Page 13 | Has anyone else been forced to become Conservative after all of this?

ponderingsoul · 2023-04-22T10:31:52+00:00

Probably the wrong wording, but I'm curious - after always considering myself fairly left wing/ liberal and generally voting Labour (or tactically Lib Dem when I was in the SW), I no longer really consider them a valid option for me because of their gender views/ inability to take a view. Has this happened to anyone else? Never thought I'd be a Tory, but now feel like I have no choice as this issue is so important to me.

AutumnCrow · 04/05/2023 11:51

I'm currently sitting here with my postal ballot paper still in front of me, vacillating. Do I spoil my ballot paper again, with a message about why, or vote for the least worst local candidate?

I'm aware of the sacrifices made so that I could have a vote.

But, OTOH, those sacrifices weren't made so that I'd feel compelled to collude in one of the greatest dangers women and children in this country have ever faced. The Parties named on the ballot have all let us down; and the Independent is a fool.

I think I'll write the message.

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 04/05/2023 11:57

I’m about to head out to vote.
Like you @AutumnCrow im really torn.
Do I vote for womens rights for a party I have never voted for
or do I go for my usual.
A MN post on renting with a piece on Labours proposed policies for rental properties ( I’m not a LL btw ) is swinging me towards theConservatives for the first time ever. I don’t want my kids homeless.

So at the moment

I might just put my cross in and run

TooBigForMyBoots · 04/05/2023 12:04

macj1 · 04/05/2023 11:35

Notice for any Labour/Lib Dem/Green supporters on this site: whilst out canvassing for a seat as a Conservative on my local council, I've had a wonderful reception, thanks ENTIRELY to the issue of the TRA issue. Any time I met a confirmed member of the above parties, or a disaffected Tory, I just said:

'I couldn't vote for a party that believes a woman can have a penis; that believes adult men should be in the showers with our 8 year old daughters at the local swimming pool and in our toilets; that Karen White, the rapist who attacked women whilst housed in a woman's prison, who has since had his penis inverted at our expense on the NHS, should be allowed to get a Gender Recognition Certificate on his release and then access women's single sex spaces.'

Mostly - I got laughs - shock - support - pledges to vote - I even got a Green canvasser to apologise for supporting the Greens who are captured by this ideology - NOBODY could argue back. At all.

I have had a fantastic campaign as a result - in the midst of this, the Male Cyclist stole the women's money in New Mexico and may enter the Olympics. It's the gift that keeps giving, politically, and the hill that the other parties will die on. An 80 year old who hated Boris and Rishi, who had a wife and daughters, immediately identified what a woman was - and pledged his enthusiastic support - he'd read about the theiving cyclist already.

Pass on the message to your politicians if you want your parties to get back into power.

Good luck macj1.☘️

I wished needmoresleep luck on a different thread.

macj1 · 04/05/2023 12:15

Many thanks - it's my first time ever as a candidate - I only got here thanks to Kelly-J and the TRA's - it's galvanising us - so we can be thankful for that much, no matter what our political affiliation.

I've had the most wonderful support from a friend who is a Green Party Candidate - she's been suspended by her party for a year and generally tormented by the TRA's - she suggested I run in the first place!

macj1 · 04/05/2023 12:18

Agree - the major parties need to be sent a strong message by women voters - the Isla Bryson type of a message - you'll lose unless you support women and can tells us what a woman is.

Otherwise it's turkeys voting for Xmas....

dimorphism · 04/05/2023 13:21

macj1 · 04/05/2023 12:18

Agree - the major parties need to be sent a strong message by women voters - the Isla Bryson type of a message - you'll lose unless you support women and can tells us what a woman is.

Otherwise it's turkeys voting for Xmas....

Well done @macj1 for running, I hope you get elected.

This is why I'm voting Tory - I'd say for the first time in my life but actually that was last time, on this single issue.

Look at Afghanistan and Iran - women had much greater equality there and it's gone. Does anyone think they're going to reclaim their rights anytime soon and without many women and girls being killed? I don't.

