[Closed] Who is going to vote in the elections,and why?

I shall vote. Because I CAN. People have died to give me that right and whoever is in government, no matter how bad they may be, has been elected by a democratic vote. If you don't vote, you have no place moaning about them either.

You should be able to abstain if you don't like any of the candidates

Because Vince Cable is my local MP and I want it to stay that way.

I will vote, if only for the fact that I will only have myself to blame if I don't do so & the lot that gets in start doing things that I don't like.

I live in a pretty marginal seat, but it's blue or red only here; yellow doesn't count - yet. (Currently blue but could go either way)

TBH in my opinion the best we can hope for is a hung parliament with LibDems holding the Kingmaker card. Labour as they are today are all washed up, but will "Call Me Dave" & his mob be any better? LibDems don't have a hope in hell of actually [i]winning[/i] this election, but this country needs a credible alternative to the Labour/Conservative (non-)options

You should be able to abstain if you don't like any of the candidates

You can. Go in and spoil your voting card. At least it gets counted that way.

no, cos i never have, cos they are all eerrmm shyte.

Me. Because it sustains the illusion of democracy

May vote, bit pointless though really, my area is tory fullstop and tbh they are all freeloading c*%nts whatever brand. {apart from vince who is ok and boris who is entertaining)

If their are more people who abstain in a constituency then no MP should be returned

PP well put

I'm voting despite the futility of the act in West Oxfordshire!

lib dem

Vote for the con-servatives and you get a greasy blair clone,with the plastic family.

At least thatcher was somenbody you could hate for a long time.Where as cameron will be gone soon after,and soon forgotten,who remembers Vague haigh.

who remembers Vague haigh

Is that the same one who is now Shadow Foreign Secretary and is in the news almost every day ?

Yes, I think I do.

I will when they add "none of the above" to the voting slip.

If you don't vote - you really can't complain when it doesn't go your way later on!

Plus, not voting is a right we still have in the UK; not so in OZ where it's a offence.

The TV debate will, I think, be hugely influential. It might get an otherwise apathetic (towards politics) population up off their backsides - something that's not been the case for a while.

But really, what's the difference? More of the same "v" something similar? Unless something monumental happens I'm not turning out for the political elite.

I'll be voting, its my chance to say who I want. Doubt it'll have any huge effect but I'll have had 'my say'

lib dem, just cos it's not the other.

If you don't vote - you really can't complain when it doesn't go your way later on!

They can and they will.

Probably louder than most people.

Labour, as I don't want Dave in yet.

Tempted by Lib Dems too.

Will have to look at at what the Libs policies are.
Voted for them locally in Bristol.

Just been on the lib dem site-I don't agree with fee free university though. They have nice ideas but how to pay for it???

The Tories website is pretty good but to make massive cutbacks how can they promise all these things.

Labour's site is dull but at least they don't promise anything...tick!

people die for franchisement.
if you don't vote you have no right to complain about who got in.
I will never trust a politician but I will fight to the death for the right to vote.

VOTE

REVOLUTION

Anyone?

As others have said because the bottom line is people have made the ultimate sacrifice so I can live in a democracy.

[i]REVOLUTION

Anyone?[/i]

in this country? not a chance. As soon as anything kicks off, we'll all be at the back of the queue going "no, after you" and "shocking weather"

With the massive amounts of tax cash these days corruption is rife. Pre election principals seldom last the full term.Do we really have freedom of choice,of speech,of religion? Democracy? Do we really have 'representation'? I don't know....... but I've got a pointy stick

revolution? hahhaahahahahahaha.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAAHHAHHAHAH

The proportions of votes cast for each party nationally affects their rights to election advertising and possibly some funding, too. Maybe other things. So while voting against the sitting candidate in a safe seat doesn't do much it does do a little.

Just been in the garage. Now have a chainsaw :|.......... and a pointy stick. Fight anyone?? People have maimed and killed for my right to maim and kill
😕

We've had our Revolution JAM29er ......

[img] [/img]

[i]Gawd bless you Maggie[/i]

If I submitted a spoiled paper that would be counted as a spoiled paper, not as a 'voter deliberately spolied paper to show his distrust of the entire system. They know how many people live in Britain who are able to vote so the best thing you can do to show you think they're all shysters is not vote at all.

