Not voting- 1 of many reasons

ananimous we are not talking about people with no right to vote. We are talking about people with the right to vote but who choose not to use it. A very different thing.

You also completely wrong when I think you say that voters just vote for the same party all the time. Your post is not always entirely clear as to what you mean. I suggest you follow this link:
› CBP-7529 › CBP-7529 which shows how the number of people voting for each party has fluctuated at each election, showing that millions of the electorate are more than willing to shift voting allegiances from one election to the next.

Looking at polls for the coming election shows that there are still many 'Don't knows', plus many who have decided to vote for a party they have never voted for before.

After dismissing out of hand the electorate, parties and politicians, would you like to tell us what you would put in their place? anarchy, a dictatorship (what type of dictatorship?), an absolute monarchy. The choices are many. What would you suggest?

Something went wrong with the link
› CBP-7529 › CBP-7529

How very odd. I will type it, not cut and paste
researchbriefings.parliamen.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7529

If in doubt, write 'none of the above' on your ballot paper.

Was having this conversation with son who is thinking of not voting. You have to do something, people fought for our right to do this. I am struggling about how I get my voice heard in this election. But doing nothing is not an option.

MOnika (your links aren't working - they did sound biased anyway). You seem to think we actually have democracy in this country (?! Lol!)- We have not since 2016 when the majority vote was ignored. If 17.4 million votes are not important what makes you so sure YOUR one vote really means anything? Are you special? My point being spoiling your ballot paper IS the sea change we need - anything else just legitimizes the greedy, useless slugs. Keep on spoiling ballot papers each, and every election until they can no longer deny the country does not support the corrupted institution. It won't affect anything by voting for the current chumps. More of the same from all parties. I'm more worried about the referendum vote winners, not the establishment pawns who lost, and still don't know they are useful idiots for the rich hedgefunders and EU quangos. I wonder if perhaps some posters here are political influencers... It's hard to believe people of our age can be fooled into voting for these self-serving political companies again and again. I was truly heartened to read that a youngster refuses to be fooled into voting for them- though I would urge ALL to spoil their papers rather than play into the silly game, and write "NONE OF THE ABOVE" proudly. The men and women who fought for our vote would be awfully angry that it means absolutely nothing today. They also fought for the rights of those 17.4 million people whose vote has been ignored. What would Panklhurst et al say about that? I do not want Tory, Labour, Libdem, SNP, Brexit or any of the controllled oposition S*#@ts... They are in the business of gravy trains, allowances and expenses. They collude by abstaining (such as the housing act that would have helped millions of private renters) from voting and backroom sweetheart deals. I repeat: Spoiling your ballot paper would be the only way to show respect to our heroes who fought for a VALID vote, not sham of democracy - to go along with the farce of choosing between sick and vomit maybe it is the option for those doing well out of the current system. I do have the right to moan whether I vote/spoil ballot paper/do not vote/cannot vote - as there clearly is no real democracy when any vote is ignored - all voting is ignored. The level of dissociation needed to put your trust in the very people who are in the business of taking your vote away astounds me... Or maybe, like I said, these main party voting urgers are simply just influencers...

I understand in a way not voting as I’m a leaver and my vote has been totally ignored ...is it worth voting again? YES it is ...my vote may just make a difference and there is no way on earth I would vote to get Corbyn into number 10....it doesn’t bare thinking about. So yes I will be voting in two weeks time

P.S. I've heard there's been a bit of voting fraud whereby non-voters found later that their ballot paper being used by someone else - so please, SPOIL THE BALLOT PAPER.

P.P.S. "The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them."

Turkish proverb.

animous they were not biased sources. They contained actually voting figures by party for every general election since about 1900 and were published in a Houses of Parliament briefing paper. Briefing papers are produced by the Hof P library, who serve all MPs and all parties and are therefore neutral. If you do not believe me, then find the time to get parliamentary votes for every constituency for every election since 1900 and work it out yourself.

OK every voter spoils their voting paper. What then?

I've heard there's been a bit of voting fraud whereby non-voters found later that their ballot paper being used by someone else - so please, SPOIL THE BALLOT PAPER.

What is the evidence for this happening in this country? Other from tittle tattle. Since all ballot papers, spoiled or not have to go in the ballot box, which are sealed before being taken to the count, are you suggesting that the tellers, counting at open tables watched by scrutineers from all parties are doing this? How?

Yes, there has been some evidence of fraud with postal votes in some places and you always have the Irish saying, 'vote early, vote often', but while all fraud should be stopped, there is remarkably little in this country.

