Local Elections 2022

[z4RRSchris]

local election time is upon us, pledges of council tax freezes, more bins and all sorts from our favourite part time politicians.

will labour wipe out the tories?
will wandsworth turn red?
will lutfer rahman make a come back?

what’s the oddest pledge from a prospective councillor in your area?

[JagLover]

Locally we only had three candidates.

Conservative, Labour or Green. Don't know how common that is but doesn't give many options to the right of centre voter.

[longblackcoat]

JagLover said:

Locally we only had three candidates.

Conservative, Labour or Green. Don't know how common that is but doesn't give many options to the right of centre voter.

Define right of centre. Current Conservatives are as right-wing as they've been in ages, though beset by idiots in charge.

[JagLover]

longblackcoat said:

Define right of centre. Current Conservatives are as right-wing as they've been in ages, though beset by idiots in charge.

Well it all comes down to definitions. In terms of economic policy I would regard the Cameron/Osbourne times as the Conservatives being more right wing.

In any case only having one party to vote for does not constitute "options".

[WyrleyD]

All the usual suspects in our ward - Con, Lab, Lib and Grn so no one for me to vote for just blue socialist, red socialist, beyond the pale libs or green nutter.

Not voting this time.

PS I used to be a Conservative ward councillor on our District Council many years ago.

[longblackcoat]

JagLover said:

longblackcoat said:

Define right of centre. Current Conservatives are as right-wing as they've been in ages, though beset by idiots in charge.

Well it all comes down to definitions. In terms of economic policy I would regard the Cameron/Osbourne times as the Conservatives being more right wing.

In any case only having one party to vote for does not constitute "options".

Fair points, though I'd suggest that on social issues the current Conservatives are several steps to the right of the DC/GO administration.

My choice is:
Conservative and Unionist (they always use the full title)
Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents Association
LibDems

The Residents Association always win - unlike you, I have a choice of two right-of-centre parties, which is a bit of a sod for a left-leaning voter. I don't think the LibDems deserve my vote, but it's the least worst option from my perspective.

[roger.mellie]

longblackcoat said:

Fair points, though I'd suggest that on social issues the current Conservatives are several steps to the right of the DC/GO administration.

My choice is:
Conservative and Unionist (they always use the full title)
Thames Ditton & Weston Green Residents Association
LibDems

The Residents Association always win - unlike you, I have a choice of two right-of-centre parties, which is a bit of a sod for a left-leaning voter. I don't think the LibDems deserve my vote, but it's the least worst option from my perspective.

I’ve mentioned it elsewhere but as we have STV I’ll be voting most of the way down the ballot in order of preference. I’ve had the argument with friends in the past who think I’m wrong to vote for parties I don’t want and tried (and sometimes succeeded) explaining to them what a preference voting system means and even the party you don’t like might be preferable over the party you really don’t like . FPTP is an outdated wrong system but it’ll be defended to the hilt by those with a vested interest in maintaining it.

[anonymous-user]

Having voted Conservative in the last election and watched how they handled the last few years I am out. I have always believed that people only become PMs to feather their and their friends own nests and this government has proved it. The fact that we have a PM with an unknown number of illegitimate children, a Chancellor who has increased taxes whilst avoiding it himself, and the the whole party ignoring the Covid rules they forced everyone to follow is the icing on the cake.

So I have ripped up my voting card, I want no part of it.

Interestingly the green party are proving their green credentials by continually putting lots of printed (and I suspect unrecyclable due to the glossiness) material through my door.

[Byker28i]

My council in Wales is Labour run and is awful, currently covering up an illegal payment to the former Chief, and the £150k spent on the investigation, but no one is being held responsible.

My local councillor is one of three tory councillors on the council, and he's also been very active on issues I've brought up, so he'll be getting my vote

[roger.mellie]

Joey Deacon said:

Having voted Conservative in the last election and watched how they handled the last few years I am out. I have always believed that people only become PMs to feather their and their friends own nests and this government has proved it. The fact that we have a PM with an unknown number of illegitimate children, a Chancellor who has increased taxes whilst avoiding it himself, and the the whole party ignoring the Covid rules they forced everyone to follow is the icing on the cake.

So I have ripped up my voting card, I want no part of it.

Interestingly the green party are proving their green credentials by continually putting lots of printed (and I suspect unrecyclable due to the glossiness) material through my door.

I completely disagree with that attitude even if it is understandable. If you don’t vote you don’t count. A politician here got done (and rightly so) because he was caught out checking the electoral register to see if constituents asking for help were voters. He was an idiot for getting caught, I’m sure many other are at it and not so simple.

Spoil your vote if necessary but go to the polling station and do it.

[Byker28i]

roger.mellie said:

Joey Deacon said:

Having voted Conservative in the last election and watched how they handled the last few years I am out. I have always believed that people only become PMs to feather their and their friends own nests and this government has proved it. The fact that we have a PM with an unknown number of illegitimate children, a Chancellor who has increased taxes whilst avoiding it himself, and the the whole party ignoring the Covid rules they forced everyone to follow is the icing on the cake.

So I have ripped up my voting card, I want no part of it.

Interestingly the green party are proving their green credentials by continually putting lots of printed (and I suspect unrecyclable due to the glossiness) material through my door.