I certainly don't get this complaining thing either. I don't vote because I don't believe anything any of them say. Why would I then bitch about the ones who got in? That doesn't make sense. If I voted because people made it illegal not to or because someone guilted me up to vote for just anyone, *then* I would be complaining like crazy.

made a generation uber rich. a 3rd world ultra poor. I'd have poked her first 😉

So why exactly does not voting exclude people from having an opinion? The day my party loses by 1 vote because I didn't bother turning up is the day I'll accept that argument. (yes yes, if everyone thought like that blah blah blah...)

Spoiling a vote is essentially pointless because spoiled votes are not split into deliberate (by reason) or accidental and no real attention is paid to them. In addition the very act of turning up to vote/spoil is an endorsement of Parliamentary Democracy run by a "professional", party based, political class - a system I believe is inherently flawed.

So no matter who I vote for or even if I spoil my vote it still won't "go my way", but do I have to go through the motions before I'm allowed an opinion further down the line?

What if I decided to establish a party and attempted to change the system from within because I disagree with it? Would this action be considered to be based on an illegitimate opinion because I'd not ticked a box a couple of years previously?

Until there's a genuine "none of the above" box to tick which would automatically trigger a proper look at establishing a truly representative system of democracy upon gaining a majority then I'm ****ed if any of them are getting me in a voting booth.

I will never vote conservative. And I will never vote Labour or Lib-Dems.

Just hope there is some alternative by May 6th???

In Germany a poor performing head of government has been known to shoot himself. In the USA someone will usually attempt to do it for them. The French have been known to guillotine particularly obtuse public servants.

Over here we simply re-elect them.

REVOLUTION? - no need, we have the right to vote.

Protest voting is better than not voting at all. Gives your protest double weight - if you simply don't vote for your usual mob, that's just one vote taken away, but if you vote for another party that's not just a vote taken away, but one added to the other side.

That's what gives pollies sleepless nights. Voter apathy doesn't bother them at all.

[i]Protest voting is better than not voting at all. Gives your protest double weight - if you simply don't vote for your usual mob, that's just one vote taken away, but if you vote for another party that's not just a vote taken away, but one added to the other side.[/i]

Like Brewsters Millions?

lol at epicyclo. I'm glad voting makes you feel better

I'll probably vote for Plaid Cymru, or not at all.

All governments naturally lean and drift towards fascism, the totalitarian state whatever you want to call it. It's a marriage between big business and big government, but they like to keep up the pretence of democracy by letting us put a tick in a box every few years. I ask you, will it really make such a huge difference which party gets in? Try to remember how so many people were so excited when Blair got in first time, a change at last, things would start to get so much better, more equality, less corruption etc. etc.

The European Union as it has turned out to be was the Nazis idea originally, read The Tainted Source by John Laughland for the real history of Europe.

Arthur Miller said something about how it's really hard to give up believing that the government has our best interests at heart, and that society somehow has to make sense. So it ends up being another thing which has to be denied internally, in order to make life more bearable.

2 million + people marched in protest to try to prevent us going to war in Iraq. The government ignored them, and given the small percentage of the electorate who actually voted for them, I don't see how that can be considered a democracy.

Saddam Hussein claimed to be a democrat, as do Mugabe and many other distasteful characters.....I'm with JAM29er

i'm glad people fought for my freedom not to vote if it's the course of (in)action i choose to take

i'm not giving my endorsement to someone who i feel doesn't deserve it, just because they may be mildly less vile than anyone else on offer

party politics should be culled

I believe in Australia if you don't vote, and you were eligible, you're fined. The correct approach.

Don't agree with the candidates? Write an essay on the back of the poll card and hand that in instead. In my mind, not voting because they're "all shyte" is shorthand for "I'm a lazy **** who can't be arsed."

[i]Write an essay on the back of the poll card and hand that in instead.[/i]

Why would one of the monkeys counting the cards want to read that?

You've got a fair point on the **** thing. I can be arsed though, I just need something decent, honest and good to vote for, and I'm not seeing it.

yup as alrady said , people have died so i can , still not sure, still want to know what they think / say about immigration etc, not the bull shit about tax rebaits etc that the country cannot afford to pay out ,

Read Seeing by Jose Saramago.

I have always exercised my vote as the above novel describes - I submit a blank ballot paper. It's the closest I have to hedging my bets.

