Labour and the Tories have disenfranchised me

Luckily I have a really good standing Labour MP for my constituency who I could always vote for, but I won’t hold my breath that anything much will change on a national level.
At least tho the incompetent Tory Party will be out and can fight between themselves for the next five years.

Whitewavemark2

ronib

Wwm2 have we not heard growing the economy before ? Before the economy collapsed again? Saying something just doesn’t make it happen or so I remind my grandchildren.

Then from your misunderstanding I would refer you to the manifesto.

Two clear tenants outlined by the speakers at the beginning.

Health and Housing

‘I would refer you to the manifesto’ 😂
Keen as I am to see Labour get in this time I don’t think I’ve ever seen such faith from anyone in a manifesto.
Can’t decide if it’s sad or funny.
We all know the promises made by politicians before an election and what actually happens afterwards.

ronib

131 pages Labour’s manifesto! Why is it so long?

The various factions of the Labour party hold differing view on how to achieve the necessary ends and what those ends should be. I'm guessing that this manifesto has to satisfy all those involved.

I feel much the same as ferry23, none of the parties hold any attraction for me at all. But if not voting or spoiling my ballot paper would be the other options I'm not really happy with that as it is a wasted vote. Somebody once suggested that you could have a box for "none of the above" though I doubt that this choice is much better.
I'd agree that voting for someone who would be a good constituency MP should be the answer, but once they get promoted to some sort of office it appears that their constituency work often goes by the board.
And the constituency changes mean that some MP's higher up in the parties are being parachuted in to replace current candidates so that they can get a seat. An ambitious MP would not be my first choice of candidate as for them their constituency work may come a poor second.

Don’t worry Luckygirl the person I shall probably vote for apparently has no chance of being returned ☹️

growstuff

Dinahmo

We have gone to great lengths to vote in the upcoming election as although we live in France we do not like what has happened to the UK with the austerity of the last 14 years.

When we moved to Suffolk our MP was John Selwyn Gummer. He was elected to Eye in 1979 and remained in the larger Suffolk Coastal until he retired from the commons in 2020. He was a good constituency MP, although not of my political persuasion. Sadly his replacement, Therese Coffey was not so good. She was in favour of the govt's plans to sell off forestry and woodland in public ownership (later shelved) and for pensioners to pay NIC on earnings.

With a bit of luck she won't win this time.

She has a massive majority. I suspect she will retain her seat.

She, along with Truss (her bestie) are considered to be the worse ministers ever by DEFRA.

Whitewavemark2

We need to reform the FPTP system and introduce some form of PR and then your vote will always be meaningful.

It wouldn’t solve all problems, but it would certainly help.
Sad thing is that the opposition is more likely to push for that . . . until they win an election.

What I will say is that both parties are saying that they are going for growth, and both have the same uphill struggle in achieving this growth.

However Labours focus on using the wealth for the NHS and investment in the infrastructure and housing rather than tax cuts as the Tories promise.

For my money tax cuts don’t buy cancer treatment or heart operations nor does it produce a house for my grandchildren.

It is a matter of focus.

Dinahmo

We have gone to great lengths to vote in the upcoming election as although we live in France we do not like what has happened to the UK with the austerity of the last 14 years.

When we moved to Suffolk our MP was John Selwyn Gummer. He was elected to Eye in 1979 and remained in the larger Suffolk Coastal until he retired from the commons in 2020. He was a good constituency MP, although not of my political persuasion. Sadly his replacement, Therese Coffey was not so good. She was in favour of the govt's plans to sell off forestry and woodland in public ownership (later shelved) and for pensioners to pay NIC on earnings.

With a bit of luck she won't win this time.

She has a massive majority. I suspect she will retain her seat.

maddyone

I cannot vote for either of the main parties. I cannot vote Green or LibDem. I cannot vote Reform. Where does that leave me? There is an independent candidate putting up in my constituency but he won’t get in. Shall I simply spoil my ballot paper to register my utter dismay and disgust with the two main parties?
I will definitely go to the polling station and vote or spoil my paper.

