Pro Remain GC feminists - who are you voting for?

[Fantasisa]

Just that. I feel like the only option available to me is spoiling my ballot which is clearly a terrible waste.

But don't waste a vote, it's not the place to articulate these issues with any kind of effectiveness

Once again...! Don't expect ( or try to ridicule or shame) people to vote for candidates and policies they have serious issue with. If you are happy or prepared to endorse that with which you have profound issue then that is up to you.

Voting is not just a tick box exercise. Or it certainly shouldn't be. Not for me, and not for a growing number.

The idea that a "gender critical" message is going to stand out from the other green crayon diatribes and drawings of penises is fanciful

I've had special stickers made for my ballot. Exercising my democratic voice is important to me, and I'm not going to endorse any party that I have profound issue with. Being GC is one of many issues, you are right - but for me one of the most profound in consequence.
However, there are also other reasons why I cannot endorse the other parties.

To me it is "fanciful" in the extreme that simply putting an X in a box and endorsing that with which you have profound issue leaves you with your integrity intact. Perhaps you interpret integrity differently to some others, however.

But don't waste a vote, it's not the place to articulate these issues with any kind of effectiveness

We're going to have to disagree. Stop trying to foist your position onto those who have thought this through every bit as much as you ( & maybe even more so) - and come to a different conclusion.

BBC 6 O'Clock news this evening.........more election coverage...ending with the observation that if Britain had a box on the ballot which said None of Above like some countries do, then increasing numbers of people would be ticking it. For many of us that is what spoiling our ballot is saying.

Still don’t know.

Have flip flopped between LD and Lab for weeks. So fucking angry with all of them! But don’t want to spoil my vote on this election (or any, really! But especially not this one).

I’m desperately tracking tactical voting data at the moment. I’ll settle for getting the Tories out. By a whisker.

But I am not a Corbyn fan, I’m disgusted with the beardy woke dudes in Momentum, the whole movement is a misogynistic shot show, the endemic anti-semitism is disgusting, and if Dawn Butler ends up as our spokeswoman I frankly feel like shooting myself in the head.

Yet I cannot stand Wooley woke girl Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem’s have clearly told GC feminists we aren’t welcome and as staunchly Remain as I am I cannot see how doggedly following that rhetoric is going to help our divided society.

I’m going to vote to try to get BoJo out, which isn’t in any way straightforward in my constituency.

Can you tell how disordered my thinking is? It’s an horrendous mind boggle of shit.

I saw that @Justhadathought . I wonder if they'll collect the final number.
The number of Neithers made the news for the last presidential election in France

Tory safe-ish seat here. Judging by the amount of letters and leaflets I've had from the lib Dems they reckon they're in with a shot, so the tactical vote would be for them. But I just can't. Think I'm probably going to vote Labour knowing they won't win here anyway, or other option is local independent, will check they're not ukippy otherwise they might get my vote.

Having never personally witnessed any anti-semitism in the Party, I'm heartened by recent research

The Chief Rabbi has major enough concerns to speak out on this. Has he seen the research?

I saw that @Justhadathought . I wonder if they'll collect the final number. The number of Neithers made the news for the last presidential election in France

The large number of spoiled ballots was mentioned in the last election here, too. Importantly, though - we need to be telling candidates, parties & everyone else precisely why.

Justathought I'm not trying to 'foist' my position; I'm expressing an opinion.
Unfortunately I just don't think that the ballot box is the place that can 'hear' these nuanced positions. Because it literally is a tick box exercise. Yes it's frustrating, yes it's not fit for purpose. I agree with that. But can't agree with spoiling a vote being politically effective enough to do it.

I’m not Jewish and even I know Momentum et al are anti Semitic. It’s not even a question. I listen to what Jewish people tell me - largely lifelong Labour supporting, ethnically but not religious Jews in my constituency. They don’t feel welcome.

What other evidence do you need?

I'll be voting labour although I cancelled my membership earlier this year. I do like our candidate, she seems hard working and to genuinely care but I'm concerned by some of the people in her campaign team including the LGBT officer who leaflets in a rubber suit, calls women terfs and whose fb bio declares himself a proud fetishist. I wanted to confront this when I saw her campaigning in town but my anxiety got the better of me.

