How do you decide how to vote?

GagaJo

I look at the issues, the parties past performance and also their attitudes and intentions towards the vulnerable in society. I vote for the party most likely to help the poor, the needy, the vulnerable. .

Same, too lazy to type it out myself lol

I tried to do the quiz but the adverts on either side and at the bottom were so intrusive and overlapped the questions so that I couldn't read them.

Never ever could I vote Tory.
I believe in the nhs.
I believe in looking after the poorest amongst us..
I don’t believe in feathering my own nest.
I can’t stand liars.
I would consider voting for any other party.

I have just done the quiz.. Came out as Liberal.. that was a surprise!.

oldbat that’s me exactly
I don’t need a quiz

I have to return to say I never have and can’t imagine I ever will vote Conservative.
Thatcher caused so much damage in the communities where I live and worked. Then along came Cameron with his austerity/let’s destroy Sure Start family centres because families like mine, who don’t need them, dominate and take the resources from people who,’need’ them. There’s so much about that causing my blood to boil.

I’ve voted LibDem in a local election when my GP, pharmacist and a local teacher stood together. I knew them, trusted them more than the other candidates.
Otherwise, no surprises, I vote Labour. Even when JC was leader but we had a good Labour MP and despite not trusting JC I trusted the tories less. Not wrong was i

I can never see myself ever voting Conservative or Labour, I do not know which of those parties I hold in most contempt.

I have certainly never voted for either at any point in the past either..

First I take into consideration the ideology of the parties, then the reputation and past history of the leader. Honestly I barely get to know the local representative, since he/she will vote along party lines.

I think only once in all my years of voting did I not vote for my usual party, because I did not think the leader was very effictive.

sp. should be "effective"

M0nica

I can never see myself ever voting Conservative or Labour, I do not know which of those parties I hold in most contempt.

I have certainly never voted for either at any point in the past either..

One of these days MOnica, though not on this thread, it would be interesting to know why you hold Labour in contempt

DaisyAnne

Blossoming

The party whose values most align with my own.

How do you decide that Blossoming?

Research.

Past performance.
What they say.
What they do.
What they promise and how they intend to achieve it.

I rarely join in the political threads on here but I take a keen interest in politics. It’s not hard.

When I was little, my parents were Tory voters and I never really thought that serious, real grown-ups would ever vote labour/left. (Still as innocent in 2016, I couldn't believe that any serious grown up could consider voting for Trump)

I left the UK aged 19 and only took on German nationality a couple of years ago so have only ever been able to vote in one General Election ever in my life. (Last year here in Germany, when Angela Merkel retired as Chancellor) As the system here is proportional representation you get to vote for a person and with another vote you choose a party. The two don't have to be the same party.

From decades of observing, I had decided that whoever you vote for, they all eventually end up the same and none of them keep their election promises. So last election, I went with gut instinct and neither the person nor the party I had picked got in, so I don't know why I bothered.

MaizieD

M0nica

I can never see myself ever voting Conservative or Labour, I do not know which of those parties I hold in most contempt.

I have certainly never voted for either at any point in the past either..

One of these days MOnica, though not on this thread, it would be interesting to know why you hold Labour in contempt

It would also be interesting to know what you actually believe in.

JackyB

When I was little, my parents were Tory voters and I never really thought that serious, real grown-ups would ever vote labour/left. (Still as innocent in 2016, I couldn't believe that any serious grown up could consider voting for Trump)

I left the UK aged 19 and only took on German nationality a couple of years ago so have only ever been able to vote in one General Election ever in my life. (Last year here in Germany, when Angela Merkel retired as Chancellor) As the system here is proportional representation you get to vote for a person and with another vote you choose a party. The two don't have to be the same party.

From decades of observing, I had decided that whoever you vote for, they all eventually end up the same and none of them keep their election promises. So last election, I went with gut instinct and neither the person nor the party I had picked got in, so I don't know why I bothered.

Listening to the massive political shift in Germany over the past couple weeks. Interesting times we live in.

Germany will be a changed country now. It must be difficult to take in?

Whitewavemark2

MaizieD

M0nica

I can never see myself ever voting Conservative or Labour, I do not know which of those parties I hold in most contempt.

I have certainly never voted for either at any point in the past either..

One of these days MOnica, though not on this thread, it would be interesting to know why you hold Labour in contempt

It would also be interesting to know what you actually believe in.

Ouch. This was about how we decide rather than what we decide.

Ouch. This was about how we decide rather than what we decide.

I did try to make it clear that I didn't want to derail this thread...

Under First Past The Post very many people do not vote because they live in a "safe seat" and know their vote will never count.

If they do vote, many will vote against the candidate, or more likely the party, that they hate the most. Would it not be better if every vote counted and people voted positively, for the candidate or party they like best, rather than negatively?

l am represented by a useless Tory yes man who joined the ERG and so was one of the people responsible for inflicting the huge harm of brexit on our country. Natuarlly I want him gone. The main contender is the Liberal Democrat prospective candidate and as I strongly believe they have the best policies, I am able to vote for the party I support.

In another constituency currently represented by a Tory I would look at the results in recent elections and might possibly vote Labour if they were the strongest challenger.

If I was in her constituency I would vote for Caroline Lucas as I think she does a good job and it is important for the Green Party to be represented.

If I considered voting Labour I would need a Labour candidate who actively supported changing our voting system to Proportional Representation, so that the Uk could become a true democracy.

I saw that Maizie I appreciate how difficult it is as we all bring a little of our own bias into our explanation - there is no other way.

I think GN should be proud of its carefully thinking grandparents after reading these posts. I am and it's not always easy to be proud to be a GNetter

If I was in her constituency, I would vote for Caroline Lucas to Varian; we need that voice. Which contradicts what I said previously. Every day is a school day and that just shows me that I would vote for a "not my particular bias" candidate if they were influential across the county (in a way I approved of!). It's not easy, is it?

It's a pity we don't have a polling facility on GN. It would be interesting to track the backing for PR. I wonder if, and how much, that would change how people decide to vote.

It's easy. Never, ever vote Tory.

I find that what is promised and what is delivered are so far apart you may as well flip a coin. Luckily due to my status I am not affected by which ever party wins so I don't bother encouraging them by voting

I've always been told to read the information even the manifesto if you can understand it. Take into account your local candidates and what they stand for then make your choice. Which is what I do. However it doesn't always work as they all lie. They tell you what they want you to hear then once in power they find excuses not to do it. Usually blaming who ever they took over from.

Here in the states, Our Constitution and Billl of Rights and which candidate is going to protect them to the fullest is where my choices lay. As in any apple box, there are good and bruised ones. Only thing is an apple can't speak and lie! I don't vote full party tickets, I go with who is backing America as a whole, not just certain groups.

I am totally conflicted about who to vote for in the upcoming elections. I have voted for the same party all my life even doing leaflet dropping before I was old enough to vote.
That same party are running my local council and I have seen the council area going very far downhill. It is absolutely a disgrace what is happening in a once vibrant and industrious area.
I hope I can find a political party to vote for. I have always voted and do not want to miss this election

I decide based on the ideology of the party. Since quite a few comments imply it's a choice between the Tories and Labour, people might be interested in this new summary of what the LibDems stand for (as I think quite a lot of people don't know). www.libdems.org.uk/what-liberal-democrats-believe-2022 . And yes, we definitely need PR, so that everybody knows that their vote counts!