Unfortunatley....

[thealbionfan]

Worthing man also,usualy vote Labour.But as that is a waste of time in this town i wont be bothering this time arround.

It is depressing that you feel this way and, believe me, I know where you are coming from, but you really should vote...

 

[strings]

I fervently believe that anyone who does not vote does not have the right to complain about anything that happens in politics in this country.

I couldn't agree more. If there really, really is no party that represents your needs, than destroy the ballot paper - tell the candidates what you think of them - all destroyed ballots are seen by the candidates.

 

[Cantona's Flying Dropkick]

If everyone took the attitude not to vote then we would get nowhere. I personally think that it should be compulsorary to vote.

Your vote may not make a difference but you will have at least had your democratic say.

I fervently believe that anyone who does not vote does not have the right to complain about anything that happens in politics in this country.

Make it compulsory with an extra box "None of the Above" at the bottom for disaffected voters.

 

[beorhthelm]

well if every takes the attitude "cant make a difference" it will never change.

and compulsoray voting is undemocratic and serves no purpose with politicians doing even less to engage with the electorate. make the result only stand if a certain turn out is met, thats the way to improve the system.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I sympathise with the view that a person's vote won't make a difference in a "safe seat" but it's not just about winning a seat.

In theory the Green Party could receive 3 or 4 million votes but not win a seat, however, if they garnered such support the main parties would be forced to take Green policies even more seriously than at present.

Similarly, if everyone who considered voting Lib Dem did so then their hand would be strengthened by a big national turnout even if that didn't translate into seats. In a hung Parliament situation that could be an important factor.

Therefore, I maintain people should firstly make the effort to vote, and secondly to vote the way their conscience tells them and not tactically.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Protest Vote Party Mark Stack 313 0.6% +0.6

Not much to shout about out in the sticks (0.6%) , I love the fact the borough is so rotton even if everyone else voted for a Martin Bell type the tory would still get his seat/expenses/title etc, easy life for some, tally ho.

 

[Don Quixote]

First past the post does not work very well, not every vote actually counts. They should adopt the French system, much better.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Mid Sussex for me.

There's more chance of Tiger Woods making a lifelong vow of celibacy than of big-boned Nicholas Soames losing this Conservative banker.

Isn’t it about time “Bunter” was put on the “Anyone famous about to die” thread – all that fine wining and dining and being one of Prince Charles’ buddies must make him a candidate surely?

 

[Napper]

I think in worthing ( I may be wrong ) , Liberals have won or at least run the torys close.

Therefore if you are anti tory (which is totally understandable) vote for them I guess

 

[Simster]

as i live in Worthing, which is one of the most safe tory seats in the country, having voted conservative since the second world war, I see no point in participating in an election i cannot influence, which is also my first chance to vote.

who else is in a similair position in the constituency they are eligible to vote in?

I am in a similar position. The Tories could put a blue rosette on a frog and he'd get in. Sadly, a frog couldn't be found so we have to make do with Crispin Blunt. I wouldn't mind so much, but the seat is so safe that he's campaigning in a marginal somewhere instead of his own constituency, protecting himself from awkward expenses based questions from the public.


But there is a point in voting. You vote, and over time a critical mass of opposition may be reached. That is what happened in Winchester from the '80s to '97, where our MP was blue and shite. The LibDems built support steadily over the years , then took the seat by 80 votes in 1997.

 

[8ace]

I saw William Hague and his bird on Northallerton station yesterday.

 

[Notters]

If everyone took the attitude not to vote then we would get nowhere. I personally think that it should be compulsorary to vote.

Your vote may not make a difference but you will have at least had your democratic say.

I fervently believe that anyone who does not vote does not have the right to complain about anything that happens in politics in this country.

This. Spoil your paper if you must. This mixture of a) there's no point in me voting and b) there's no point in me voting for anyone but labour or the Tories is incredibly frustrating.

 

[clapham_gull]

If everyone took the attitude not to vote then we would get nowhere. I personally think that it should be compulsorary to vote.

Your vote may not make a difference but you will have at least had your democratic say.

I fervently believe that anyone who does not vote does not have the right to complain about anything that happens in politics in this country.

Nice argument but a bit pointless with our current electorial system.

I often hear this argument from Aussies, who, proud of their obligation to vote are unaware that our votes are counted differently.

From what I understand it isn't technically illegal not to vote in Australia. You can quite happily turn up and spoil your paper without fear of prosecution.

Back to the UK, there are millions of people up and down the country who don't live in marginal seats whose vote might as well end up in the bin if they don't back the favourite.

For most of my voting life I've been one of them.

In a hung parliament, I suspose a large proportional figure will give legitimacy to a party with few MPs - but hung parliaments don't happen very often. I won't be hanging onto that.

We don't really live in a democracy when your vote ends up as a statistical footnote in a politics textbook.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

In these safe blue rinse tory seats, the Lib Dems & Labour should form an alliance to field a joint candidate. If they could put petty differences aside of course? There's seats all over the country where they could boot the tories out if they combined forces. If it means some kind of coalition power sharing agreement, then so be it. It would help keep the lunatic fringes of each party in check maybe?

I consider the lunatic fringe of the Labour Party to be those on the right who are little more than watered down tories. Anyone wearing a beard & sandals from the Lib Dems needs to carefully watched.

Failing that, the much trumpeted proportional representation needs to be introduced in order that no vote can be considered waisted.

 

[Gully]

I grew up in Storrington, which as far as I can remember has faced several boundary changes and at one time or other came under Shoreham, Horsham and probably Arundel and South Down. In all of those seats you could put up a monkey with a blue scarf and the locals would vote for it, in the case of Francis Maude I think they probably did.

 

[FamilyGuy]

as i live in Worthing, which is one of the most safe tory seats in the country, having voted conservative since the second world war, I see no point in participating in an election i cannot influence, which is also my first chance to vote.

who else is in a similair position in the constituency they are eligible to vote in?

It's vitally important that everyone who can vote, does vote.

So if you don't want to vote for any of the parties or candidates you should register a "no-vote" by spoiling your card on the day - as I will.

I'll be writing "none of the above" on my voting card - democracy in action. Don't waste your vote.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

NO NO NO NO NO. You have to vote, even if it seems on the surface pointless.

3 reasons:

1. National vote share and vote margin often dictates the size of a mandate

2. Even if you don't win this time, you can make it close. Then next time, hundreds like you see that its close and bother to vote and make it even closer. It can become a marginal that way

3. Hove 1997. How the hell that went Labour, even in such a big landslide, I don't know. Everyone was enthused to vote even if they thought their vote would be wasted, and bang, one of the safest Tory seats fell. Not only that, its stayed Labour since.

 

[portlander]

Of course you should vote. People have fought and died for your country to guarantee you the right to do so. It's both a right and a responsibility. I know it's an old-fashioned view, but when you complain about the government but can't be bothered to get off the couch to go vote, your complaint loses all validity.