how can i vote in the next election

I feel the same way Petunia and I'm wondering whether to vote Liberal or Green. Sadly I believe that their lack of experience and frankly, common sense is a worry. I cannot abide my local MP as I also think her behaviour over this matter is terrible (I'm wondering if she's the same - initials AS?) though I cannot bring myself to spoil my ballot paper or not bother at all, especially when you recall all the difficulties women had to get the vote.

BRedhead59 Tue 15-Jan-19 11:41:33
"Remember for the spoilt ballot paper to be counted you must deface inside the box only. If you scribble right across it -it doesn't count." I didn't know that, I wrote right across the paper when I abstained. Does that mean I have to write I abstain in very small letters?

Even if you are in a safe seat area it is worth voting because you may be able to reduce their margin. It is all you can do to express how you feel and encourage others to do the same.

Sorry but could someone please explain to me the difference between a referendum and a people’s vote?

I am not politically minded and believe politicians are mostly self seeking liars, but I always make the effort to vote as it gives me the right to moan about the outcome ?. I don’t think anyone who has not bothered to vote has any right to then complain about what is going on in the country.

What on Earth could anyone have against Education. It didn’t divide the country!!

I do wish everyone would STOP calling it #another referendum# What is being asked for is a PEOPLE'S VOTE now that the damage which is likely to be done with Brexit is better understood (no clarity or plan as seems to be normal with this government and its opposition ......There never WAS a plan, just empty promises God knows why people believed them ....maybe because they felt disenfranchised and forgotten (which, lets face it, many across society were) and along came a promise of a better future ...Utopia even ...where there would be billions for the NHS, jobs for everyone, benefits for those that needed them, just what the people wanted ....and so they were caught ! NOW (some) of the facts are known, it is useful for the government to keep blaming the EU ...but they seem to forget it was Cameron and the UK that started this .....if discussions had been held cross party (not that a cage full of monkeys would be any better than this lot) and solutions sought things may have worked out better. Instead, empty promises were made ..just like Hitler made to the Germans before WWII ...the German people were hungry and had no future but Hitler promised a golden future .......sound familiar ? The UK is ripe for a coup ...watch China ...billions of Chinese money invested in the UK ..why, one wonders ?? softly softly ..........Hoi fat Choi .... I am a Remainer and take the word of Rudyard Kipling into account ..IF you can keep you head when all about are losing theirs .....and blaming it on you ........

and the Desiderata ....Go placidly among the noise and haste .......

I despair !.......................

It seems that our vote doesn’t mean much, if they have
another referendum.
I voted to remain but those who didn’t won the vote, we have to respect that and deal with the situation.
These slippery Tory’s are set to distroy this country.
This is a Democratic Country we mustnt let that be destroyed.
Sadly there is no party that is considering the people of this country, I have always voted labour but don’t think I will again.

I just don’t understand any feminist voting Lib Dem? Baffling to me with their self ID! They clearly hate women.

Absolute I have to vote as it’s ingrabed in me from generations who fought in both wars and the brave women who fought for us to have the vote but my God it’s hard!!

Of course Corbyn Abbott and Mc Donald are utterly incompetent. Abbott seems certifiable in most of her interviews. No dought a good local MP but a minister?? Totally not able to get across any brief.

Corbyn has never run anything he’s an eternal rebel. Most adults progress beyond their teenage rebel years and he hasn’t. He’s never matured. He actually probably would hate to be PM because he knows deep down he would actually have to deliver rather than criticise. Poor old sod.

I wish to God Yvette Cooper had won. I think she would have worked more with May to produce some sort of Brexit the country could rally round.

Anyway I will vote but have no idea who for!!

Although I would actually call myself a Lib-Dem, as there is insufficient representation in parliament I will vote labour. I am not entirely convinced by JC, however who’s to say his own party would not replace him if they did get into power.
And if labour do not deliver the goods we all get another choice in 5 years time........unlike the brexit vote! I voted to remain and now I hear from industry and see how the NHS and businesses have been and are going to be affected I would do the same again. Some friends voted for Brexit as a “protest” vote against the risible situation between the Cameron-led Tories and UKIP......they are now desperately hoping for a Peoples’s Vote in order to vote for what they believe in. Lesson learned is to vote for the party that offers the nearest to your ideal. Why refuse to vote or spoil your vote as a protest, it achieves nothing. Mr Bloggs, leader of the “Whatever” party isn’t going to worry what you think of him when he’s in power! It would be far better to cast your vote for the “best of a bad bunch”. Someone WILL win, whether you like them or not, so why not try and support those you dislike the least.

