I just don't know who to vote for!!!!

[PCCmember]

The election is in less than a week and I keep going round and round in circles not being able to decide who to vote for! I've quite politically engaged and I used to be an active member of a political party, but this time I really can't decide who to vote for. It's such a dismal choice and all parties have pretty negative aspects to their policies that I would find difficult to vote for. However personally I would prefer to vote for a candidate rather than spoil my ballot (totally respect those who chose to do so though!) even if I can only agree with some of their policies. This means choosing the least worst option, but I just can't seem to decide what this should be!

My constitutency is an incredibly safe Labour seat and the sitting MP will be re-elected. The choice facing me is as follows:

Liberal Democrat - This is the party a few years ago I would have described as my political home. However I quit the party over their complete disregard for women's and girl's rights to single-sex spaces. I have done the vote for policies quiz and it is stil the party whose policies I most strongly identify with (50%). I agree with their policies on democracy, economy, education, energy, health and social care, tax, immigration and transport. Given that no party will ever 100% align with my views if I am looking for the closest match, it should be the Lib Dems. But of course I completely disagree with their policies to introduce gender self-ID, end the spousal veto and to recognise non-binary identities in law. My local candidate is a (very) young man who has in the past called on Rosie Duffield to "reflect and say sorry".

Climate Party - A single issue party. I can't find any reference to their views on sex-based rights/gender identity. Can't find much about the local candidate.

Conservative - I don't have a strongly ideological objection to voting Conservative - indeed I have done so in the past. They were my second party (30% agreement) in the vote for policies quiz. However I don't feel that I can vote for this Conservative party due to their some of their policies - particularly immigration (Rwanda policy), the national service policy and the planned cuts to Higher Education (which is the industry which I work in!). However I of course support the policy to amend the Equality Act to make it clear that sex = biological sex. The local candidate has also made it unequivacably clear that he supports women's rights to same sex care, sports and services.

Reform - no thanks.

A completely random independent youtuber who seems to have got people to legally change their name to his so that he can stand in 11 constituencies!

Labour - I haven't been impressed at all by Keir Starmer's responses to the sex/gender issue and the shameful treatment of Rosie Duffield by him and his party. I also have a DD who is about to start secondary school at an Independent school so I just don't feel that I can vote Labour. The sittting MP (who will be re-elected) is a shadow deputy minister and is very much in the same vein as Keir Starmer (he used to be his deputy at one point). He avoids engaging with this issue and when he does he waffles about "safe spaces".

Worker's Party - George Galloway's Party. No thanks.

Green - although I do agree with some of their policies around public transport and PR, the party as a whole is too far left for me and the local candidate is TWAW.

So writing this out has made it clear to me that it's probably got to be either LD or Conservative, but I really can't decide which! If I were a single issue voter the choice would be easy, but other issues such as education, immigration, transport, health etc are all important too and I just can't decide which way I should hold my nose. Anyone else feeling completely unable to decide?

I have 2 realistic options. An independent who is GC and the incumbent conservative GC MP.

Used to be a safe Tory seat but Labour is predicted to take it.

I'm voting conservative for the first time in my life (having been a labour member).

I'd vote for the Indy candidate if it wasn't predicted to be a close contest but all I'm hoping for now is to avoid a supermajority and an effective opposition.

Yes I've become a single issue voter and I'm not at all apologetic about it.

Undermining women's rights is a hill I will die on.

I have the same problem, I was reading the BBC comparison earlier of what each wants to do, and I'll think oh that sounds good to one, then read something else for the same party and go absolutely not!

I need to use my vote as women fought so hard for us to have the vote, but all the parties are as bad as each other!

No SDP candidate standing in my constituency, hence not mentioning them in my list of options!

So according to electoral calculus my constituency is projected to go from 50% Labour share of the vote to 66%! Am therefore strongly considering a Conservative vote on this issue alone.

No communist party candidate standing in my constituency either and even if they were there is no way I could vote for them if I find the Green party too far left!

Yes, women died to get us the vote, and that is why I have always voted - until the last election, when I spoilt my ballot.

But they didn't die in order for us to vote our other rights away. What would they think of that? So then you're left with the parties that will not (or say they will not) reduce and restrict women's rights, and if there are none of those that you feel you can vote for, well...

Sorry, I should have realised!

Hampshire Independents are ex-UKIP who fell out with the party (not to be confused with Basingstoke Independents who are ex-Labour councillors who left when JC was leader).