If you are so passionate that we have a fair system, how come you think 17.4 million leavers can totally ignore the wishes of 16.1 million remainers? The tradition in Britain is that when results are this close the views of both sides should be taken into account

But, of course you are only interested in a system that meets what you want, you will not tolerate any views that do not agree with yours. that is why you damn the current system but offer no alternative.

nannypink1 posts-

"I understand in a way not voting as I’m a leaver and my vote has been totally ignored"

This is the exact opposite of the truth. For the last three and a half years the people who have been totally ignored have been all of us who never voted leave. What on earth do you think this brexit nonsense has all been about if not pandering to the leave voters?

May I make a plea re voting Labour. Please don't Jeremy Corbyn put you off. Look instead at their policies and compare them with the Tories. Do we want a government that cares, or one that does not?

That is not the only choice Misha14. Britain deserves better than either of these extremes. Vote LibDem, especially in all the seats where the LibDems are best able to defeat the Tories.

Misha Supposing we vote for a party that cares for us and we end up with a collapsed economy and facing bankruptcy because of the cost of the caring is more than we can safely afford. We came close to that when Harold Wilson had to call in the IMF and devalue the £

Gordon Brown let banks lend recklessly and borrowers borrow equally recklessly, when he had it in his control to cool things down. He chose not to and that is why we were so badly affected by the 2008 financial crisis.

What good is caring if we end up in a situation like the Greeks did, cutting pensions, and cutting expenditure on health and welfare, with children and old people starving in the streets

M0nica the Greeks present situation came about because with their first tranche of EU funding they lowered the pension age to 55 for people who had worked 30 or more years. Some public sector employees could retire at 52 and some women with young children could retire at 50 on a reduced pension. With an aging population the pensions were too generous to be sustainable. AS part of the various bail outs the Greeks have had to raise the pension age to 67.

With regard to Gordon Brown and the banks it was the US sub prime market that was one of the original causes of the financial crash in 2008 and not what was happening in the UK. One of he side effects of having a global economy.

We came close to that when Harold Wilson had to call in the IMF and devalue the £

Thank you, MOnica for leading me to a happy couple of hours researching the economics of the '60s and '70s and the reasons for that IMF loan. The conclusions I've gathered aren't quite what you might want me, and other GNet posters, to believe.

In the meantime, if anyone has half an hour to spare I recommend watching this video as an explanation of how a national economy works. It's from the US, but the principle is the same for any country issuing its own currency. Just substitute GB terms for US ones

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHQCjFebIf8

My MP is cruel and a liar. She lied on my doorstep saying she did not vote to cut benefits for the sick and disabled or to stop free school dinners for thousands of the poorest children in our country. Unfortunately my vote will not count as most of her constituents are politically illiterate and don't watch Parliament TV and have never heard of Hansard but read the Daily Wail.

I can understand people finding themselves in a dilemma over who to vote for, but I could never not vote. I've voted in every election - be it council, Westminster, Scottish Parliament or European - ever since I was old enough to do so. We are very lucky to live in a country where we have the freedom to vote - and although some may claim it is "emotional blackmail", personally I feel it's disrespectful, not to say downright insulting, to all the men and women who fought and died to give us the right to do so. By all means refuse to vote for parties whose policies you disagree with - but at least make the effort to go along and even spoil your ballot paper!

Supposing we vote for a party that cares for us and we end up with a collapsed economy and facing bankruptcy because of the cost of the caring is more than we can safely afford.

This not what has happened in countries that have a proper social democracy where citizens are valued and cared for. Start with the Scandinavian countries.

Labour are committed to investment in infrastructure, which will create jobs and boost the economy.

I agree with Misha14 - I would rather vote for a party that has actually noticed that people are living in poverty while the rich squander their money and enjoy tax breaks.

I do not think that any party will get a clear majority - that is my hope. Excesses on the right and left might thus be curbed.

But under no circumstance whatever would I vote in a way that might prop up BJ - he is a liar and a cheat and we should not allow him to represent us.

One of the biggest problems we have and the greatest threat to democracy is our national press and the fat cats who control it.

Every election since I turned eighteen, I have felt some measure of despair at my choices. Then I’ve muttered “Emily Davison” under my breath and done what seemed to be the least harmful thing in the ballot box.

I am undecided as to whether I shall be voting or not, whatever the outcome you can bet your bottom dollar it will all go pearshaped! Don't think any party named are capable of running a bath let alone the Country!

James Foster
@JamesEFoster

1. If you’ve made your mind up to vote for anyone other than
@UKLabour
watch this video & think again.

2. If you’re not sure who you’re going to vote for, watch this video & choose
@UKLabour

3. If you’re going to spoil your paper, watch this video.

twitter.com/JamesEFoster/status/1201137988081729536?s=20

In some Tory/Labour marginals it may make sense to vote Labour but in many more seats the party which can seriously challenge the Tories is the Liberal Democrats,.

Before you cast your vote please look at the tactical voting advice

tactical.vote/

According to that tactical voting link I gotta vote cons (not lib dem) to keep labour out