UKH

That's it really.

I'm not going to try and persuade you to vote this way or that, or push party propaganda in your direction, most of you don't agree with my politics and I don't agree with yours.

But that is irrelevant to the fact that we are lucky and we live in a democracy, everyone has a right to vote. Go and use your right. 

I voted on Monday! Best to beat the rush!

It isn't always that easy, 

I've voted in every election since 1970 and wouldn't normally consider not turning out but I am in a bit of a fix.

I've never voted anything other than Labour but my MP has put me in an awkward position; she resigned the whip earlier this year and voted against a second referendum. This ensures her popularity in a constituency which is a Labour stronghold but also an area of close to 70%  Brexit support. So, as a remainer I will be voting for a pro-Brexit MP.

It looks like I will be voting Labour for the worst of all reasons: because that's what I've always done.

I'm trying to get my head around this. If you know it's the worst of all reasons, why do it? What will happen if you don't? Will you feel disloyal or something? Do you feel you'll have let your side down?

Really not having a go, but genuinely tying to understand why an awful lot of people are probably going to do exactly what you're talking about today, and thus prolong the political ground-hog day that this country seems stuck in.

Given a choice between political groundhog day for a while longer, and the chance to prevent a disastrous no-deal by the end of next year that we'll be suffering from for decades, I'd hope any sane person would opt for groundhog.

I Absolutely agree, but actually I was talking about the wider issue of the political tribalism that we appear to have in this country, and have had since way before the brexit referendum.

It's not healthy, and it results in people voting for parties that no longer represent their views.

Perhaps this current sorry mess will at least result in more of the voting public actually making a choice, rather than voting the same way they always do.

Are you suggesting that I should not vote at all?

If everyone who shared my doubts abstained there is every chance that the Conservative or Brexit party would take the seat. That's probably justification enough.

Good post, and I agree. 

This current polarised, tactical voting mess makes me long for some system of proportional representation where you can vote for the party/politician you really believe in and know that your vote will count.

Absolutely not. You can vote in any way you see fit, as is your democratic right.

I'm just trying to understand the relatively common mindset people have of voting for a party because they always have, knowing that it's the "worst of all reasons" as you put it.

It is indeed the worst of all reasons so I will have to justify it to myself as a tactical vote  (though I always consider that as a poor excuse for a vote as well!)

I'd lay odds on the downvoters to my post being people who, given the choice between these two negatives (albeit one more enduring than the other), would be casting their votes today in favour of both of them!

sadly I live in a safe Labour seat, so I vote for the runner up to try to make the incumbent try harder, though I know it won't 

88% of Tory adverts are misleading - according to the Metro.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/10/investigation-finds-88-tory-ads-misleading-c...

Don't bring politics into this!

Ha.

Exactly.

That's a tough fix you're in, but if you're pro-remain and anti Tory I guess you've just got to be a tactical voter. As you vote just say to yourself that what you're doing is much better than either voting Tory, or for a third party who has no chance, or not voting at all. Not doing all those things easily outweighs your voting for a Labour candidate who you don't in your heart support..

If it'd said 88% of Labour adverts you'd have been pleased I posted it...freedom of speech is a part of our democracy. 

I find it very sad that people will not only vote but actually pay to vote to remove someone from a jungle or a house but don't vote for the people who run the country they live in. 

I postal vote these days, I missed the last General election because I was called out and the polls were shut when I got back from work. Even though I live in a safe seat and vote for the other side normally I still think I should vote. 

11 million people voted on Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. That's a lot, granted, but over three times that will go out in the rain and vote tonight. The argument of 'Why do people do X but don't vote' can be made until we have 100% turnout but is that even desirable?