Vote for the independent, if he/she represents your views.

The FPTP system has always disenfranchised me because I've always lived in a constituency with a huge Conservative majority (and I've never voted Conservative).

Nevertheless, I've always voted because it gives some indication of the opinions of those on the "losing" side and it adds a few pence to the coffers of the party I vote for.

I wouldn't consider it appropriate to have an opinion about anything, if I hadn't at least tried to vote in somebody who would represent me and my opinions better.

ronib

Wwm2 have we not heard growing the economy before ? Before the economy collapsed again? Saying something just doesn’t make it happen or so I remind my grandchildren.

Then from your misunderstanding I would refer you to the manifesto.

Two clear tenants outlined by the speakers at the beginning.

Health and Housing

Wwm2 have we not heard growing the economy before ? Before the economy collapsed again? Saying something just doesn’t make it happen or so I remind my grandchildren.

I cannot vote for either of the main parties. I cannot vote Green or LibDem. I cannot vote Reform. Where does that leave me? There is an independent candidate putting up in my constituency but he won’t get in. Shall I simply spoil my ballot paper to register my utter dismay and disgust with the two main parties?
I will definitely go to the polling station and vote or spoil my paper.

We have gone to great lengths to vote in the upcoming election as although we live in France we do not like what has happened to the UK with the austerity of the last 14 years.

When we moved to Suffolk our MP was John Selwyn Gummer. He was elected to Eye in 1979 and remained in the larger Suffolk Coastal until he retired from the commons in 2020. He was a good constituency MP, although not of my political persuasion. Sadly his replacement, Therese Coffey was not so good. She was in favour of the govt's plans to sell off forestry and woodland in public ownership (later shelved) and for pensioners to pay NIC on earnings.

With a bit of luck she won't win this time.

If anything, IMO the general opinion of non-voters is that they’re apathetic, and/or just can’t be bothered.

But I can understand why anyone wouldn’t feel like voting for any of them. IMO there should be a box on the ballot paper that says, ‘None of the above inspires me with any confidence.’

All such votes then to be counted, and the total stated with the other results.

ronib

Yes Wwm2 quite agree - serious manifesto for very serious times . So cut the waffle and get to the chase. 131 pages is ridiculous.

Cut to the chase?

A manifesto for growth

Wish that short enough?

Yes Wwm2 quite agree - serious manifesto for very serious times . So cut the waffle and get to the chase. 131 pages is ridiculous.

ronib

131 pages Labour’s manifesto! Why is it so long?

I suppose a quick crib sheet could have been handed out. But that will be in the newspapers etc.

I don’t read it all at once, but use it for reference when I want to look up an issue.

We are talking about governing the U.K. which I think deserves a serious manifesto for very serious times.

131 pages Labour’s manifesto! Why is it so long?

I hate the idea of ReformUK and all it stands for. I can’t imagine voting for them even as a “protest” vote, and giving them and Farage, any encouragement at all.

I always vote as I have a postal vote. However Labour and Conservative are like two cheeks of the same ass. And Reform are not really right wing enough for me.

Well I know who I won’t vote for. That is the easy part. Certainly won’t be Farage/Reform or Tory. Nor the Greens as they messed up Brighton and have now had investigations into how the cloak of good intentions is hiding those who have less desirable ideologies. Then there is the Lib/Dems but Ed Davy didn’t come out of the Post Master scandal well. Also not interested in daily comic act - had enough of that with Johnson. That leaves Labour. Unlike the popular feeling that he is “boring” I see “serious” and someone who scrutinises detail. Fed up to the teeth with showmen and liers.
Also someone who spent time undertaking unpaid work for the disadvantaged in his past. There you are you take a chance and vote but as said above don’t complain if you don’t.

Thanks for the link Luckygirl. It shows that the Tory MP in my constituency with 50+% of vote in 2019 will easily be beaten by the Labour candidate.
I wonder where they get their voter intentions data?

Where I live Labour always gets in, so I don’t have to vote Labour to keep the Tories out. I shall have a choice between. Lib Dem and Green. Not sure yet which one I’ll go for.