I believe that in all elections, there should be a box that you could tick to show that you do NOT want to vote for any of the above. In this way you are registering your vote and these could also be counted and listed along with the other votes. I couldn't vote for any of the politicians at the moment but I resent the idea that I would have "spoiled" my vote. I'd have chosen my vote and want it registered as such!

Proportional representation looks good on paper, in theory the multiple parties scramble to make deals and form aliances with each other behind doors and in the process completely sell out their voters. Just look at how coalitions have worked here so far. Proportional representation = coalitions on steriods, with parties doing complete 180s on the very policies that got them voted in in order to join the leading alliance.

Grass isn't greener.

I feel that if we don’t leave the European Union because of politicians sly tactics then democracy doesn’t exist in this country anymore. There was a democratic vote and the people spoke, if that is manipulated then I won’t vote again.

The way I see it. I voted ‘Leave’ and it should be just that - time will tell. If Brexit goes pear-shaped or doesn’t happen, I feel inclined to never ever vote again. What a scenario if all Leavers never voted again! All party MP’s should be getting their heads together and see through to what the country voted for - LEAVE. It’s pretty clear.

In response to Petunia - I hope there will be no election before Brexit is settled. BUT if not, the characteristics of candidates would not be relevant. Simply which party would represent us in the negotiations best (well least badly).

Maybe look for a party, the greens, an Independent or even stand yourself, just so long as you vote for somebody you believe in, (or write “a plague on all your houses” on the ballot paper), even if as our current system forces upon you, it is actually not going to make a vast difference. I am just reading Neville Shute’s ‘In the Wet’ which whilst fiction and written in 1954, suggests multiple votes for different types of people, an interesting idea. Me, I am all in favour of proportional representation, but don’t actually believe it will occur during my lifetime since it would defeat our current crop of “professional” politicians who, as a class, are appalling people.

I won't be voting SNP, that I do know. Nicola Sturgeon is so obsessed with independence that she is happy ignore an NHS in decline, whose performance on just about every level is on a downward slide. And all this on record funding, as the SNP like to remind us constantly.

From a world class education system Scotland's schools are now sliding down the PISA ratings and they cannot recruit staff. Attainment is stalling and that of children living with deprivation is below the levels of other countries.

As for no university fees - that's only applicable to the young people who can actually get into university. Approximately a quarter of Scottish applicants are turned down for a place at a Scottish university which means we're missing out on talent, plus only half of medical school places go to Scottish students.

My student medic dd hopes to leave Scotland when she is qualified as she doesn't want to live in the parochial, nationalistic society that much of Scotland has become. If she does, that means three out of four of my dc have taken their not inconsiderable talents elsewhere. They don't want to be big fish in a small pond which I guess is why Alex Salmond has always preferred Westminster to Holyrood.

A good friend who has been a Labour supporter all their life tells me they are considering voting anything but next time round, however, a Tory friend tells me the same should be interesting! I think I will look closely at the Independents on the ballot paper although writing what I think instead might be an option.

The Lib Dems have been out of power for so very long that they are out of touch in every way, and they are highly likely never to be in power again I should think.
The present Labour lot are a shower and would ruin the country, and the Conservatives are torn apart just now.
The Greens are just laughable.
So, doing as David1968 suggests and writing on our ballot paper what we really think is a pretty good idea.

Ohhps meant ‘ panning out not paining out’ but actually perhaps the computer knows something I don’t ?

Wait to see what the situation is at the time, hopefully we should all have a better picture of how it’s all paining out by then.
That’s Hopefully with a capital H.?

Women died to give women the vote. Not to vote is so wrong.... You have to use the vote these women died for to give you.

My area is a massive conservative stronghold, and until the way the count is changed I'm out. I haven't voted for a long time (actually since we moved here) apart from Brexit, as votes were counted fairly for that.

I wouldn't vote for Corbyn and I wouldn't vote Conservative (although I do find Boris quite interesting, so if he got to be leader I might seriously look at his manifesto!) . We need a whole new dynamic.

Its disgraceful that people won't vote after others have fought and died to get us the vote. I don't like JC but I will vote still vote labour to keep the NHS and get more social housing and hopefully put people first.

Turn the question round. Someone WILL form the next government. In deciding where to place your vote - you need to know how you rank the possible future governments- so effectively you vote for your 'least awful'.