative and green for my seat, though more because the conservative vote has gone to reform. In doing so they're likely to get a green councillor.

I'm not a conservative voter at all but they are the incumbent and a good local voice, so will go for them.

The reform candidate did not list their address which whilst totally legal is something I alway check

See, I always think it really odd when candidates DO list their private home address. It shows a real lack of awareness IMO. NO-ONE who works in a public facing role should EVER have to reveal the private address of where they and their family live. We've had two MPs murdered by stabbing in recent years., and more and more people feeling emboldened to make threats of so many things. There was a news report earlier this week about trading standards officers being terrorised and followed home and having threats made against members of their families - even their children. I think it is a ridiculous idea that anyone who works in a public facing role should ever have to publish their home address.