I completely disagree with that attitude even if it is understandable. If you don’t vote you don’t count. A politician here got done (and rightly so) because he was caught out checking the electoral register to see if constituents asking for help were voters. He was an idiot for getting caught, I’m sure many other are at it and not so simple.

Spoil your vote if necessary but go to the polling station and do it.

Vote for one of the many independents instead

[Jamescrs]

My local councillor is Conservative and been same one for as long as I remember, I do feel he's pretty useless though, I never hear of him doing anything in the area and all I see is that he reposts Council news on the local Facebook groups.

I think he is getting nervous this time as his literature seems to be trying to distance himself from the party and asking people to focus on him as a person.

Either way i'll be researching who has the best chance of beating him this time and voting tactically for whoever that is, I'm pretty bored with him and I'm sick of the conservatives in general currently and want to send a message, as inconsequential as that may be, will make me feel better.

[roger.mellie]

Byker28i said:

Vote for one of the many independents instead

Yip, although I often have disagreements with the independents too or consider them single issue candidates. But it's much preferable to vote for them rather than not to go out and vote. It might be a bit melodramatic to say it but people have fought for the right to vote and in my view those that feel that they're being disenfranchised by their vote not mattering much are making the wrong response by not voting. Parties would love it if we all became too disillusioned to vote, it would save them a lot of hassle. It'll be noticed if you vote for someone else, it'll be noticed if you don't vote, the latter will mean you're not worth worrying about the former sends a different message even if it's a small one.

[Mark Benson]

Byker28i said:

roger.mellie said:

Joey Deacon said:

Having voted Conservative in the last election and watched how they handled the last few years I am out. I have always believed that people only become PMs to feather their and their friends own nests and this government has proved it. The fact that we have a PM with an unknown number of illegitimate children, a Chancellor who has increased taxes whilst avoiding it himself, and the the whole party ignoring the Covid rules they forced everyone to follow is the icing on the cake.

So I have ripped up my voting card, I want no part of it.

Interestingly the green party are proving their green credentials by continually putting lots of printed (and I suspect unrecyclable due to the glossiness) material through my door.

I completely disagree with that attitude even if it is understandable. If you don’t vote you don’t count. A politician here got done (and rightly so) because he was caught out checking the electoral register to see if constituents asking for help were voters. He was an idiot for getting caught, I’m sure many other are at it and not so simple.

Spoil your vote if necessary but go to the polling station and do it.

Vote for one of the many independents instead

If you're going to do this, make sure you research who the 'independent' is. Round here most of the so-called independents have either split from a mainstream party or were thrown out of one after misbehaving or falling out with other party members.
Quite often 'independent' candidates just have an axe to grind.

This time round, I'll be spoiling my vote. AAUI spoiled votes are counted by the returning officer so send a clearer message, "I am prepared to turn out but none of you get my vote", than simply not turning up.

If nothing changes, I'll be doing the same 'none of the above' tactic in the next general election also - imagine if everyone who didn't feel represented did the same and spoiled votes 'won' more seats than any of the mainstream parties......

[Roofless Toothless]

Byker28i said:

Vote for one of the many independents instead

Or stand yourself.

[Truckosaurus]

Just Labour and Conservative in my ward, which is also historically the ward that has the lowest voter turnout in the south east, so it is always a close battle for council seats - it is the only place I've ever lived where you regularly get knocks on the door from candidates, plus leaflets every month from both main parties claiming credit for anything good happening in the town and blaming the other side for anything bad.

[Murph7355]

The LibDems' time for their 15mins. Possibly the Greens too (though am not sure even partygate will tip people that far. And Independents.

I'm not convinced Labour will be making the hay they should, but who the hell knows with voting these days.

[roger.mellie]

Roofless Toothless said:

Or stand yourself.

Without a party electoral machine behind you good luck with that. Exceptions exist but generally people understand and know that shoe leather matters and a track record of being there on the ground works. I know, parachuted individuals in safe seats are rife, but if you want to beat that the best way to do so is by being known for helping out the local community. I know of some that could run for any party and get elected because they'll be elected on who they are rather than the party they stand for. But it's not the norm and neither are they.

[anonymous-user]

Joey Deacon said:

Having voted Conservative in the last election and watched how they handled the last few years I am out.

Same here. Upstairs in the bedroom I'll have a bucket of water ready for when they come knocking on my door looking for votes

[Roofless Toothless]

roger.mellie said:

Roofless Toothless said:

Or stand yourself.

Without a party electoral machine behind you good luck with that. Exceptions exist but generally people understand and know that shoe leather matters and a track record of being there on the ground works. I know, parachuted individuals in safe seats are rife, but if you want to beat that the best way to do so is by being known for helping out the local community. I know of some that could run for any party and get elected because they'll be elected on who they are rather than the party they stand for. But it's not the norm and neither are they.

Well of course. You are not likely to win, but if you stand and end up with a dozen votes, half of which were probably mistakes, then you know that your own political opinions are not shared by very many people at all, and in a democracy that is something that some of us will just have to suck up.

But to refuse to vote because you don’t like any of the candidates is like saying that everyone else falls short of your political ideology and their opinions are worthless.

I just hold my nose and make my mark.