Strategic voting, democracy and change

[brand]

If you've got no interest in politics vote for Labour.

That's an oxymoron!

 

[brand]

Labour might not have as many at present, but will be catching up fast after the next election.

Due in some way by the Labour cabinet ministers who have put their children before party conviction and sent their kids to private schools. I can't see why anyone would vote for a party that has the doctrine "do as I say, not as I do" (and that's at least the main 3)

Are you talking Diane Abbot? An MP who constantly slagged MPs who sent their children to private school

Abbott's decision in 2003 to send her son to the private City of London School, which she herself described as "indefensible" and "intellectually incoherent",

and promptly did the same herself. When picked up on this

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/diane-abbott-i-sent-my-son-to-private-230293
She should have got parliamentarian hypocrite of the....decade...at least.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

When i have abstained, i've done so because it feels like the 'none of the above' option. I know people who routinely spoil their voting slip... but that just makes sure the politicians that someone else voted for gets in, a bit like abstaining.

When you live in a safe seat then unless you want the candidate who is 'safe' to win then there's very little difference between spoiling your paper and voting for one of the guaranteed losers. I refuse to be inactive, so I go and spoil my ballot.

I was listening to a debate on women in parliament yesterday on R5 where it was mentioned that the Conservatives have 295 safe seats (these are remembered 'facts' spouted by a LibDem politician, feel free to correct me if they are wrong) and so that's 295 seats where anyone who doesn't want to vote Conservative has no worthwhile voice thanks to first past the post. Her actual point was that the Conservative party could put women candidates in those seats and massively increase the number of women in parliament in one fell swoop.

So start by working out if your voice means anything in your particular constituency.

 

[Profpointy]

remember that Neil Hamilton was in one of the safest seats in the country, but his constituents gave him the order of the boot just the same.

And remember the punishment a lot of safe Tory seats got when Blair first got in and the electorate wanted a change.

The voters will go along with things quite a lot of the time, and a given constituency will usually vote as you'd expect - but when the wind of change blows through, anyone can be out on their arse however "safe" their seat.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

remember that Neil Hamilton was in one of the safest seats in the country, but his constituents gave him the order of the boot just the same.

Do you blame them?

 

[Markymark]

Do you blame them?

He's coming back as a UKIP moron.

EDIT Sorry, just realised that 'UKIP moron' was a tautology.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

He's coming back as a UKIP moron.

Why does that not surprise me

 

[Markymark]

Why does that not surprise me

 

[Deleted member 26715]

They'd flock to the opening of an envelope if they thought they'd get some publicity

 

[Profpointy]

He's coming back as a UKIP moron.

I'd be somewhat surprised if he gets elected; assuming the other parties don't club together and choose Gary Glitter as their joint candidate

 

[Markymark]

I'd be somewhat surprised if he gets elected; assuming the other parties don't club together and choose Gary Glitter as their joint candidate

I'd imagine he's quite popular amongst UKIP supporters and sadly there's a few of those.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I'd imagine he's quite popular amongst UKIP supporters and sadly there's a few of those.

I think even UKIP supporters are too discerning to vote them in. Aside from the racism they tend to also think that they are anti-politics and while UKIP voters are being played by most of the politicians looking to get their vote, I think the Hamiltons are too obviously corrupt for even UKIP voters to miss it.