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Politics

be completely honest

63 replies

noddyholder · 04/05/2010 09:18

Would you consider not voting?I am for the first time ever

OP posts:
FioFio · 04/05/2010 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

noddyholder · 04/05/2010 09:46

I know it is me.I have changed and don't feel as passionately as I did and am objecting rather than abstaining.A spoiled paper is just that I don't even want to give them the energy i will use walking to the polling station I haven't decided I def won't vote but is jst something i am considering

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claig · 04/05/2010 09:46

I think some of the boundaries have been changed in Labour's favour. But essentially the system suits the two big parties. Elections are decided in a handful of marginal seats. Votes in other seats have no real bearing on who gets elected. It disenfranchises the public, which is why last time 40% of the public didn't think it was worth participating.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/05/2010 09:46

I would never not vote, it's too important.

Is there really no local issue that you can make your mind up on?

EggyAllenPoe · 04/05/2010 09:51

wel, there really isn't much to separate the big two is there? essentially the same with fairly minor tweakings...

and i am in a conservative safe seat, so voting conservative might highlight the current inequity of the constituency lines...though i wish i was in a less safe seat, then we'd see a rather more motivated MP as the result. the local 'legalise cannibis' guy is always an option , so he keps his deposit. In a way, a vote for any other party decreases the %age share gained by the BNP and UKIP, so there's some value in that.

or maybe just turn up and see if there's anything that appeals. Or not.

RiverOfSleep · 04/05/2010 09:58

I've already done mine by post, its not easy to choose (like the comment about pile of shit v pile of vomit) - but women died so I could vote. So I do.

DH and I disagree on politics but part of me is hoping his party gets in just so I don't have to listen to him moaning for the next 4 years and I can have a turn telling him how craply HE voted for once!!

expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 09:59

NO.

Already voted by post.

vesela · 04/05/2010 10:04

noddyholder, when you say "they're all the same", what's the one thing that you think none of the parties is addressing? (OK, maybe more than one thing, but what's the single most important thing to you that they're not saying anything about/don't think they'd do anything about?

noddyholder · 04/05/2010 10:07

i am quite well imformed on each party and think they are all lying re the economy and would do anything to keep the lie going until they are in the door!I wouldn't vote for any of the big 3 anyway.The system is flawed and i am considering not taking part in it.The only thing is the fight women had to vote but even that isn't convincing me atm.

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claig · 04/05/2010 10:15

it's not the vote that counts. It's the system, it's real choice that counts. In the Soviet Union they had votes where you could vote for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. There'd be no point in turkeys voting for Christmas.

omaoma · 04/05/2010 10:16

no. voting is a privilege. not voting says absolutely nothing, it's not a 'statement', it's a 'get out of jail free' card for the major parties and all their crap.

don't believe the bollox that you have to vote 'tactically' or it 'doesn't count'. even votes for non-winning parties have a meaning - look at how worried everybody gets about the BNP vote share. the stats are pored over very thoroughly by the big boys and increasing share means a great deal to parties like the greens, even if they have no hope of actually getting a seat for years to come. I'm still voting green altho the environment has completely dropped off the radar - and that's why i'm doing it. it's the only way of showing that i believe it's a hugely important issue.

Cartoose · 04/05/2010 10:18

Nope. I'm voting!

rocknstroll · 04/05/2010 10:32

Women died to get you the vote - it is your responsibility. And voting isn't for the politicians - it is for us! You lose your right to moan or complain about anything the government does if you didn't even try to influence the result - that is a great motivator for me!

noddyholder · 04/05/2010 10:50

I actually posted to see if there was anyone who just didn't vote ever tbh but obviously not! I wondered what their reasoning was

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omaoma · 04/05/2010 11:00

i think 'it doesn't make any difference/can't be arsed' usually sums it up, doesn't it?

EggyAllenPoe · 04/05/2010 12:14

according to the political compass

all the big three are (economically) right of centre, labour more authoritarian than conservative

right thread this time.

expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 13:53

Am SO glad and proud to have voted!

It's so important.

It's important for your children to see you, too, giving a damn.

EggyAllenPoe · 04/05/2010 15:50

actually i was thinking of not voting, but writing my posts, i realised although there's noone i really want to vote for, there are things i want to vote against....

Jux · 04/05/2010 18:12

When I first met dh I BERATED him for not voting. He's never dared to miss it since. We do local elections an' everything, we do.

I'd spoil my paper if I were you. It says that you'd like to be interested but you think they're all shite.

noddyholder · 04/05/2010 19:49

Dp has told me off but am still not compelled to paretake anymore

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expatinscotland · 05/05/2010 01:53

Spoil the ballot then, noddy.

But go. Please.

Go vote.

Maybe it doesn't affect you no matter what, but it may affect millions.

and I know you care.

Tortington · 05/05/2010 03:10

i feel i owe it to the working class men and women who died.

animula · 05/05/2010 03:46

Noddyholder - here's a thing - would you feel more like voting if there was a party more adequately representing your views? And what are those views?

At the moment we have three big parties, and they have converged towards a centre ground. Ish. And they are quite limited in what they actually present to the electorate in their manifestoes because A LOT of power is held by so-called swing-voters. It's crazy, but that's the situation our electoral system appears to have evolved.

A lot of smaller parties, and more marginal issues (including the one dear to my heart, environmental issues - which should be sooo important, but because electoral death beckons for the party endorsing them, becomes marginalised and watered down at parliamentary level,) never get a look in under this system.

The more marginal positions thus become very unprofessional, have little money, and are barely represented at an organisational, let alone parliamentary level.

Well, there is (an outside) chance that with PR, that might change.

So ... if there is something you would wish to be represented, here is your chance to vote, if not for that actual position, then for the (outside) chance that the set-up might be changed so that, eventually, that position you would like to vote for might be realised.

It's only an outside chance. But it's closer than it's been for a long, long time. And I could be wrong. But it's an idea.

Though I do think not voting has its place.

animula · 05/05/2010 04:02

Goodness. I find I am in some agreement with Claig on this thread!

Anifrangapani · 05/05/2010 06:12

Don't be taken in by her arguements about spolied votes in Australia. One of the figures they read out on the count is the number of spoiled ballots.
There is a problem of "Donkey Voting" - where people have thought so little about it that they don't want to spoil the ballot so they just sequentially number the candidates 1 - 10. The have to have a lottery to see the positioning of each candidate on the ballot paper. They got a lot of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAustralian Whatever Parties when it was done alphabetically.

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