Fed up of snp. Won’t vote Tory.

[museumum]

What do I do?

I’m actually quite ambivalent about independence and can see pros and cons on both sides. But I fear the snp will always be in power unless we do get it.

I feel they’ve been in power long enough without delivering on equality poverty or education. At the very least I’d like to see them with a far smaller majority.

But who the hell can I vote for? It feels like both Labour and Lib Dem are lost causes.

I’ve never felt so disengaged

Me too

Me three! Frankly, the SNP haven’t delivered on independence either! They’re just dangling a referendum carrot to catch those yes voters. If they were serious they would have at least a tiny plan. It seems they are just very comfortable where they are, no pressure to deliver on anything because they know they will win at holyrood (and the opposition are poor).

Same. I'm on the pro-Indy side but not willing to vote on that above all else.

Used to be a Green Party member but I won't vote for them again on the basis of their clear distain for women's rights. See also the other parties.

Can't, won't, ever vote Tory. So no idea really.

I think at the moment a vote for SNP is the best of a bad bunch and a means to an end. Voting anything else kills any independence hopes of that's what you're wanting and basically giving the torys a vote by proxy.

Was planning to spoil my first ballot paper with ‘women’s rights are not a hate crime’ but I don’t know whether applied ballots even get counted let alone what’s written on them

I'm exactly the same. Planning to vote Labour, albeit not very enthusiastically. I just really want to see a decent non-Tory opposition. Also not against independence, but I'd want to see a bigger majority for it. Any kind of 50/50 split on it would be a divisive nightmare.

Why do you feel Labour and Lib Dem are lost causes? I mean, they're not perfect of course, but neither are SNP or Tories, and it may well be you think Labour or LD are less non-perfect than either of them. I appreciate they may have policies you disagree with (as do both SNP and tories it sounds), but it seems odd to just dismiss them as not worth voting for - even on the list. I mean, some people obviously vote for them (!), and the more people that do, the more seats they'll get (no shit!) and the more their voice will be heard in the next parliament. Polls are suggesting that Tory and labour will get roughly similar numbers of seats this time, so if you're not dismissing the tories as a lost cause I don't know why you would dismiss Labour.

Women’s rights trumps everything else for me- Labour and the LDs seem to be on the trans bandwagon so that’s a nope.

I feel your pain OP. I'm hugely frustrated and disengaged with politics despite being quite politically active until recently my entire adult life.

I don't think that the failures in education, health and child poverty and the election freebies are worth the relentless pursuit of independence (not anti independence really, but think it should only go ahead with a substantial majority) so I'll be voting for whoever has the best chance to take my constituency seat from the SNP (which may involve holding my nose) and Labour on the List. I'd like to lend my support to Anas Sarwar in trying to build a much needed effective opposition after a disastrous decade (or two).

@ResilienceWanker

Why do you feel Labour and Lib Dem are lost causes? I mean, they're not perfect of course, but neither are SNP or Tories, and it may well be you think Labour or LD are less non-perfect than either of them. I appreciate they may have policies you disagree with (as do both SNP and tories it sounds), but it seems odd to just dismiss them as not worth voting for - even on the list. I mean, some people obviously vote for them (!), and the more people that do, the more seats they'll get (no shit!) and the more their voice will be heard in the next parliament. Polls are suggesting that Tory and labour will get roughly similar numbers of seats this time, so if you're not dismissing the tories as a lost cause I don't know why you would dismiss Labour.

That’s actually interesting to me. If Labour could present a reasonable return I could vote that way. Anas Sarwar is very new and frankly I’ve been beyond disappointed with Scottish Labour since the last Indy ref / kezia dugdale leaving but maybe I’d go there... my constituency last time was a snp/Tory two horse race.

I’ll be giving my list vote to Labour too. I don’t know what else to do with it and really hope Anas Sarwar improves.

Same!

Yes, I feel very much the same re Anas looking quite promising set against the past background of leaders (Scottish and UK). I've felt very politically adrift for the past 5-10ish years I suppose, but he is making me feel optimistic that I'm not entirely voting for the least turdy of the turds. They may be turning into a party that I could actually agree with several things policy-wise without having to hold my nose too much. If only I could look at their manifesto... !

An SNP Tory constituency is tricky, though... I'll give you that. If its close, I'd probably just go for whichever option I'd consider least bad in a Scottish context (taking into account how I'd feel about an overall snp majority in parliament). But if it really looks like one will romp it, I'd just do a "plague on both your houses" thing, and vote for someone totally different. (in one election I went for the lib dem cos he seemed like a really nice bloke and I just wanted him to get his deposit back. He didn't. )

I emailed all the candidates re their stance on woman’s rights and only the Labour one responded. It was a thoughtful and considered email and she did state that she felt there were occasions that single sex spaces were needed and was committed to protecting them. I was quite surprised. Can I believe her though?

Same issue here! I think it'll come down to a tactical vote of which is most likely to keep the Tories and SNP out in this area.

But you can't keep both Tories and SNP out - that's how SNP ends up with landslide votes.

Unfortunately many areas are are a two horse race, and if - like me- you don't want SNP to have a stonking majority then you grit your teeth and vote for the only party likely to get enough votes to beat them. In many cases that is conservative, so if you can't bring yourself to vote conservative- and I totally empathise with that - then effectively you're allowing SNP to get a majority.

It's Labour for me, but they trash the cons here every year so it's an easy choice. And I fear independence and the economic fallout and hatred it would generate.

If you want to unseat the incumbent then you have to vote for whoever is likely to do that.
This is true in all constituencies because of FPTP. It's not how it should be in an ideal world but we're not in an ideal world.

Won’t vote Tory, why? I’m actually more proud to say I’ve never voted for SNP.

More than happy to say I did previously vote Tory, once, in a GE- It was SNP v Tory in my local seat, so it was a no-brainer. To me it’s important that not all MPs from Scotland are SNP, particularly as they don’t portray what my views of modern Scotland are at Westminster (landowner-millionaire Blackford, anyone?). Also at that time, I’d been impressed by Ruth Davidson knocking Nicola off her perch a bit during sessions at Holyrood.

If my vote this year goes any way towards stopping an SNP majority at Holyrood and can knock the inde issue back enough steps, then my vote hasn’t been wasted. It’s a two horse race here, so looks like another tactical Tory vote for me...

There is a Women's Equality Party standing, but I have no idea what their Manifesto is.

Yup, same here. The only party likely to unseat SNP are Conservative. DH is swithering about voting tory but I just can't. It may be the first time I waste my ballot and that makes me .

It's kind of the equivalent in England of saying you hate the conservatives, but can't bring yourself to vote Labour.
Ultimately people must vote how their consciences dictate, but a vote to a party coming third or fourth by a large margin is ultimately a wasted one if you're trying to keep one of the main parties out.

I won’t vote SNP & I won’t vote against women’s rights - it doesn’t leave a lot of options
I spoilt my vote in protest last time but this time I’m all about trying to get an effective opposition.

NS asked to be judged on education

@Blurberoo

Was planning to spoil my first ballot paper with ‘women’s rights are not a hate crime’ but I don’t know whether applied ballots even get counted let alone what’s written on them

It will be counted as spoiled. The candidates agents will probably see it and possibly the returning officers team (unlikely as there's no doubt that it's spoiled if you don't cast any kind of vote).

@Escapetothecuntry that’s good to know, thank you.