If you're not sure who to vote for, try [url= http://voteforpolicies.org.uk/ ]this site[/url]. I'm not 100% convinced how independent it really is, but it lets you compare a set of policies without attributing them to their owning party before revealing how you'd actually vote for to get those policies implemented. I guess the problem is that any party actually stands for a set of policies that (they claim) work together, so by cherry picking policies you'd end up with a flawed system and a failing economy - hmmm...

OR for the cynincs - [url=

along to this[/url]

I'm waiting to see the candidates pictures then I'm going to vote for the prettiest lad. If the're no ladies, I'll vote for the ginger one with a beard.

I'll vote for the ginger one with a beard.

I hate to have to break it to you like this, but Robin Cook is dead.

I believe in Australia if you don't vote, and you were eligible, you're fined. The correct approach.

While I agree that people should vote, I'm not sure forced voting makes any sense at all.

people died so that we , th eplebs, could have a say in who our masters were. People fight wars still for this right. If you see no need in using yours , the powerful, have again won the war.
It is shame so few people vote and yet so many moan about politicians

A vote for any other party is one less vote for those BNP scumbags, who are currently 4th in the polls. I will be voting purely to keep them out of power. Fascist Scum who base their policies on race have no place in British politics, many fought and died to make that so!

How many times a day do you masturbate?

A. 5
B. 10
C. 15

You *must* answer.

It is a foregone conclusion that Gary Streeter (cons.) will win here, though the way usually fond way people seem to talk about him locally, I wonder how much that has to do with his own popularity rather than the conservative party he represents. Nevertheless I will be voting for the next most popular candiate (irrespective of my leftist views) because that is all you can do in a constituency in this one with the silly system we have over here.

politics = Toss.

[i]While I agree that people should vote, I'm not sure forced voting makes any sense at all. [/i]

how can you force someone to vote ?

I don't actually have to do anything if I don't want to.

well labservative economic policy has had its day imho, although castirondaves bias towards helping the rich at the expense of the poor, really puts me off him them, not to mention the thought of osborne and the economy

im still in a sulk about the iraq war which both parties voted for

so ill have to vote limp dem, hopefully they will get enough power in a hung parliament to force through PR

although i suspect their overall financial policy will be more of the same, despite the wise words of the 'prescient' vince cable

I'll be voting Green, like I always have done.

And I always make sure that I vote. I know that the Green Party aren't going to beat everyone else, but that doesn't mean my vote doesn't count.

i too would vote green, if it wasnt for their attitude toward scientific research

how can you force someone to vote ?

I don't actually have to do anything if I don't want to.

Please read the rest of the thread.

I know that the Green Party aren't going to beat everyone else, but that doesn't mean my vote doesn't count.

But it does mean it effectively counts for nothing.

Right, I've been on the beeb site to find out who the PPC are. I have the choice of -

[b]Oli de Botton (lab)[/b]
[img] [/img]

No bloke with a name that sounds like french for 'oil the bottom' is getting my vote.

Next up
[b]Peter Lilley (con)[/b]
[img] [/img]
Famous for singing at one Tory conference -
[i]I've got a little list
Of benefit offenders who I'll soon be rooting out
And who never would be missed
They never would be missed

There's those who make up bogus claims
In half a dozen names
And councillors who draw the dole
To run left-wing campaigns
They never would be missed
They never would be missed

Young ladies who get pregnant just to jump the housing list
And dads who won't support the kids of ladies they have ... kissed
And I haven't even mentioned all those sponging socialists
I've got them on my list
And there's none of them be missed
There's none of them be missed.[/i]

Next.

[b]Nigel Quinton (libdem)[/b]
[img] [/img]
Don't know anything about him, but I hate Nigels and adding the last name Quinton makes things worse. Plus he looks like Napoleon Dynamite 40 years on.

Last
[b]Richard Wise (green)[/b]
[img] [/img]
Hasn't even got a ginger beard! Though I guess it might have been once.

It's like peering into a tin of quality street and finding all that's left are some coffee creams, crap toffees and some empty wrappers.

Mmmmmmm, coffee creams. Yum.

Hello. I feel the tragic events that happened in Poland with their leader being killed is something that got me thinking. Would this country mourn in the same way for Brown, Cameron or any of the others? Probably not.

We haven't had a leader in decades, someone to take the country by the scruff of the neck and sort out all the problems in a fair manner and give people back the belief we all need.

Unfortunately, most people vote for a party that suits their needs not the needs of the country and the politicians play on this.

