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

LucyAnna2

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👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Whitewavemark2

Yes vote Labour. As others have said. Starmer is very ruthless and throughout his life, it seems that he sets himself a goal and has always achieved it.

So since he has been the leader, he has set himself the goal of cleaning up the Labour Party and has achieved it in much less time people thought was possible. He is definitely a country before party man as well.

I also think that parliamentary standards will rise under his guidance and democracy will be the winner.

He is if you read anything about him more left leaning than the media suggest, and I think that this will be reflected in labours policies going forward.

I shall be the first to criticise, but I’m hoping that my criticisms will be few.

So join what seems to be a vast majority in the country snd vote Labour😀😀😀👍👍👍

Well done Whitewavemark 2. Agree exactly. I want, and the country needs, a serious and focussed mind. Fed up with antics and so called personality. Starmer has been criticised because he is not loud and bombastic. He speaks in a considered and measured fashion. He reminds me of Attlee, remember him back-in the day. You know the government that gave us the NHS and State Pensions that are so important to us now. Also I remember the short wait for a hip replacement under the Blair Labour government. As Whitewavemark has correctly said. “Vote Labour”.

varian

You are unlikely to find a party which you absolutely agree with. It can be dispiriting and a bit pointless to keep voting for a party which has no hope of being elected in your constituency.

If we had proportional representation every vote would count and then we could all confidently vote for the party which supports most of what we want. But we don't have PR. We have the undemocratic First Past The Post system which means that most votes don't count and most voters end up with an MP they voted against.

Because of that your most effective vote is against the party you most dislike, especially where that party might otherwise win in your seat. So check out the tactical voting info and vote for the party best placed to defeat the one you dislike.

It's not a massive amount, but political parties do get Short Money, which amounts to £38.75 a year for every 200 votes won at the last election. The LibDems have benefited from it, despite not having the number of seats to match their votes.

LucyAnna2

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This. Always.

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PR would bring coalitions instead of outright ‘victory,’ which many may not like, though I would support and common in Europe.
As for Labour if they win tomorrow which I hope they do, they will have to deal with so many problems left after the last 14 years of Tory government that it will take a while, it wont be done immediately.
By the time things have started to improve the Tories will be voted back in, given their record of power for 75 of the last 100 years.
So most blame for our woes has to be at the feet of the conservatives. Just saying …..

I struggle to see how anyone could vote Conservative, not just on their record but mainly on the completely horrible back stabbing lack of loyalty that has been shown during this election. It beggars belief that Bravermann is willing to put the knife into Sunak the day before the actual election, putting her own ambitions before that of the party. I find it despicable. In the most unlikely event that the Conservatives manage to scrape a majority (which won't happen) we would just watch them implode yet again. They need time out of government to decide what sort of party they are, ATM they really don't know!

It is a difficult decision and I have struggled with it. I understand anyone struggling with what to do. I have seriously considered our Independent, but he won’t get in, so what’s the point. I’m fed up with the first past the post system and I favour proportional representation really.

O/P -you don't mention the Lib Dem candidate, so I presume the key choices are Lab v Conservative if you want to influence the next government.

I'd advise against voting Conservative as look at their situation now and I cannot see Sunak's saving 17billion in tax cuts without the NHS and Care and Education services currently in such a poor state being worse off.

When papers like the Sunday times advise voting Labour, and the CBI supporting Labour, its clear that they have won the trust of those who would not support the return of the far left and believe that Starmer is strong enough and has enough backing to carry out what are very modest aims.

Meanwhile the Conservatives are likely to be mired in difficulties with the far right/Reform and the fact that they have just run out of credibility.

I know this is a bit off topic (sorry).

Just heard on LBC that Andrew Tate's brother is supporting George Galloway with "large" donations to his campaign. Don't know how much is Large... but im nearly certain this brother was charged in Romania alongside AT for imprisoning women for sex and porn films.

You are unlikely to find a party which you absolutely agree with. It can be dispiriting and a bit pointless to keep voting for a party which has no hope of being elected in your constituency.

If we had proportional representation every vote would count and then we could all confidently vote for the party which supports most of what we want. But we don't have PR. We have the undemocratic First Past The Post system which means that most votes don't count and most voters end up with an MP they voted against.

Because of that your most effective vote is against the party you most dislike, especially where that party might otherwise win in your seat. So check out the tactical voting info and vote for the party best placed to defeat the one you dislike.

Independents can be fine - but they won’t usually win a seat. Generally, it will be Tory/Labour/or maybe LDs.