Once women's rights are gone, we're stuffed. The economy can wait, my daughter's safety is paramount and I'm not convinced that any party that is so anti-science and anti-reality as to believe something as nonsensical as that humans can change sex is going to be any better on the economy. They'll just identify as having funded the NHS.

AGovernmentOfLawsAndNotMen · 05/05/2023 01:28

So MNs did you deface your Labour vote as some have said.
Note vote
Or go Tory for the same reason as OP concerns

sashh · 05/05/2023 05:16

Just to add something that happened yesterday.

A male friend called and asked what he could put to spoil his ballot.

I suggested, "respect my sex if you want my X" he said he isn't female, but I thought that although women are more impacted than men, men are still affected eg when he needs his prostate checking he would like to chose a male Dr/nurse.

anyolddinosaur · 05/05/2023 06:56

Spoilt ballot paper for me, OH didnt vote. IF tories reform the equality act I might have to vote for them, until then I wont because I dont trust them not to backtrack if re-elected. Cant vote for people living in a fantasy world.

Too early to read the result yet but labour lead in the polls doesnt look to be translating into the same increase in seats. Obviously they are making big gains but possibly not as big as the polls would have suggested.

Rosula · 05/05/2023 08:21

I don't get the point of spoiling ballot papers, let alone by writing messages on them. The hard-pressed vote counters will barely register that there is anything written, let alone read it, and they certainly won't be reporting back on it. The only thing they will report back is X spoilt papers, and no-one will know whether that is because of the voters' views on gender equality or because they resent the fact that no extreme right- or left-wing party has a candidate or because they just don't understand how to vote.

anyolddinosaur · 05/05/2023 08:38

Some people report candidates looking at spoilt ballot papers. I dont care if one person looks at it or many. Maybe that one person will be encouraged to research or speak up. The people who think one person cant make a difference never ate an undercooked bat.

sashh · 05/05/2023 09:16

Rosula · 05/05/2023 08:21

I don't get the point of spoiling ballot papers, let alone by writing messages on them. The hard-pressed vote counters will barely register that there is anything written, let alone read it, and they certainly won't be reporting back on it. The only thing they will report back is X spoilt papers, and no-one will know whether that is because of the voters' views on gender equality or because they resent the fact that no extreme right- or left-wing party has a candidate or because they just don't understand how to vote.

If you have 100 votes cast but only 50 for the actual candidates then someone is going to think 'hmm'.

The returning officer has to examine them. The RO has to decide if a vote is valid or spoiled so, in one case, a detailed drawing of a penis was counted as a vote.

The candidates can ask to look at them too.

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_file/UKPE-doubtfuls-booklet.pdf

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/spoil-ballot-paper-how-why-vote-2021-uk-local-elections-counted-988149

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_file/UKPE-doubtfuls-booklet.pdf

peachespeachespeaches · 05/05/2023 09:17

I voted tactically according to the Stop the Tories website.

I am not short sighted or selfish enough to think that a party's "definition of a woman" is the only thing I should take into consideration.

AutumnCrow · 05/05/2023 10:35

Rosula · 05/05/2023 08:21

I don't get the point of spoiling ballot papers, let alone by writing messages on them. The hard-pressed vote counters will barely register that there is anything written, let alone read it, and they certainly won't be reporting back on it. The only thing they will report back is X spoilt papers, and no-one will know whether that is because of the voters' views on gender equality or because they resent the fact that no extreme right- or left-wing party has a candidate or because they just don't understand how to vote.

That’s really not how it works at election counts.

Needmoresleep · 05/05/2023 10:50

macj1 · 04/05/2023 12:15

Many thanks - it's my first time ever as a candidate - I only got here thanks to Kelly-J and the TRA's - it's galvanising us - so we can be thankful for that much, no matter what our political affiliation.

I've had the most wonderful support from a friend who is a Green Party Candidate - she's been suspended by her party for a year and generally tormented by the TRA's - she suggested I run in the first place!

That’s interesting. My journey was also prompted by both KJK and the travails of women in the Green Party. If I did not get involved, Ihad no right to complain about politicians.

