Precisely, vote who promises the changes YOU want. Not because of family pressure or 'tradition'.
Party support, why should it be for life?
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Precisely, vote who promises the changes YOU want. Not because of family pressure or 'tradition'.
Soldato
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If we all voted the same way for life, then there wouldn't be much point in voting as the result would always be the same. My vote is always up for grabs, although I rule the conservatives out, obviously.
I like this thread. It shows decent political scepticism is alive and well. I've voted in three general elections, and voted a different party each time: lib dem, tory and labour. Each time, I voted for the values the party prompted which most closely aligned with my own. I'm totally happy to continue 'switching sides' as the economic and social status of this country continue to change.
TLDR: I'll vote for what feels right for me and the country, not for who I've voted for before.
TLDR: I'll vote for what feels right for me and the country, not for who I've voted for before.
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Associate
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When I told an ex work colleague that I hadn't voted, he asked why, I said because you can't trust anything any of them say, his reply was "just guess"
I agree you can't believe what they say absolutely but surely you can agree that you have a vague idea of the kind of policies they're going to implement and following from that an idea of the direction you'd like the country to head politically?
Soldato
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I have met a few people from all walks of life who are consider themselves a one party for life type. Usually in those circumstances, it has been something of a tradition based on the fact their family has always voted for that party and it was frowned upon to vote otherwise, and for others it was based on economic situations that affected their area, and voted accordingly against the party that affected that. So an example would be some areas in the North West that were affected by Maggie Thatcher, and as such always vote Labour.
Soldato
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No contradiction there then!
I'm not loyal to one single party, but I know there's a particular party that will never get my vote so long as there's a hole where I sit.
I was an 80s child, from a single parent family who grew up in the Glasgow area. Thatcher would have put us all in a bag with a brick and threw us in the Clyde if she could. I remember watching the general election as a child and being gutted when they won another term. As a child, I genuinely couldn't understand why English people despised us so much.
I may have went on to join the top 5% of earners in the Country, which they no doubt identify as their target voter, but I also remain a human being with compassion and empathy. I don't see a pensioner's winter fuel allowance as a threat to my lifestyle, and I don't see the need to force disabled people from their homes in order to protect my current tax allowance.
The Tory party are disgusting.
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This is such a terrible attitude and has led us to having a two party system. This tactical voting completely undermines democracy and misses the point that we should be voting on principle, that is the way to bring about real change. The politicians should be pandering to us, not the other way around.
It is not going to change until the FTP system changes, or the lib dems become part of a coalition and do so well they become a force in politics. Its a 2 party system with some hangers on.
Soldato
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Yeah, it's a shame democracy gives us only two realistic choices and that's at least partly down to the daft "wasted vote" attitude and some don't want to be seen as backing a losing party either which is also stupid.
I tend to decide what I think is best for the country and world long term first and then consider my own situation second and usually the two are the same but not always
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Pretty much this. Last year I voted Conservative. A few days ago Invoted Labour. For me it's all about personal experience and how they affect me. Over the last year my wife has been in hospital a lot...
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They're just politicians, not really much different from those in other parties. Having to rely on emotive terms to demonise them stems from the same kind of thinking which leads people to vote a certain way for life which is where my earlier comment came from.
I think Labour's plans would have led to long term harm for more people in the country than the Conservatives, I don't need to call them monsters to get that across though and I wouldn't rule out voting for them despite a real dislike of Corbyn, they'd just have to do an awful lot of convincing.
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Agree. For anyone who doubtst the effectiveness of voting on principle, may I refer you to UKIP & the EU referendum.
I had a few ideas, but what's good for one isn't necessarily good for everyone else, plus the government has it's own agenda that will always take precedence.
Soldato
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The problem the Conservatives have, is that they exist to further the interests of the really wealthy, and this places them in a paradoxical situation. To gain office and power, they need to convince enough of us that in order to get a few rungs up the ladder of life, we need to stand on those below us. The more successful they are at convincing us of this, the more people there are with footprints on their face... and that's the very voter they need to continue their time in office. Theresa May is finding that out the hard way.
Think about what you have said about Labour, and why you couldn't vote for them. It appears to be long term harm that you fear, but harm to whom?
Also, you can't take any moral high ground by claiming they are "just politicians". The decisions they make can devastate people, and they are well aware of this when they make them. They are heartless, selfish and ruthless.
Well said.
The socialist direction Labour takes tends to reach a paradoxical position in the long term as has been proven time and time again where the redistribution of wealth has a negative effect on society due to its regressive direction of flow, disenchantment between people who see equality implemented in an apparent abstract manner which tends to result in a structural cascade failure as people lack incentive, individuality becomes suppressed - eventually to succeed socialism requires totalitarianism and no society can survive totalitarianism.
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I've never voted Tory but I have voted Lib Dem (when Labour were effectively Tory-lite), Labour (this time around) and green (mainly in locals and MEP). I wouldn't have any issue voting Tory if they put forward a candidate and policies I could support, it just hasn't happened in my voting life to date. My old man is a lifer though, effectively votes Tory because his father voted Labour, although I do believe he keeps abreast of the policies I'm not sure how much of a shift from his ideal it would take for the dislike of the Tories to overpower the tricky relationship he had with his Dad. Having said that he voted remain in the referendum because he said he wanted to represent the wishes of the next generation, that's not the response I would expect from a set in his ways voter of his generation so he clearly does have some flexibility.
Soldato
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typically I'm a Labour voter, but this time around I wasn't. Nothing against Corbyn, I just didn't have even the slightest faith Labour could deliver even half of what they proposed.