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Are you a member of any political Party?

(150 Posts)
Fleurpepper Mon 30-Jan-23 15:31:16

I realise many will not wish to disclose, and that is totally comprehensible, of course. However, I think if you are prepared to back a Party, its goals and principles, financially and otherwise, you should be prepared to stand by your decision.

This is probably not usual, but I am a paid up member of 3 different Parties, Lib Dems, Green and Labour, and will vote tactically when the time comes (can't come soon enough, I must say).

Farzanah Tue 31-Jan-23 16:49:20

choughdancer

I joined Labour when Jeremy Corbyn became leader, but left after what I felt was unfair treatment of him; he is not an anti-semite, but opposes Israel's politics towards the Palestinians, as do I. Also I felt there was a possibility of Labour getting back closer to its roots. I too live in a constituency that will only ever vote in a Conservative or Lib-Dem MP, so I tactically vote Lib-Dem to try and get the Tories out.

With all the deceit, lying and false promises we've had over the last few years, I would love to have a PM who lives in an ordinary house, prioritises working people and the poor, isn't a Sir, and most of all, does not lie.

I agree on all points cd.
I think Labour under Starmer is leading a party which is hardly distinguishable from Tories.
I do rate Lisa Nandy, but not enough to rejoin LP.
I can’t forgive LibDems for coalition with Tories, and respect much of what the Greens represent, but they have no hope of getting in to power.
I am therefore politically homeless, but will prob vote Labour at GE. I am in a safish Tory seat, if any are now, with a very right wing MP.

Fleurpepper Tue 31-Jan-23 16:54:56

Iam64

My Jewish friends like me, oppose the Israeli govt. policies to Palestine - thst doesn’t make us antiSemitic

Same as all my Jewish friends- we had lunch on Sunday with two who left Israel as they just could not condone what is happening to the Palestinian people. She is constantly being gaslighted by other Israelis.

paddyann54 Tue 31-Jan-23 16:56:08

"Lisa Nandy" she who thinks the WM government should use the same method as Spain to deal with Scottish Nationalists
In other words beat them with truncheons for daring to air their views in protests....peaceful protests,!
Seems Lisa doesnt know thr labour party was founded on a core policy/belief of Home Rule for Scotland ,no wonder we dont vote for them after decades of misrule where they prioritisde theEnglish votes over us

Fleurpepper Tue 31-Jan-23 16:56:10

Farzanah

choughdancer

I joined Labour when Jeremy Corbyn became leader, but left after what I felt was unfair treatment of him; he is not an anti-semite, but opposes Israel's politics towards the Palestinians, as do I. Also I felt there was a possibility of Labour getting back closer to its roots. I too live in a constituency that will only ever vote in a Conservative or Lib-Dem MP, so I tactically vote Lib-Dem to try and get the Tories out.

With all the deceit, lying and false promises we've had over the last few years, I would love to have a PM who lives in an ordinary house, prioritises working people and the poor, isn't a Sir, and most of all, does not lie.

I agree on all points cd.
I think Labour under Starmer is leading a party which is hardly distinguishable from Tories.
I do rate Lisa Nandy, but not enough to rejoin LP.
I can’t forgive LibDems for coalition with Tories, and respect much of what the Greens represent, but they have no hope of getting in to power.
I am therefore politically homeless, but will prob vote Labour at GE. I am in a safish Tory seat, if any are now, with a very right wing MP.

Would you not vote Lib Dems if they had a good chance to houst your Tory MP?

gangy5 Tue 31-Jan-23 16:56:21

I have no wish to waste my vote BUT currently I cannot see me voting for any of the parties. It is very difficult to vote for the smaller ones as this would be a wasted vote. I do realise that if all were of this opinion, then none of the minor parties would succeed. What does one do ?
P.S. My Tory MP has such a large majority that my vote hasn't a hope in hell of ousting him. That is one thing that I wish I could help towards.

Fleurpepper Tue 31-Jan-23 17:04:26

maddyone

No, not strange for others, but totally not for me. I’ve voted for all three parties in the past (I know you didn’t ask that) but have no idea who I will vote for next time. I would hate to be tied into support for one party, plus I don’t want to fund any of them, although I guess I must have supported Labour with my NUT fees when I was teaching because I never opted out. But no, I have no allegiance to any of them and no desire to either.

Thanks for explaining maddyone.

As said, in order not to be tied to any- I am a member, and support, 3 of them. Nothing illegal in this, and it does not 'tie' me either- I can vote for anyone as I wish.

In a Democracy, I think Parties should be financially supported so they can present an effective opposition. And I do think that large Donors to parties should be properly declared.

DaisyAnne Tue 31-Jan-23 18:00:36

I don't think anyone thought it was "illegal" Fluerpepper but it is against Labour Party rules:

By applying to become a member of the Labour Party ...
You also confirm that you are not a member of any other registered political party (save the Co-operative party); and you are not a member of any organisation incompatible with membership of the Labour Party.

I haven't checked the other two.

GagaJo Tue 31-Jan-23 18:24:24

choughdancer

I joined Labour when Jeremy Corbyn became leader, but left after what I felt was unfair treatment of him; he is not an anti-semite, but opposes Israel's politics towards the Palestinians, as do I. Also I felt there was a possibility of Labour getting back closer to its roots. I too live in a constituency that will only ever vote in a Conservative or Lib-Dem MP, so I tactically vote Lib-Dem to try and get the Tories out.

With all the deceit, lying and false promises we've had over the last few years, I would love to have a PM who lives in an ordinary house, prioritises working people and the poor, isn't a Sir, and most of all, does not lie.

