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No one to vote for if a General Election was called now

(205 Posts)
MamaCaz Fri 29-Mar-19 09:46:10

I am sure that I am not alone in feeling that if a General Election was called right now, I would be totally stumped.

Despite what some will have deduced from my posts on the political threads, I am not a dyed-in-the-wool socialist, and have been known to vote both Labour and Conservative in past elections. I suppose that makes me a floating voter, though I am more swayed by how the party in power has behaved over the last term of office than I am by any unrealistic promises of what wonderful things they 'will' do after the election.
That is why,based on what I saw in Cameron's first term in office, I certainly wasn't prepared to vote Tory in 2015, or in 2017 when May called the election.

But who to vote for?

Labour would almost certainly get my vote now if it had a half-decent leader, but it has become increasingly obvious that under Corbyn, Labour stands little or no chance of winning an election, and even if they did, I think that chaos would ensue. It would be a disaster.
In fact, if they had a decent leader, I think that there is a strong chance that they would already be back in power.

Yet in my area (Leadsom's constituency), Labour is the only party that stands any chance whatsoever (with a miracle) of getting even close to challenging the Conservatives, who got over 62% of the vote in 2017.

The Lib Dems are showing little sign of recovery (is this their own failing, or are the media to blame for not allowing them enough coverage?)

In the absence of a system of PR, a vote for the smaller parties just feels like a totally wasted vote, in my region, anyway!

Everything considered, right now, if pushed, I would probably vote Lib Dem, for the simple reason that they have been against Brexit all along - it really angers me when (mostly) Tory brexiteers claim that all votes for both Labour and Conservative in 2017 count as support for Brexit, as if that was the only policy on their manifestos.

At least voting Lib Dem would remove my vote from that count, which has to be better than nothing.
Without even that option, I would feel totally disenfranchised!

Does anyone else feel the same?

Wobbles Fri 29-Mar-19 12:53:44

I've voted Labour my entire voting life but Cornyn has shown his inability to lead his party let alone a government.
Lib Dems, after their University U turn, hell will freeze over before I trust them.
I'm hoping an Independent candidate will stand but sadly believe we will be stuck with our true blue sycophant MP.

Anniebach Fri 29-Mar-19 12:56:39

A leader has to have the respect of their party, Corbyn does not

Grannybags Fri 29-Mar-19 12:58:55

Yes, I feel the same.

I have voted in every election since I was old enough and feel it is my duty to use my vote.

However there isn't a party at the moment that I could vote for so maybe it'll have to be the Monster Raving Loony party or similar!

MamaCaz Fri 29-Mar-19 13:02:09

I would say that there's not a cat in Hell's chance that Labour will get in under Corbyn.

Mind you, Cameron and his cohorts thought that about the chances of Leave winning the referendum when they decided to agree to one, and look where that has got us!

Pittcity Fri 29-Mar-19 13:07:44

I'm interested in what the new party, Change UK, will have to say if they're given a chance.

Anniebach Fri 29-Mar-19 13:21:58

Heidi Allen has been appointed interim leader of Change U.K.

GrandmaMoira Fri 29-Mar-19 13:30:50

I would usually vote Labour but voted Lib Dem at the last election as I do not like Corbyn. Next time, I will vote Lib Dem or Green (unless Labour has a moderate leader by then).

Jane10 Fri 29-Mar-19 13:42:18

It's not going to be easy here in Scotland. It has to be anyone but SNP as I don't want another nasty referendum. Will have to vote tactically. Current MP is Lib Dem and she's lost my vote after patronising 'we know best' response to my emails.

mcem Fri 29-Mar-19 14:18:50

My father always came out with the old "red rosette on a monkey" quote while voting in vain for Conservative.
However for many GE's ( since 1979) now we have returned an SNP candidate to WM.
Admittedly, this is an atypical constituency as my forefathers elected Wintson Churchill in 1908 when he was a liberal. In 1922 he came third to the Prohibitionist Scrymgeour.

jura2 Fri 29-Mar-19 15:11:46

For the past 48 years, I have always known as I voted, that due to FPTP system, my vote would end up in the bin. But I feel totally disenfranchised now- like 10000s - and would have to vote for Libs Dems or Greens, tactically. There could be, just could be - a 'revolution' this time- as 10000s will not vote for Corbyn's Labour, despite being LP members all their life- and certainly could not vote for Tories - so huge numbers will be split between Greens, Lib Dems, Ukip and whatever party Farage comes up with.

mcem Fri 29-Mar-19 15:17:04

I realise that with such shaky constitutional stability, this is not the time but FPTP has to go.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 29-Mar-19 16:16:38

Haven’t we had a vote on FPTP V Proportional Representation and FPTP won?

paddyann Fri 29-Mar-19 16:35:43

SNP here ,only folk that talk any sense as far as I can see .My condolences to all who have unionist eegits and nothing else worth voting for .

Granny23 Fri 29-Mar-19 16:35:51

We had a local Council by-election here yesterday in a rock solid Labour ward. However the SNP won by a mile over Labour (who did virtually No Campaigning) Tories third then, way below, each with a handful of votes, LDs, then Greens then UKIP.

