Not voting- 1 of many reasons

On another thread today we read of a lady whose husband is extremely weak and ill in a care home where he is well looked after and she is facing selling their home to fund it with the threat from the local authority of him being moved to a cheaper home if she can’t find a huge top up payment to keep him in this home. And people here say they are not going to vote, or they don’t know who to vote for, or every politician is the same and all are as bad as one another. No. There are radically different options to vote for. Vote for continuing and worsening austerity such as we have experienced for years now from the current government. Or vote for change, small increases in tax for people on the highest income levels and a properly funded welfare state.

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I’m having difficulty deciding who to vote for but I would NEVER give up my right to vote. People lost their lives to give me this privilege.

Doesn’t everyone on here remember how dreadful things were under Labour in the early 70s ?

Surely you must all remember all the strikes as trade unions ruled the roost? It was a disaster.

Things improved massively once Margaret Thatcher got in and successfully stood up to the unions.

Things would be even worse with Corbyn’s extreme Left policies.

I can just about understand young people falling for their‘everything free’ policy because they are too young to remember how dreadful Labour was but am dismayed that my own age group seem to have forgotten.

I think that women faught for our choice to vote so I dont think it is wrong to conscientously chose not to. Which is distinct from just not bothering to look into it.

I agree with notanan2.

I've tried prioritizing my priorities but they conflict. I voted to leave and so should vote for Boris, but my conscience will not let me vote for a party that advocates shooting animals for fun. Jeremy Corbyn has brilliant wildlife and animal policies, but I can't forgive Labour, LibDems, Green, etc for stopping Brexit over the summer!!

So I'm democratically choosing not to vote.

I agree, I always vote I think of the women who fought to get us a vote - I think its better to spoil a ballot paper than not to vote. I also agree they are all as bad as each other.

I also think if you don't vote then you can't complain about politics or politicians.

If you care about the NHS then don’t believe Johnson’s lies

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-nhs-trade-deal-trump-corbyn-brexit-general-election-manifesto-a9219566.html

Isn't spoiling the ballot paper the same as not voting?

I would never not vote - I feel I can't complain if I don't make the effort to choose!

I hardly feel voting is a priviledge - due to the thawting of Brexit it has been revealed what our politicians truly think of voters. - They have ignored the votes of 17.4 million voters so why bother letting the masses vote over anything anyway really? I wish I, too, could have blind faith in any of the greedy, useless, idiots - after over 5 decades of voting it took the referendum to ram it home how little a part we do actually play in this charade.

Thank you for making my voice stronger. Sad that you want to be silent.

I will be voting, though I agree, it's not straightforward this time round. However, not to vote is just not an option as far as I'm concerned. The thing is, you are hardly in a position to moan about the state of affairs, if they are not to your liking, if you didn't bother to vote yourself.

Yes, @AllTheLs there is a huge difference between not voting and spoiling your ballot paper with "NONE OF THE ABOVE" - The spoilt ballot paper will be counted as A voter may deliberately spoil a vote, for example as a protest vote to show disapproval of the candidates standing whilst still taking part in the electoral process.

My father always told me people died so I could vote! Very true.
I never not vote for this very reason.
But who on earth is the right party to have my much valued vote.
As for as I'm concerned they are all liar's! Promising SO much then giving nothing! I believe they are out for feathering their own nests!!

I always vote. One, suffragettes died to get women the vote, and two, how can you moan if you don't bother to vote. Not to vote is not an option for me

We're not used to honest politicians. In the thirty years I have followed Jeremy Corbyn I have never known him to lie and he can't be bought by anyone. He has my vote.

Yes, I will spoil my ballot paper, and proudly, because: 1. People did not get us the vote so that it could be divided between the established two parties and the controlled opposition parties to provide a charade. 2. In the 2015 General Election, the UK total of 'rejected' or 'spoilt' votes was almost 100k. (97,870 to be exact.) That is a huge number. It's equivalent to the votes for 3 or 4 MPs, given that most MPs are elected on 18k to 28k votes. Spoil your ballot paper and really send a message The 1st past the post electoral system means we will get the sucky part or the suckier party anyway. Spoiling the ballot is a call for real honest MPs. Anything else is mathematically impossible the way they have it set up.

AT my age I learned long ago to ignore manifestos and promises as they are rarely fulfilled. I still vote though, even though I no longer believe in the integrity, ability and purpose of most MPS.

I've long thought the whole system should be changed to something like the following

ALL MPS
•Should be at least 25 years old
•Should have no criminal record and produce references from non party members regarding their character, honesty and reliability.
•Should pass stringent tests in English Language, Reading Comprehension, Basic Mathematics, British History, 20th Century World History, and Logic and Reasoning ability
haracter, honesty and reliability
•Should be psychiatrically assessed to ensure they are of sound mind
•Would--be Ministers must pass further tests to show a sound grasp of their area of responsibility
•All MPs’ expenses should be checked and audited by an independent body.
•MPs should clock in and out of parliamentary sessions.
•Each MP’s salary should be calculated according to percentage of attendances per year.
•Should not have second jobs.
•The number of MPs should be slimmed from 660 to 500 or less
Trouble is, I've no idea how this ever could become the rule, as the present shower would have to vote it in - unlikely!

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yes I have a good labour candidate - jewish, radical, pro-remain. But I agree with notana we also have the right not to vote. That too can be a protest. Supposing spoilt votes outnumbered all other votes? So, if you really don't have someone to back, go to the polling booth and write 'None of the above'. Spoilt votes are counted. And can be your honest solution.

A lot about politics is frustrating but it’s important to use your vote. If you don’t vote then I don’t think you have any rights to complain later.

Things improved massively once Margaret Thatcher got in

Not in Barnsley they didn't. People starved. I saw it.

Women endured prison and and some died to give women the right to vote. I would never not vote because of this. We owe these women a lot...

Alima I am really shocked by what you are saying. Having taught in different schools with RAF children, Army kids and my closest link has been with Navy families, I am so aware of how the cuts have affected UK Forces e.g. the Army is three-quarters the size it was fifteen years ago, with current discussions that it's about to lose another 20%. Like everything else in the public sector, it's been cut, cut, cut. Similarly Forces Pensions have had their issues.

I think we should try to vote for the future of the country, and what we would like to see long term. I agree that both so called leaders are not being honest. I will vote BJ only because I would not like to see this country lose all its freedom, and the super rich ( who are already lined up to do it) leave the country or cut employment if they are forced to pay employees more and give a 4 day week. It’s always the poor that pay the price in the end.