I agree choughdancer. He is a really good guy. Continuing to do exactly what he always did. Helping the communities in his constituency, of all faiths, colours and creeds.

Farzanah Tue 31-Jan-23 18:28:39

Yes I would Fleurpepper I will see whether Lab or LD have most support at the time. I’m living in hope because North Shropshire Tories lost the seat which had been Tory for 115 years!

I think the time may be right for many safe Tory seats to fall next election 🤞

Granny23 Tue 31-Jan-23 19:07:52

Gangy5 has said that "My Tory MP has such a large majority that my vote hasn't a hope in hell of ousting him" and others have said much the same. In that circumstance you can still help your favourite Party by donating to the Party HQ direct or by being active - leafletting, canvassing etc. in the nearest constituency where your Party of choice has a good chance of winning the seat. This was a winning tactic for the SNP in its early days when the big "tartan army" gathered in force to work in winnable seats. This strategy worked well, particularly if there was a bi-election, when activists like myself would take a fortnight's annual leave to work in that seat.

I think that recently politics has been so drenched in bad news, downright lies, sleaze and corruption, that even former activists have lost their passion and succumbed to the mantra that 'Politicians are all the same and no matter how, or if, we vote things will never get better"

Iam64 Tue 31-Jan-23 20:01:37

Farzanah. I’d vote Lib Dem if the marginal in my constituency was LibDem-Tory. Our good Labour mp lost by 400 seats last time. The Conservative who won has been very visible in the community. He ditched Johnson at the ‘right’ time. His voting record belies the kindly face shown on his face book page. Our constituency is there for Labour to win back. The contest for who is our candidate is likely to be between a Momentum supporter and someone they dismiss as a Blairite.

varian Tue 31-Jan-23 20:10:27

The mantra that "All politicians are the same" is put out by the right wing media when they run out of excuses for the corruption and incompetence of the Conservatives.

They are most definitely NOT all the same.

Iam64 Tue 31-Jan-23 20:14:44

varian

The mantra that "All politicians are the same" is put out by the right wing media when they run out of excuses for the corruption and incompetence of the Conservatives.

They are most definitely NOT all the same.

👍🏻

Fleurpepper Tue 31-Jan-23 20:57:23

varian

The mantra that "All politicians are the same" is put out by the right wing media when they run out of excuses for the corruption and incompetence of the Conservatives.

They are most definitely NOT all the same.

I think that anyone who says this knows it is nonsense.

MayBee70 Tue 31-Jan-23 23:32:31

gangy5

I have no wish to waste my vote BUT currently I cannot see me voting for any of the parties. It is very difficult to vote for the smaller ones as this would be a wasted vote. I do realise that if all were of this opinion, then none of the minor parties would succeed. What does one do ?
P.S. My Tory MP has such a large majority that my vote hasn't a hope in hell of ousting him. That is one thing that I wish I could help towards.

A vote is never wasted. It was only when I joined the LibDems and campaigned for them ( because I wanted a people’s vote) that I realised that, if a smaller party gets so many votes in an election they then qualify for funding in future elections. So, unless it’s a constituency where tactical voting might remove someone in what used to be a safe seat it’s always worth voting for a candidate whose ideals you approve of even if they have no chance of being elected.

Farzanah Wed 01-Feb-23 10:50:23

That’s good to know MayBee.

Norah Wed 01-Feb-23 10:55:12

varian

The mantra that "All politicians are the same" is put out by the right wing media when they run out of excuses for the corruption and incompetence of the Conservatives.

They are most definitely NOT all the same.

Of course not all are the same, nobody believes that.

DaisyAnne Wed 01-Feb-23 14:11:13

Am I the only one who feels concerned that Fleurpepper broke party rules in order to belong to three of them? I really did find it odd that you could.

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 01-Feb-23 15:06:06

That’s an interesting point DaisyAnne. I hadn’t thought about it it. I only looked at Labour and LibDems, neither of which allow members to be a member of another party. Perhaps Fleurpepper would like to comment?

LadyHonoriaDedlock Wed 01-Feb-23 15:13:43

It may depend on which parties Fleurpepper is a member of. You can be a member of both the SNP and Plaid Cymru, and quite a few here in Scotland are and probably in Wales too, because they will never stand candidates against each other. Such people may also be members of one of the Northern Ireland too, presumably the Alliance or Sinn Féin since I doubt they would join Unionist parties. There are SNP members who are also members of Sinn Féin and this is within the rules although sometimes unionists will make an issue of it to be mischievous.

MerylStreep Wed 01-Feb-23 15:16:01

It states in this article, quite clearly that you cant be a member of another party if you want to join the Labour labour.org.uk/members/questions-about-joining/

LadyHonoriaDedlock Wed 01-Feb-23 15:18:36

Ah, I see Fleurpepper is a member of LibDem, Green and Labour parties and would certainly be out of the Labour Party if they knew about this, since all three parties frequently stand candidates in the same election.

MerylStreep Wed 01-Feb-23 15:22:24

It states here that you cant be a member of the Lib Dems if your a member of another GB political party.

www.libdems.org.uk/join

Germanshepherdsmum Wed 01-Feb-23 15:22:35

Out of the LDs too. I haven’t looked at Greens.

Fleurpepper Wed 01-Feb-23 15:36:19

DaisyAnne

Am I the only one who feels concerned that Fleurpepper broke party rules in order to belong to three of them? I really did find it odd that you could.

Sorry, was out with friends and then swimming.

There was absolutely no mention of this when I joined either of the 3.