Do leaflets help you to vote?

Congratulations annodomini, both for getting elected twice and for your party having a good record.
Just as a matter of interest, before elections I do read them and put their ‘what we will do’ on a spreadsheet so I can compare their performance with what they offered or promised. Then they are recycled so that they do at least some good.

I have, in the past, spent many hours stooped over a keyboard, compiling election leaflets. I must admit that I always suspected what a number of you have said: that leaflets didn't influence you; and they quickly ended up in the bin! However, I managed to get elected twice though I think my agent wrote my leaflets. My party's record on our council spoke for itself.

MaizieD

Well, I hope people in Southend are shocked by the message from their tory MP. More or less says that if they don't vote for a tory council the government won't give them any money.
I wonder if that is illegal for an election leaflet?

Government facing legal challenge over ‘pork-barrel’ levelling-up fund funnelling cash to Tory areas

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/levelling-up-fund-pork-barrel-good-law-b1826803.html

My grey bin loves them.

MaizieD

Well, I hope people in Southend are shocked by the message from their tory MP. More or less says that if they don't vote for a tory council the government won't give them any money.
I wonder if that is illegal for an election leaflet?

I was truly shocked by this - not that it would happen ( because it has been happening and will continue to do so) but that they now feel they can act with such impunity so openly. But then, what a role model they have

MaizieD

Well, I hope people in Southend are shocked by the message from their tory MP. More or less says that if they don't vote for a tory council the government won't give them any money.
I wonder if that is illegal for an election leaflet?

Certainly hope it’s illegal. I think, if it’s not fake news, that David Ames will live to regret it. If it prompts constituents to do the opposite of his suggestion, any shortage of money will be loudly proclaimed by the council.

We’ve had a whole booklet for Thursday - for the mayor and 2 different London assembly members.

So many candidates, with their ‘vote for me!’ blurbs!

I already knew who I was going to vote for, though - none of the ‘fringe’ candidates but the (depressingly) least worst of the others. Which isn’t saying much, but I’d never not vote or spoil my ballot paper.

Well, I hope people in Southend are shocked by the message from their tory MP. More or less says that if they don't vote for a tory council the government won't give them any money.
I wonder if that is illegal for an election leaflet?

Lovetopaint037

Urmstongran

??

The SNP had two Scottish-born actors on a live stream today telling Scots to vote for independence. One lives in New York and the other lives in Las Vegas.

I thought as you and Sean Connery also came to mind. He had a lot to say about what Scotland should do although living in the States. Why actors should be taken notice of when spouting politics is a mystery to me or why they think they are important enough or have the right to tell us how to vote just because we see them on the tv or on a film.

Well David Bowie felt the need to ask Naomi Campbell to tell us to stay in the union in 2014 so I guess anything goes.

BTW - Sean Connery lived in the Bahamas.

Liz46 your local man sounds great. I wish we had more like him.

With smaller parties (I joined one once) it's not a question of not bothering. Leaflets cost money, and need many volunteers to deliver them.

Urmstongran

??

The SNP had two Scottish-born actors on a live stream today telling Scots to vote for independence. One lives in New York and the other lives in Las Vegas.

I thought as you and Sean Connery also came to mind. He had a lot to say about what Scotland should do although living in the States. Why actors should be taken notice of when spouting politics is a mystery to me or why they think they are important enough or have the right to tell us how to vote just because we see them on the tv or on a film.

No, they go straight in the bin.

The Conservative party send their communications for the elections through the post, and it really annoys me that as the householder (I’m a widow), their letters are always addressed to my son who lives with me, and I’m the second name on the letter. He’s 24, but it’s assumed because he’s male that he owns the house - really, in this day and age?!
I’ve had about 20 leaflets through from the other parties, we’re in a marginal seat so being bombarded. I do read them, but not persuaded to change my mind.

It's a no brainer for me. Our local Lib-Dem man is always around and has been for many years. He has set times to stand outside local shops and people can go and talk to him.

He is on the local Facebook group and always reacts to problems that people post.

One of our neighbours wants to build five detached houses in his garden which would badly impact us and the councillor is helping us to fight it.

TBH I only vote Lib-Dem in the local elections.

I glance at the leaflets but I can’t imagine any content that would impact my vote. I’m sometimes amused by what they think would matter to me or what I might believe. It’s LD all the way not based on any leaflet but on their dogged work throughout the year, regular updates, their engagement with local people, causes, answering correspondence and so on.

Not really, I look at past actions of people, and what is going on at the moment, broken promises, and huge overspends, uneccessarily, will be a big no no for any individuals party.

Already voted so no. Straight in recycling bin.

We had a very good independent MSP up here and I was happy to vote for her but sadly she has now died. Its back to tribalism.

Of course independents are political as well . They just hide it.

No, leaflets don’t actually help me vote though I do generally read them before they go in recycling.

Aah, that is why they are saying Martin Compson is being trolled on Twitter.

The problem with local politics being entirely independents, is that once elected they have to agree among themselves, who will do what, and even if there is broad agreement on one or two policies, there as sure as hell will be deep differences on many issues. Trying to organise a council containing nothing but independents would be like herding cats.

Sometimes the Insdependents are a group - like a rate payers alliance.

I find my vote tends to go with the party I support because, even at local level I am opposed to the other parties policies.

Urmstongran

??

The SNP had two Scottish-born actors on a live stream today telling Scots to vote for independence. One lives in New York and the other lives in Las Vegas.

Well the version I saw had several actors, plus Val MacDiarmid. Val MacDiarmid is a national treasure and she lives in Kirkcaldy so cannot be challenged on such matters.?

Also one of the actors was Steve Arnott in LoD so nobody gets to disrespect him due to his services to Sunday night drama ?

I firmly believe that local councillors should be Independent and not toe any party line. Their job is to represent what the people want at the local level. Party politics should play no part!

Consequently I shall be voting for our Independent candidates, although I could possibly be swayed if they were totally useless - but they're not!

The Police and Crime Commissioners shouldn't be aligned to political parties either.