My SNP colleagues who were canvassing , told me that the found many people on the doorstep saying they would never bother to vote again as it was all a complete shambles, but in the event the turnout was 35% - i.e. average for a single ward By-election.

Cherrytree59 Fri 29-Mar-19 17:25:03

In the local Elections there will probably be a considerable amount of protest votes with party such as the Greens picking up seats.

In a General election it is possible that a Brexit Party and a ProEuropean Party will go head to head and leave the Tory and Labour party with their mouths wide open shockshock

varian Fri 29-Mar-19 17:32:14

We have never had a vote on Proportional Representation. There was a vote on the Alternative Vote which would be a slight improvement on FPTP, but it is not PR.

MaizieD Fri 29-Mar-19 17:38:30

I wouldn't be surprised, Cherrytree if the same thing didn't happen in a General Election. There are lots of unhappy people out there...

Perhaps that might give the PR movement a shove...

Luckygirl Fri 29-Mar-19 18:08:07

The trouble is that the smaller opposition parties represent a totally wasted vote round here. Why these parties do not put aside their individual ambitions and just field one candidate for the greater good I will never know.

It is hard as the sitting MP is honest, hardworking, has integrity, caring and all that one might wish of constituency MP. The only downside is that he is a Tory.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 29-Mar-19 18:14:36

Varian, thank you, I am “jet-lagged” no excuse for getting it wrong though.
I remembered we had a vote on something to do with “voting” x

Iam64 Fri 29-Mar-19 19:00:18

Good post MamaCaz, especially as we can't rule out/or in, having a general election before long. I'm life long Labour voter, except in locals when I've voted LibDem occasionally in the past when they had a better chance of beating the tories. I voted Green in the last local elections because our long standing Labour council is dreadful. Yes, I know about the cuts and accept the impact but the Council are complacent because they've ruled so long, they have no vision - back to the idea of a GE

I'd vote for our current Labour MP because he's hard working and very active on local as well as national issues. He's in his 70's now, if he was replaced by a momentum type, I'd vote Green I expect. Yes, it's a 'wasted' vote but I couldn't vote for a Corbynista.

Listening to radio phone ins, it seems it doesn't matter which party you support, the majority of people are increasingly angry at the mess our Parliament continues to make of Brexit while serious national issues aren't being addressed effectively.

maddyone Fri 29-Mar-19 19:21:43

I also live in a strong Conservative constituency, and I’m not convinced that at the last election it wasn’t a goat with a blue ribbon who won! We certainly never hear from him in parliament or the press, and I’ve never once seen him interviewed on national news. In addition, I’ve written (emailed) him twice, he has only replied to one of my emails, completely ignoring the second. I won’t be voting for him needless to say, should there be an election. I certainly won’t vote Labour, so I may wait to see who the next leader of the Lib Dems will be, but I certainly wouldn’t vote for them under Vince Campbell, my opinions on him are really not suitable to write down for all our lovely Gransnetters to read! I may see if any minority parties put up, or I may spoil my ballot paper. How shocking is that, I’ve never been so radical!
I think those who live in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland are lucky in that they have their additional nationalistic parties to vote for if they choose to do so. Unfortunately my choice is more limited.
I do feel I should vote, even though I am disillusioned, as women fought and died so I can have the vote. To be honest I despair of politics and politicians at the moment.

Alima Fri 29-Mar-19 19:24:52

Should a GE be held after we leave the EU I will vote for our current MP Kit Malthouse who is a decent and hard working MP who voted in the Brexit debates as the majority of his constituents wished. Should a GE be held after they decide to Revoke article 50 I don’t think my vote will be worth a jot so what would be the point.

Iam64 Fri 29-Mar-19 19:33:07

maddyone - I worry about Sin Fein who represent the republican vote but as you know don't take their seats because they can't pledge allegiance to the queen (please correct me if I'm wrong on this anyone)
That leaves NI represented by the DUP who certainly don't reflect the majority of voters on many issues but especially on Brexit where the majority voted Remain.

We are a marginal constituency, until 1997 we were one of those constituencies that indicated which party would win a majority. The fact we have a good MP, who is local, lives locally, children went to local schools, he and his family use the local hospital etc etc means he gets in with a (shrinking) majority. The town is a Leave town so he walks a fine line representing his constituency - our bit of town would be Remain.
Complicated isn't it.

grumppa Fri 29-Mar-19 19:39:53

I have never lived in a marginal constituency, so in a sense my vote is always wasted.

But I want my vote to be counted because it contributes to measuring tbe support that whatever party I voted for actually got in the country.

I am impressed with our Labour candidate, who might actually stand a chance against tbe nice but dim Brexiteer Tory we are landed with but, never while JC is their leader.

maddyone Fri 29-Mar-19 19:47:50

Iam64, yes you’re right, I didn’t think about that, I was just thinking that they have more choice than I do.
I think it will be a much more complicated election, if there is one. Many more issues to consider, although I suspect it will be dominated by the EU issue.