Local elections: for the first time ever, I don't think I can vote for anyone

[PoliticallyHomeless]

I am in an area (London) where the local elections are coming up in May. I have always been a big proponent of using your vote because
a) It's a hard-fought for right that we shouldn't take for granted
b) I always think that if you don't vote, you don't really have the right to bitch about the result, and the way things are.

Because of FPTP, I have on numerous occasions held my nose, and voted for the least bad option. Now however, I am at a point where I genuinely don't see who I can vote for. Self-Id is not the only issue on which I vote, but women's rights is a deal-breaker.

So, the options:

1. Conservative. I met my (Conservative) local MP the other week, to discuss Self-Id. It was actually quite a good discussion; he is clearly a bit TERFy on the quiet, and we were broadly in agreement on the issue. However he made it plain that for now he was going to sit back and let Labour have this fight in public. Also he is an arch Brexiteer (I am a platinum card carrying Remainer) and has a pretty dodgy voting record.

2. Labour. Great choice. Except for the Brexit problem. And the Women's problem. And the Anti-semitism problem.

3. Lib Dems. I was a member but quit due to their unquestioning acceptance of the "trans women are women" mantra, and the pretty vile things their affiliated accounts have posted.

4. WEP and Greens. They have brought in the TERF Finder General, so that's out.

5. Communists. The Morning Star actually had some fairly gender critical pieces, so that looked promising. Unfortunately their Brexit line is lemming-tastic. Full speed ahead over the cliff, so we can bring in a Marxist/Leninist state.

So... it really goes against the grain for me not to vote, but this a real quandary.

WWYD?

I was supposed to be standing for a regional party but I've had to knock it on the head this time as I personally have too much going on. I might do a bit of campaigning though, and I not sure if I could financially manage a donation but I will if I can.

Another potential ballot spoiler here. I've never dreamed of doing such a thing before but I can't vote Labour until they ditch self id.
I'm thinking of writing 'Labour losing women' so they are aware.

Mind - this isn't the only election issue. It's not even the only feminist issue. I don't know if Mumsnet Towers will let me put up a blatantly party political post, but - who's hit by cuts to education and underfunding of childcare? Everyone, but mostly, women. Who's hit by lack of protections for low-paid workers? Who's hit when the NHS gets cut to the bone? Who's hit when the ethos of the country slides further and further into a masculine, dog-eat-dog, who-can-piss-the-highest form of market capitalism?
You might be pissed off at the idea of men in the Ladies' - so am I. But don't kid yourself that letting the Tories continue in power is any sort of feminist act.

Yeah, Smiths, so why have labour thrown women under a bus? Is it because they still expect we'll acquiesce and give them our vote?

Every time its women that are supposed to give way 'for the greater good.'
Its not just about men in the Ladies ffs.

I am another person with no party to vote for.
Always voted Labour.
With deep regret I am going to have to spoil my vote.

I'm in exactly the same boat OP, but no elections in May in my area.

I will not vote Labour, LibDem, Green or WEP because of their stance on self ID. It is the most important political issue for me at the moment (it was Brexit, but I think we're fucked there - both Lab and Con are pushing that through).

Which leaves Tory (but I'm a leftwinger, who cares about welfare, NHS etc) or spoiling ballot.

I've never spoiled a ballot, or voted Tory. I will have to choose one of these options. The only Independents that stand in this area are far right nutters, so that's not an option.

I suspect I might vote Cons.

And just a moment, smiths - why do women have to give up their rights "for the greater good" and vote Labour??

Would you like to explain that one to me please.

Why can't the Labour party stand up to the heckling trans-activists for once, for the sake of half the population of the country??

Smith - I don't think that you understand how important this is - it's not just about ladies loos, it's about the definition of the word 'woman' and all that entails.

The direction of most political parties is driven by their members. If you are looking for and not finding a left wing party which represents your views, join one, be an active member, and help to push it in the direction you want it to go in.

That is only true if the party promotes a culture where everything is up for debate and has a culture in which people are not afraid to argue for an idea.

What I am seeing are deliberate attempts to obstruct that, and make that difficult. In several parties.

Its coming from the leadership to control the membership, and is enforced by their fanatics.

I wonder if Labour were spanked at the local elections they would rethink some of their ideas, maybe see how unelectable they are?

Spot on RedToothBrush as usual. How many of us would be brave enough to stand up in a room full of Labour party activists and tell them we think 'transwomen are women' is Orwellian doublespeak? Get called a bigot and ostracised for our troubles? I'm not quite there yet, but I'm working on my cowardice. This is important.

I'll be voting conservative because our local candidate is a gender critical woman (who also happens to be an immigrant!). She does loads already for the local community and has a genuine interest in fixing local issues.

Our local labour incumbent is everything that is wrong with the Labour party. Old mysogynist who is more interested in his expense claim than any local issues. He's racist and just an awful man. He'll probably win because you could pin a labour rosette on Hitler and he'd win in this area because you vote labour and that's all there is to it.

I also worry that labour won't get the spanking they deserve because of the attitude in some northern areas that you only vote labour. (And I say that as a Geordie)

Yup, same wasteland of candidates here too.
If we can agree a # to spoil our ballots then I'm in

Someone suggested on another thread spoiling with a female symbol (sorry for plaigiarism whoever you are). I like that idea - although am not convinced about spoiling as I like my local candidates.

I've read that the "correct" way to spoil your vote is to put a line diagonally across the candidate listing, and write none of the above.

You could then add something like #Sex Not Gender.

I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to spoil my vote though. Vote for the least worst in your area I'd say.

"correct" as in having political motivation - rather than just cocking up voting, or being a malcontent or whatever.

The ones that candidates remember are the ones with a cock drawn on them to be fair.

Don’t bother defacing your ballot - I used to count votes, it just gets put in a spoilt papers pile, no one will read it or care. Best to vote for the least worst option

I second that. I've been a teller. I have seen posts on here saying the returning officer has to read out the messages on spoilt papers- they don't. No one cares unless the result is very close and candidates will want to make sure there was no voting intention expressed.

squarecorners

A cock followed by #sex not gender and #women don't have cocks ?

But I agree with Lass, I wouldn't spoil my vote.

I really hope Labour is trounced.

"Its not just about men in the Ladies ffs."

Riiiiight.

Lass, I have a theory that the 2017 success of Labour was down to a slight protest vote. It being so sure that Theresa May would increase her majority. People were pissed off, and Tories ran a very bad campaign.

I'm wondering if Labour will ever get that success again under Corbyn - I think too many people fear him being Prime Minister.

But these are local elections, so he may have some success here - but I don't believe he'll ever be PM.

And I voted for him (well, Labour) in 2017. I won't next time.

I have had a canvasser here today - a Lib Dem!! I drew their attention to the vile Lib Dem LGBT twitter thread that is so abusive and keen on silencing women. They were expecting to talk about bins and the environment - they got me, the silencing of women and the lack of democracy in the Lib Dems

The lib dems entertain me. I wonder if they know that in 2005 the activists for nick Clegg were knocking on the doors of pensioners in Sheffield hallam and capitalising on the latent homophobia of the elderly by telling them (falsely) that the tory candidate was a woolly woofter?