I'm in a Tory safe seat and really don't know who to vote for, if Niko was standing I'd go with him. I was formally a Green party member, but there are so many lunatics in the party I worry and I left when they lost sight of what a woman is. I am of the opinion that voting matters, UKIP didn't get any MPs, but did get 4.5 million votes which pushed Brexit through. When Greens do well government have in the past adopted some of thier policies.

I think closer alignment to the EU is the most important thing for the economy and that economic growth is the only way to improve public services, is Lib Dem the strongest on that? Climate is also so important and GP are obviously strong there and also want EU membership.. I don't know. Historically UKIP have done well in my area, so probably a big reform vote - I dispair.

Another undecided here. We do have an SDP candidate here but I looked at their manifesto and there’s a lot in there that is not me (leaving ECHR for example). Of course they are meter going to get in but I want to vote for someone I would be happy to see in government.

It’s very odd. Labour are almost sure to have an historic landslide but so many people seem unsure and few seem to be actually keen on this version of Labour.

I’m undecided. What would the Suffragettes do is what I’m asking myself now. I have no candidates I can vote for in all good conscience. Would they spoil their vote, and if so what would they write on the ballot? I feel awful even thinking about this, but this appears to be where I am.

Wow. That's...um.... Yeah. 😆

Still not made.up my mind. We have til 10, right?

I'm sitting here torn between voting for someone who is the least awful and harmful of a bunch of unwanted options, or just not voting at all. Which I feel terrible about.

I’m finding it much more difficult to decide who to vote for this time around. We’re usually an extremely marginal Labour/Tory seat (current Labour majority = 145). But this time around we’re considered a safe Labour seat.

The Tory candidate has been campaigning hard for the last year. I think she’d make a great constituency MP. She’s not from the constituency, but does live close by in a neighbouring county.

The Labour incumbent is essentially invisible. And I say that as a member of the local Labour Party. I’ve seen him around town perhaps twice since he was elected in 2017. He does turn up to parliament to vote though.

The LibDem candidate has been doggedly standing as a cabinet since he left school. He’s been a LibDem parliamentary candidate here previously (in 2017 and 2019). He’s a teacher at my son’s school and has been a local councillor in our neighbouring ward since 2011.

^ candidate - not cabinet (thanks autocorrect!)

I voted on the way back from walking my daughter to school. I plumped for Kelly Jane Oliver Dougall - Party of Women.

I feel almost subversive....

I still don’t know what to do. I said yesterday I would be spoiling my ballot but I’m floundering.

Someone on another thread said it’s like trying to decide which STD you want.

@ScrollingLeaves Thank you for suggesting the SDP. We do have a candidate and I'm having a quick read of the manifesto to check there's nothing dreadful in there. Assuming it's all good then their man will get my vote.

It is disappointing to me that I wrote to all the local candidates with a list of points and questions - Greens, Lib Dem’s, Labour, Conservative and SDP - but only the Labour candidate answered.

The Labour candidate’s answer missed quite a few issues I had brought up, including protecting children from being taught in school that some of them are born in the wrong body, and brushed away concerns about so called ‘banning’ conversion therapy, and was quite waffly, so I think it was pre-prepared.

Maybe they were all just too busy.

The problem is that although I know what their parties are like, I have no clue of them as individuals, for example, might the Green candidate be like Rosie Duffield at heart?

Here it is likely to be 98% labour. So any vote is just a mouse’s protest. I am still thinking of SDP, though the candidate did not answer, because of what the party says in their manifesto.

The Conservative (man) who did not answer, looks all wrong from his profile.

I don’t know if your username is telling, but my dog will be coming with me to vote, and at the desk during elections, they give dogs a small bonio.

@ScrollingLeaves I love the photos of dogs outside polling stations on election day. Probably the best bit of it for me 🤣

I feel cheated, I left my dog outside today, not a photographer in sight.

I am still thinking of SDP, though the candidate did not answer, because of what the party says in their manifesto.

That's who I went for in the end. I couldn't vote Tory and everyone else is either flip flopping (looking at you Labour) or up to their neck in woo.

I did scribble down "Respect my sex! You would have got my vote" next to the Labour candidate. He might not see it but it made me feel better, and it's true, he would have. I'm sure they'll get into power anyway, they don't need my vote to do that, and I don't need to give it to them.

I'll go later on, after the gym mainly because I want to take a cheeky beer after my vote

Voting for my excellent local Labour guy, ( with serious reservations about the executive etc ).

I've been to the polling station (with dog) and dithered and bottled it. Will gird myself and go back again later.

Why is it so stressful?