In the end, we have to vote for those who most support what we want.

Back to the OP, I’d choose who to vote for based on a couple of principles.
If my preferred candidate stood any chance at all of being elected that person would be my first choice.
If there was no chance, as is the case for mine here, I would vote for the person who had the best chance of election whose party values align most closely to mine, that’s what I will be doing.
In a national election ultimately it’s more important to get the party you align to in power than to have a good local MP, because that makes more difference to your life.

ronib

I think there are going to be some very disappointed Labour supporters on this forum a few months down the line. Probably about as disappointed as Conservatives are now.
Reform has a chance to grow in popularity having heard Zia Yusuf on YouTube - he seems to be a good communicator, is from a migrant medical family, made millions from a startup and has fire in his belly. Knows how to work the crowd. The street savvy version of Rishi Sunak! Probably more grounded than Starmer. Interesting times.

Labour have not promised any huge changes ronib, so Labour supporters’ expectations of change in the short term are low. They will no doubt get some things wrong, but there is not time in the next six months for them to make such a comprehensive mess of things as the Tories have done in fourteen years. I think you need to temper your expectations of doom somewhat.

ronib

MaizieD

What will the Labour supporters be disappointed about, ronib?

MaizieD I give it six months before the gripes begin …. It’s going to be the middle of winter and energy prices will be high.

Well they’ve had plenty of time to get used to the idea.

It’s going up by an out 10% in October if anyone is in any doubt.

Pleased to see that the CBI have stated that there is £50 BN waiting to be put into the investment vehicle by private business, that labour intends to set up. That is the route to lower prices and net zero. The CBI are supporting Labour.

Whoever gets in, the British like nothing more than a good moan!

I agree Maisie that there are many people who do not have a realistic idea of what Labour in power can actually do in the short term. They will of course be disappointed. But that is true of whoever gets in.

I often wonder why those interviewing or sparring with Sunak do not make their response to his every claim/promise: "Well why have you not done this in the last 14 years?"

This 'vote tactically to get the Tories out' is on of the most cynical and dishonest ploys I have experienced

No way is it dishonest. The FPTP voting system leaves no other option if one's vote is going to count. Millions of people will be chucking their votes down the pan and losing their opportunity to influence who governs us. It is vital at this time that the public have a chance to deal with the mess of the last few years and have a government that is taken seriously by the rest of the world and regarded with respect.

MaizieD

What will the Labour supporters be disappointed about, ronib?

MaizieD I give it six months before the gripes begin …. It’s going to be the middle of winter and energy prices will be high.

You are right Sandelf to vote for the party over the candidate. I fear that the next Parliament will be a soup of candidates, untried and without strong support or belief behind them, lone voices unable to make themselves heard or present any credible opposition.
A strong opposition is needed; at present it looks as though their leader will be Ed Davey, who has a poor record as a minister and has campaigned as a complete fool,
Most of Labour's plans are unknown, and with a leader who knows perfectly well that a woman does not have a penis but refuses to admit it because he might lose Stonewall's support is to be feared. I doubt he will be able to control his party once elected.
This 'vote tactically to get the Tories out' is on of the most cynical and dishonest ploys I have experienced, and so many voters are like you, very undecided how to vote; fed up with the Tories but distrusting the alternatives, with good reason.

What will the Labour supporters be disappointed about, ronib?

I think there are going to be some very disappointed Labour supporters on this forum a few months down the line. Probably about as disappointed as Conservatives are now.
Reform has a chance to grow in popularity having heard Zia Yusuf on YouTube - he seems to be a good communicator, is from a migrant medical family, made millions from a startup and has fire in his belly. Knows how to work the crowd. The street savvy version of Rishi Sunak! Probably more grounded than Starmer. Interesting times.

makevotesmatter.org.uk/

Some interesting statistics here.

Yes vote Labour. As others have said. Starmer is very ruthless and throughout his life, it seems that he sets himself a goal and has always achieved it.

So since he has been the leader, he has set himself the goal of cleaning up the Labour Party and has achieved it in much less time people thought was possible. He is definitely a country before party man as well.

I also think that parliamentary standards will rise under his guidance and democracy will be the winner.

He is if you read anything about him more left leaning than the media suggest, and I think that this will be reflected in labours policies going forward.

I shall be the first to criticise, but I’m hoping that my criticisms will be few.

So join what seems to be a vast majority in the country snd vote Labour😀😀😀👍👍👍