I am also not jewish, but I have jewish family members, and I agree GoodCheer

But can't agree with spoiling a vote being politically effective enough to do it

It is not about playing 'an effective game', so much as a display of integrity: a semblance of a positive stance for those that want to vote; want to turn up at the polling station; but have no-one to vote for.

and Luciana Berger. both were effectively bullied out by members of their own constituency parties

The bullying out of Luciana Berger is particularly egregious. Her great- uncle, Manny Shinwell was a Labour Party legend. Corbyn and McDonnell, if they had any integrity, should hang their heads in shame.

Of course antisemitism against anyone is unacceptable but the case of Luciana Berger stands out.

I didn't know she was Shinwell's great niece. Bloody hell. Disagree with her by all means but that's like Johnson going after Churchill's grandson. Ffs.
They really are scumbags.

From what I've read on this thread it seems like a matter of priorities. Some of us see women's rights as the priority, others Brexit, others the economy and the impact on disabled people.
We will never all agree, we all want everyone else's priority to be the same as ours. The frustrating thing is that for 2 out of 3 of those topics, most posters here and people in general seem to be in agreement.

I don't think making women's rights a priority means we don't care about austerity, or making austerity a priority means we don't care about women's rights, but we've been forced into this twisted false dichotomy.

Personally I'm as angry about that as I am about the underhanded regulatory and organisational capture men's sexual rights activists have achieved.

I feel that I have been put in this position by the Labour party (my opinion only) and I'm furious with them about it. I've voted Labour all my life and I'm an ex-member; I feel they should be standing up for a fairer economy AND for women but I have to choose one or the other. Hence spoiling my ballot.

Just to add - there's zero chance of them winning my constituency so I'm aware the stakes are lower and my decision is therefore easier.

I am furious with the Labour party too.

I don't think making women's rights a priority means we don't care about austerity, or making austerity a priority means we don't care about women's rights, but we've been forced into this twisted false dichotomy.

I agree with this.

I have considered spoiling my ballot but ultimately have decided that austerity and women’s rights are intrinsically linked right now, because the burden of austerity disproportionately falls on women - and those who society expects women to fill the breach and care for (children, elderly, disabled).

Personally I’m voting against austerity and least-bad women’s rights option (which to me means Labour) because I think we’re starting to turn the tide on saving sex based protections but there will be no NHS left to fight for if something doesn’t change quickly.

I also care about ending racism and anti-semitism, which might motivate me to vote against Tories and Labour respectively however my Lib Dem candidate (and his party leader and manifesto) are excessively sexist and I don’t hold racism as worse than misogyny. These MPs leaving Labour over anti Semitism who are then happy to trot out the anti women Libdem bullshit are complete hypocrites; society needs to stand up against anti-semitism on behalf of Jews and against racists on behalf of BME people, and against male sexual rights on behalf of women and children. (See also right’s of Muslims, travellers, etc...)

Well said Somerville (and hi )

@Babamamananarama as I said upthread: I live in one of THE safest Tory seats in the country.

Every single time I go to vote (national or local) if I vote for any non-Tory candidate then I am "wasting" it. That's my reality.

Previously, I've been able to find a candidate that has felt acceptable to me. Once, when the UKIP party were a real threat, I voted Tory to do my bit and keep them out. The only time I've ever had to queue for an hour to vote.

This week month/year I cannot bring myself to vote for any of the buggers. I have very effectively been disenfranchised.

I'm fucking furious about this and I'll be damned if I give ANY sign of support to any of them. I will not have either Swinson or Corbyn blathering on TV about my vote showing "clear support" for their policies.

I absolutely will not stay away from the ballot box either. Women died giving me that privilege. I will not give so little thought to their sacrifice by ignoring their gift.

So I will be spoiling my vote. It is the only moral option open to me and I think others on this thread are in similar situations to me.

If I lived in a seat where my vote could make a difference, then obviously I would be agonising my decision right now. But I don't. So I won't.

I have been mulling this over for a while but have decided to vote Plaid. Our current MP is a really good local MP and we're in a PC/Lab marginal. I am therefore voting to keep Labour out which utterly saddens me as a life-long Labour voter. But not this shower. Several friends who were long-standing Labour members for over 30 years have been driven out of their various CLPs by Momentum antics and hell will freeze over before I actively contribute to seeing them in power. At least with Plaid I feel that the battle is not entirely lost on self-ID while there are leading GC women like Helen Mary Jones involved.