I just voted Tory in this poll as they will probably get my vote. This is based on I only have the main three to choose from in my seat, I always look for an independent if possible. People keep there head down about voting Tory the same as they do if they voted Brexit. You are told you are wrong, pure and simple. Its easier to keep quiet and carry on. It always feel to me those to the left of centre have decided they have it all correct and I see non of the "liberal" attitudes or willingness to debate when you are on the right. Your just a wrong-un.
To be honest though, I think politics is in a shocking, shocking state. I don't like Boris, nor some of the tactics used by the Conservatives in this election, deplorable. My vote goes there purely as I have greater dislike for the others, what a sad state of affairs. All parties have lied and campaigned negatively. Neither of the Tory/Labour manifestos add up. I would say that we deserve better but in this social media driven life we build around ourselves, I am not sure that is true.
To me, despite my Brexit stance I have spoken of on here, I think the environment is by far the biggest issue of the day. The Green Party is the only party I have ever belonged to but I don't think there stance in many areas is rooted in any form of reality. Our parties are all chucking out soundbite driven policies but the environment issue requires a world agreement to get it put right and I do not see that happening from a world perspective. We are destroying the planet and I do not see mankind capable of self correcting. That's a cheery thought for you all. I suppose what I am saying is I feel pretty let down by politics and the divisions that Brexit threw up in general. I'll still vote though as I think its a really important thing to do by principle. I just cannot see anybody who represents what my beliefs are and none that inspire me to follow.
I've always objected to those on the left (far from all - I know plenty of people from all sides of the political divide who can see all sides of the argument, whatever side they come down on themselves) treating all Conservatives as evil, especially in the days when the vast majority of them weren't, and I think the left do themselves a great disservice by demonising those who don't agree with them, so I agree with Shhh there - indeed the most 'woke' lefties probably don't win anyone over by doing that and instead push some people into the Conservative/BXP camps when they might not have voted for right-wing parties otherwise.
I'm a floating voter who has voted Conservative more often than for the other parties (it's not that I didn't agree with some of Labour's aims, just that you can't achieve anything if you bankrupt the country) but I couldn't possibly vote Conservative nowadays because of their support for Brexit and their lurch to the right - they've lost their only real selling points (financial prudence, etc), the current cabinet is a bunch of little Englanders whose nastiness is only equalled by their complete incompetence, most of their decent MPs have been forced out or have decided not to stand again, they really are the nasty party these days. Also, much as they try to cling onto their unionist credentials in Scotland, by taking us to a hard or even no-deal Brexit if they get a majority, they'd have done more to ensure the break-up of the UK than Nicola Sturgeon ever could.
If I thought they had a cat's chance in hell of getting an overall majority, I wouldn't vote Labour either while the hard left are in control of it.
Under a full PR system, I'd vote Lib Dem this time, so I've selected that above. However, I agree with Bob that having started the Brexit fiasco with a referendum, it probably needs to be finished (one way or another) with another one, though obviously I'd be quite happy to see A50 revoked. I also think Jo Swinson has made herself look very naive more than a few times but she's still a better bet than Boris or Jeremy, who've made themselves look stupid even more often.
Anyway, there's no chance of the LibDems winning an overall majority, so ideally I'd like them to hold the balance of power in a hung parliament - hopefully we'd get another referendum that way and they'd prevent some of the worst extremes of the governing party. I think they managed the latter in 2010-15 (as well as could realistically be hoped given the relative sizes of the parties in parliament, I mean) and once the referendum has taken place, they might be able to help force another GE (though I realise the Tories and some of the rest of us may yet come to rue the Fixed Term parliament act even more) - a referendum followed by a GE was always the more sensible way round.
However, my constituency (Croydon Central) is a very tight Lab/Con marginal with the LibDems absolutely nowhere and the Labour candidate is a moderate, so unless the opinion polls change dramatically to suggest that Corbyn+SNP might get an overall majority (in which case, I will vote LibDem), I'll probably end up asking my proxy to cast a tactical vote for Labour.
I also agree with Shhh that the environment is the most important issue (though I'd say equal most important with Brexit, not least because Brexit in its current form seems very likely to be adverse for the environment too) and I'd happily vote for the Greens if only they would accept that you don't have to espouse fantasy left-wing economics to be green and if they didn't support independence in Scotland.
I imagine people from all parts of the political spectrum and none can probably find at least one thing to hate me for in the above, but there you go
Like Bob, if I could choose a PM at the moment, Dominic Grieve would be my first preference.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
It's always interestng writing things nobody will read
I replied to the last comment on page 1 yesterday and because my reply started a new page, didn't realise there was another full page of posts in between, but I found it this morning, read every word of your long post and found it hard to disagree with any of it. The Americanisation of politics in the UK (in all senses) is horrendous and it's difficult to see how it can be stopped, especially now that Boris is virtually going the full Trump and seemingly getting away with it ... I remember thinking not so long ago that Trump's approach could never work over here.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
So tomorrow is the big day. All I can say is that whichever side of the political spectrum you are on, or whichever side of the Brexit debate, I hope we can all take something positive from the eventual result, from whomever takes over the reins of government and from whatever policies they end up implementing.
I will be watching the results with interest, and more than a bit of trepidation. But as I keep reminding myself, whatever happens, life will go on.
Having been hardening a bit over the last weekend the Conservatives overall majority odds have slipped back again to the 2/5 on area and tipped for around 340 seats, which has been around the position for most of the campaign. Pretty strong odds but very far from being viewed as done deal odds.
So could many yet be persuaded away from currently intending to vote Tory? I am another who has voted Tory at various times in the past but certainly won't this time. There seem plenty like us but on the flipside there would be appear to be many who have rarely voted Conservative in the past but apparently intend to now ( assuming the polls are remotely accurate ).
But how many are totally convinced? Tomorrow folk have to make a decision whether they want to help hand that party an overall majority and confirm that man as PM with that lovely Mr Cummings giving his advice.
Sadly, the Green Party isnt contesting our seat. We have the main 3 and the Yorkshire Party.
Overall, the last polls seem to be suggesting that the Tory percentage lead is around 9-11 percent, with a seat range of 311 to 367 and a mid point majority of 28 on the You Gov poll that people seem to place a lot of store by...
Every trick in the book is coming out: Conservatives say they have seen postal votes early in various places and it all looks grim for Labour - possibly true on both counts. Definitely illegal for them to have seen them at all and for anyone to communicate any details onwards, as they and the BBC reporter now have. The tactical leak of such, the 'innocent mistake'Common tactic developed in the US by Newt Gingrich, primarily for down-ballot races. Works there without sanction so why wouldn't '51' Cummings give it a shot here too?
Add: won't be surprised at something like a Blair-ish landslide for the Tories, despite the polling (our polling is uniformly awful and outdated)..
-- Edited by Status Quo on Wednesday 11th of December 2019 05:34:33 PM
It is unconsciable to have a General Election in December.
Do they not know that at this time there's almost zero tennis with which to distract oneself!
Still dont think so. It will be constituency by constituency. Tories will win but theres still a decent chance of it being hung. And then we see who can form a coalition.