Being a candidate was really interesting. I did a lot of canvassing, and met a lot of good people. The local party was a bit of a culture shock, but equally there are some good, grounded and hard working people. It was not too hard to get a GC message across. Most of the blokes never doubted that people with penises were men. It was more that they never realised that this was an issue.

One well informed person I canvassed said she would like to see more compassion in the local Conservative party. I canvassed quite a lot of social housing, and did not disagree.

More grounded women injecting compassion into the Conservative party, or reality into the Labour Party. That would be a result.

Needmoresleep · 05/05/2023 10:54

I canvassed several older women living in council block, who gave me a version of “my mothers generation fought for the vote. I intend to use it.”

I was shocked how many of their younger neighbours were not even registered.

sashh · 05/05/2023 11:10

OK question to those who understand this better.

Yesterday my ward had 3 councilors, including the Jerk, the results now show 1 elected and then 2 names (different parties) where it says 'not elected'. Does that mean I now only have one councilor?

dcbc1234 · 05/05/2023 12:28

peachespeachespeaches · 05/05/2023 09:17

I voted tactically according to the Stop the Tories website.

I am not short sighted or selfish enough to think that a party's "definition of a woman" is the only thing I should take into consideration.

First insult of the day by accusing anyone who has previously voted Conservative of being 'selfish'. Do you not realise that to win a majority at the General Election, floating voters have to switch to Labour?

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 05/05/2023 12:32

Needmoresleep · 05/05/2023 10:54

I canvassed several older women living in council block, who gave me a version of “my mothers generation fought for the vote. I intend to use it.”

I was shocked how many of their younger neighbours were not even registered.

Yup. See also Brexit - weirdly blamed on those older voters who voted for it, and not the younger ones who opposed it, but couldn't be arsed to walk to a polling booth.

YetiTeri · 05/05/2023 12:39

Election results showing great gains for LibDems and Greens, good for Labour and disaster for Tories.

So people weren't voting on toilets and penis's after all.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 05/05/2023 12:47

YetiTeri · 05/05/2023 12:39

Election results showing great gains for LibDems and Greens, good for Labour and disaster for Tories.

So people weren't voting on toilets and penis's after all.

I don't think anyone has ever thought that GC concerns would be the major issue for most voters. That said, it is unknowable how many more votes Labour might have attracted if it had not pissed off so many women.

Namechange828492 · 05/05/2023 12:48

I just didn't vote at all, I couldn't bring myself to give any of them my support.

I'm historically a floating voter as I have never had any faith in any of them although did view lib dem for a while.

Fluffyhoglets · 05/05/2023 12:57

sashh · 05/05/2023 11:10

OK question to those who understand this better.

Yesterday my ward had 3 councilors, including the Jerk, the results now show 1 elected and then 2 names (different parties) where it says 'not elected'. Does that mean I now only have one councilor?

It means only the one who was on the ballot paper was up for re-election.
The other 2 councillors will still be in place.
The other names on the ballot paper were the other parties candidates so the one named as elected is the Councillor.

YetiTeri · 05/05/2023 12:59

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 05/05/2023 12:47

I don't think anyone has ever thought that GC concerns would be the major issue for most voters. That said, it is unknowable how many more votes Labour might have attracted if it had not pissed off so many women.

Show quote history

A number of posters on here have said that it is. It really really isn't though.

Both greens and LibDems have been unashamedly pro-trans so it doesn't really make sense for those pissed off with labour's ambiguous stance to shift their vote to them if it was such a deciding factor.

Maybe some of the heat can be taken out of this debate now. Maybe, maybe not.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 05/05/2023 13:04

YetiTeri · 05/05/2023 12:59

A number of posters on here have said that it is. It really really isn't though.

Both greens and LibDems have been unashamedly pro-trans so it doesn't really make sense for those pissed off with labour's ambiguous stance to shift their vote to them if it was such a deciding factor.

Maybe some of the heat can be taken out of this debate now. Maybe, maybe not.

Show quote history

They have said it is the main issue for them, as individuals, which is entirely different from expecting it to be the main issue for most of the electorate.

Most have also said that they are not prepared to vote Tory, so they will not be reflected in yesterday's results, except perhaps as spoiled ballots.