'I'm a former Labour voter!' 'No, I'm a former Labour voter'

[KafkasScooter]

A (kind of) light hearted nod to the "I'm Spartacus" thread but I'm done. I used to vote Labour, campaigned and leafletted for Labour. I tried to give Labour the benefit of the doubt but I now realise I was wrong. Labour left me.

Anyone else feel the same?

I'm a former Labour voter...

Vote tactically to keep reform out then
Who for, then?
I'd vote SDP but they're thin on the ground

I’ll “vote tactically” to keep that out if I have to.

A lot of women are feeling politically homeless and it is wrong.

However, feeling sad about it achieves NOTHING. What you need to do is get mad about it and take action.

Every election, no matter how small, demand to know from ALL the candidates do they think women are real. Tell them it is a red line. Write short, write long, but always, always kick up a fuss. Go to hustings, ask awkward questions. Write to your local paper. Get together with other women stage a demo during the election. Men get stuff because they DEMAND it. Women can do the same. That is how women win.

I know a lot of you are doing some of this and no doubt you may be feeling despondent and thinking nothing I have done matters. Again, this is just despondency talking. Wake up, Mumsnet matters. Every little action has chipped away at the gender monster and we are bringing it down.

In 2018 TAs had huge power inside the Conservatives. That power has been destroyed because ordinary Conservative women banded together and fought to get their reality back. Kemi would NOT be leader without this. That is a massive win. The fact that dumb battle had to happen at all is one reason the Tories are screwed right now though.

Inside Labour and the Lib Dems things have changed radically. We now have a Home Secretary who is happy to support Labour's Women's Declaration. That is a huge win. Lib Dem women are getting their motions at conference, but the TAs have to resort to sneaky bullshit to block them, but they will be back again and again.

Both Labour and Lib Dem rules now say women are actually a thing. That is because women forced that to happen.

The SNP are terrified of women now as they should be. Scottish Women took down Sturgeon and that fight is not over.

Even in the Greens biology knowers are still fighting. Hypnoboobs might think he is winning right now, but long term he is going to have to admit women are real. Because women are going to make him.

I am not saying vote for any of these parties. You have the right to demand whatever you want from the parties representing you. Reject all of them. Totally fine.

What you absolutely must not do is make your choice silently. Posting on Mumsnet is great. To change things you have to do more than that and keep doing it.

The MAY 2026 elections change power in Scotland, Wales, London and many councils across England. It is your chance again to demand stuff from politicians, to make them fear and respect you. Never back down, never give up.

Women can totally win this.

In the 1910s women won the vote.
In 60s - 80s women won the chance to have a career.

Those fights were WAY, WAY tougher than this nonsense. It is very demoralizing to fight against something so dumb in a sense. Yet keep going folks.

Ive never been a one issue voter. I will do anything to not let Reform in. The damage they will do to women far out weights what Labour does or doesn't do.

I also remember the misery of the 70's, the strikes, 4 day weeks under Labour

You're wrong.

Why do people keep claiming that the 1973-4 '3 day week' was Labours fault?

It was Ted Heath's Tory government in power at the time. Labour was in opposition and opposed the policy. Initially, the miners weren't striking - they just refused to do overtime in protest at wage stagnation due to high inflation.

The 3 day week only lasted 2 months - it wasn't a repeated thing through the decade and it was a Tory policy.

See:

History Hit: When the Lights Went Out in Britain: The Story of the Three Day Working Week

Gives an overview of the whole period.

TLDR: at the start of the 70's inflation was causing wage stagnation, so wages were falling in real terms. Miners were never paid very well, so they felt the brunt of the economic mess. Repeated negotiations between the unions and the Tory government failed, the miners went out. The Tory government introduced the 3 day week. It was a disaster. So Heath called an election, which Labour won - they cancelled the 3 day week, and renegotiated with the miners. But by now, inflation had snowballed and Labours attempts to deal with the economic and social chaos stemming from Heaths mess failed. So there was another election which the Tories won.

And:

WIKIPEDIA: Three-Day Week

The Three-Day Week was one of several measures introduced in the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1974 by Edward Heath's Conservative government to conserve electricity, the generation of which was severely restricted owing to industrial action by coal miners and railway workers...

Throughout the 1970s the British economy was troubled by high rates of inflation. To tackle this, the government capped public sector pay rises and publicly promoted a clear capped level to the private sector. This caused unrest amongst trade unions as wages did not keep pace with price increases...

As inflation increased, miners' wages fell in real terms and, by October 1973, average wages were 2.3% lower than recommended by the Wilberforce Inquiry, which reported on miners' pay in 1972. In November 1973, the national executive committee of the NUM rejected the pay offer from the NCB and held a national ballot on a strike. The vote was rejected by 143,006 to 82,631. However, an overtime ban was implemented with the aim of halving production. This action hurt the coal industry and was unpopular amongst the British media...

To reduce electricity consumption, and thus conserve coal stocks, the Conservative Prime Minister, Edward Heath, announced a number of measures under the Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973 (c. 67) on 13 December 1973, including the 'Three-Day Work Order', the Electricity (Industrial and Commercial Use) (Control) (No. 2) Order 1973 (SI 1973/2172), which came into force at midnight on 31 December. Commercial consumption of electricity would be limited to three consecutive days each week.[1] The Labour Party, the opposition party at this time, strongly opposed the 3-day week.

@fromorbit great post! We can fucking do this.

Fabulous post 👏

I despise the notion of tactical voting. You're not voting "for" anyone positively, just negatively, in fear. Shit state of affairs.

The winter of discontent was under Labour.

Just in case anyone isn't already aware...
The candidates usually inspect spoiled ballots, so it is well worth writing a message to let them know why you chose to vote informally.

I'll never forget seeing a Tory candidate spitting mad because she thought the small pile of spoilt ballots marked with variations on the 'get us out of the EU' theme should have been her votes.

In answer to op I won’t vote Labour due to many issues, I have in the past but not for a while.

The polling rn which puts so many parties in the same low under 20s figures is interesting. There’s a while to go so who knows how that will map out.

Where I live the choice is Labour or Reform.I last voted Labour and my MP is fairly sensible on gender. However, I'm very worried about the recent Women and Equality committee appointments. So I may end up spoiling my ballot paper as Labour look like they're still in thrall to the men in dresses. I suspect Reform are going to get in here at the next election. Which I think will be a car crash.

I was a member of the Greens, but I often voted Labour because the Greens had no chance, and it was the best alternative option. These days, I don't think there's any party I can vote for, so I probably won't.

I do still go out with my local Green Party community group and do litter picking and frog rescuing and all that, I just won't give them my money or my vote.

❤

If your only choice is Labour or reform, please vote Labour. The last thing we want is for Reform to get in because of men in dresses.

If Labour go an inch further towards removing women's rights they're not getting my vote. That's my red line.

I admit to feeling politically homeless but would never not vote. We’re in a shit position but I’ve never voted based on a single issue and won’t now. Please, please DON’T spoil your votes. You might as well not vote if that’s your plan. No one cares. But I care very deeply that we have the right to vote, so please vote!

So what will you do? Vote Reform? Who will be utterly catastrophic. Or just not vote at all? Which lets Reform in… I know it’s shit but I could never sit back and let Reform in.

I'm voting for my decent sex realist MP . She's stood outside a women's prison campaigning for single sex prisons . I'm voting for her. She's a Tory .

The trans shitshow in the UK happened under and because of the Tories.

Who created the GRA?

Who do you want in power?

I'm a former Labour Party member. Very disappointed and politically homeless.

Me too.

Not Reform.