I will vote (probably Lib-Dem), but this country needs serious change for it to be a better place.

Anyway, rant over and hope you have an enjoyable week.

I'm sure no one would miss Brown period!

We should all vote, its our right as been said before people died to make that so.

Please no one vote the vile baffon Brown and his henchman Mandleson back in, libdem, green, conservative whatever.. just no more BROWN!

I would vote but my polling both is nearly 8 miles away. If everyone else has the same booth as me the queue in oxford will be horrendous. Last time it was 5 minutes walk away.

I don't get it and think it must be an error. Anyone else found this?

khewett i suspect his wife and kids might

I shall vote. Because I CAN. People have died to give me that right and whoever is in government, no matter how bad they may be, has been elected by a democratic vote. If you don't vote, you have no place moaning about them either.

People died for the right [i]not[/i] to vote, I think you mean.

In other words, for freedom of choice, the right to protest, the right not to vote if there is not a valid choice.

I probably will just because I feel I ought to but there's really sod all point, the Tories got over 50% last time and a mahooosive majority, so a bnit of a wasted vote. Some kind of proportional/transferable vote (ha just realised that wouldn't matter in my constituency anyway) system can't come soon enought imo.

I will vote as I feel I have no right o whinge about them being unfair if I didn't have my say in electing them when I had the chance. Plus they pay my wages as a teacher although their being ominously quite on the revolutionizing education front so far.. It can't last.

2 reasons for me to vote:

1. The polling station is my local pub
2. They do take away curries

Oh and I'd hate it if the tories got in

The European Union as it has turned out to be was the Nazis idea originally, read The Tainted Source by John Laughland for the real history of Europe.

Politics has got to change - so make sure you vote for someone other than labour / conservative. I'm in Scotland so its simple to choose SNP just to keep the other twunts out!

"[Don't vote; it just encourages them]"

Billy Connolly

Also from same

"[The desire to be a politician should get you banned for life from ever being one]"

If you think the first attempt at political and economic union in Europe came after 1933, you don't know much history.

Indeed. That little guy who invented those very useful pockets which some cycling jackets have,
had a go at it a few years earlier.

Indeed. That little guy who invented those very useful pockets which some cycling jackets have,
had a go at it a few years earlier.

Julius Ceasar?

Can't remember, might have been. How tall was Julius Caesar ?

Anyone who thinks that the system of government that would arise if voting in free elections ceased to legitimate the government would be better than the current system is almost unbelievably optimistic.

Also, a lot of the stuff about how "there's no difference between the parties" etc is a very simple commentary on a nuanced set of ideas about how something inordinately complex might be best done. If you reckon you can't perceive the difference between Labour and Conservative approaches to the management of the national system of education, that implies that (at the very least) you are pretty familiar with quite a lot of material relating to both sets of ideas, and are also [i]au fait[/i] with the system of education as it exists at present. If that isn't true, then you've got 2 choices. You can either spend some time educating yourself until you know for sure that "there's no difference", or you can not bother and just have a lazy and ignorant opinion. Either option is fine, but if you think having a lazy and ignorant opinion about something you don't understand means that you shouldn't vote "because it isn't worth it" then it isn't politics, it's you, frankly. 🙂

People died for the right not to vote, I think you mean.

a lot of the stuff about how "there's no difference between the parties"

That is because the reality is, that there is almost no difference between Labour, Conservatives, and the LibDems. On all the important issues their policies are almost indistinguishable. None of them say black, whilst the others say white. They all agree that grey is what the electorate should be offered. The only thing in dispute is which shade of grey.

In fact, the three parties main objective this election, will be to find cunning ways to fabricate differences between themselves. Differences which can then be sold to the electorate.

The irony of it all is, that the reason they all share almost identical policies, is that those policies have been identified as the ones which appeal most to the electorate.

Of course that isn't to say there isn't a choice this election. There are obviously other parties apart from the ones which most people vote for.

To make the election more relevant, perhaps we should bring it down to bikes.

Would you buy a bike of Gordon Brown,mature, and a good rider, hanles downhills and up hills well, shows no signs of tireing,

David camera-ooooon,rides a bike but concerned wearing a helmet makes him look silly, has a car following him incase he has a puncture,

Or
whatever the other chap is called,hasnt ever ridden a bike,and hasnt shown any potential to even know what a bike is.