We have 10 candidates! - What would you do? - warning bit of a ramble.

Vote for the person not the party? If you have a good local candidate that you respect, go for them.

Going to have to put a peg on my nose and vote for the Tory whom I dislike (snooty, wanted a 'proper' chat with man of the house etc!).

He sounds like a real charmer. I certainly wouldn't be voting for him.

I agree with MaizieD above👍

You can vote for the candidate you actually want, but if you know they will not stand a chance of getting in then it is pointless and does not put anyone in a better position

They would not not stand a chance if enough people did it. Which is the point I was making.

So many people just say "oh they wont win" and give up. Literally before they have even started.

I don't think Starmer will be 'pushed out' by any person or group. He's been utterly ruthless in eliminating much of the 'left wing' and creating an impression of a centrist party that people will feel is 'safe' to vote for.

He seems to me to be something of a technocrat. He has said that he wants to see the country 'run properly' and I think that is what he will be concentrating on.

Whether he leans more 'left' once in power remains to be seen, but there are aspects of the manifesto, on worker's rights for example, which have been largely ignored by the media, which don't seem to agree with the claim that he is 'tory in name only'.

If this is too leftist for some voters, so be it. But I think an emphasis on competence, which other parties don't seem to offer, is worth considering.

sandelf

Tory, Labour, LibDem, Green, Womens', Reform, UKIP, Independent who is a respected local Tory not chosen by national party, Ind who is against local asylum settlement, - another Ind much same. So the 'right' will be split 5 ways and the less right have 4 'flavours' to choose from. Seems total madness to me and a high probability we will have an MP very few of whose constituents support them. Going to have to put a peg on my nose and vote for the Tory whom I dislike (snooty, wanted a 'proper' chat with man of the house etc!). The popular local Conservative county councillor not adopted by central office has worked hard and long for the area - put in the long days and wet mornings on site. He is Indian by origin and Muslim. I may be wrong but I suspect his non selection is through religious and racial prejudice - and he does not have 'lovely' pronunciation - but it is never a problem. I'd vote for him but he would be only an independent MP - not good for him or us. The labour candidate is local and hard working - would be a good MP but I distrust Starmer and think he will be shoved off course by the rough boys were he to be PM. What a mess eh? Is it the same elsewhere?

Vote for the Labour candidate if he’s good and hard working.
I’m not so sure that Starmer will be pushed out if he wins by a big majority.
I don’t think the Indian councillor not adopted to stand was anything to do with race or colour, after all we have a Conservative Hindu for PM.
It’s true there’s a large baffling choice to vote for this time.

Luckygirl3

We have one of each of the main parties, plus a reform plus an independent.

From being a safe Tory seat we have, in the course of this campaign, become a marginal, as Labour and Conservative are now neck and neck. Hopefully some of the right wing Tories will defect to reform and give Labour a clear road.

One poster above believes: *Personally, if I were you, I would vote for the candidate you actually want.
If more people did that, the Country may be in a better position.*

There is no way that this puts the country in a better position. We have a first past the post system which forces people to vote tactically. So many votes are wasted votes. You can vote for the candidate you actually want, but if you know they will not stand a chance of getting in then it is pointless and does not put anyone in a better position. Look for the party you absolutely do not want anywhere near government and vote for the person most likely to oust them locally.

I’m afraid, although it does go against the grain, I totally agree

We have one of each of the main parties, plus a reform plus an independent.

From being a safe Tory seat we have, in the course of this campaign, become a marginal, as Labour and Conservative are now neck and neck. Hopefully some of the right wing Tories will defect to reform and give Labour a clear road.

One poster above believes: *Personally, if I were you, I would vote for the candidate you actually want.
If more people did that, the Country may be in a better position.*

There is no way that this puts the country in a better position. We have a first past the post system which forces people to vote tactically. So many votes are wasted votes. You can vote for the candidate you actually want, but if you know they will not stand a chance of getting in then it is pointless and does not put anyone in a better position. Look for the party you absolutely do not want anywhere near government and vote for the person most likely to oust them locally.

We have an Independent. I looked him up. He has no connection to our area at all, has stood in other areas far away, and his "manifesto" makes no reference to any local issues. So not getting my vote.

We have eight candidates to choose from. From far right racism to left wing "any man can be a woman".

Things have never been this bad in living memory.

Seriously considering NOTA.

Thank you for this thread.
You caused me to look up our candidates.
We sometimes have 10, but have less this time.
Including a Party I have never heard of.

Personally, if I were you, I would vote for the candidate you actually want.
If more people did that, the Country may be in a better postition.

Why would an independent be so bad? If he’s local, interested and a hard worker, it sounds as if he would deserve your vote rather than the ‘official’ Tory who sounds pretty horrific. I assume from what you say that you prefer someone right-leaning rather than left, so if you have someone who sounds perfect for you, go for it! At least you are less likely to regret your vote if you don’t have to hold your nose!