To vote or not to vote?

Panenka's Chip

Am inclined to agree with regards to the campaign in Scotland.

3 SNP, 2 Labour and 1 Tory is my best guess on how things will work out.

Stephen

I simply cannot bring myself to choose not to vote. Having watched scenes in countries where voting has been restricted, dangerous or a recent introduction; having spoken to now deceased relatives who were banned from voting until well into adulthood simply because they were women and had to fight for the right to vote, and having spent some time in countries where the electoral process is hijacked in ways which don't even haunt our worst nightmares; refusing to vote seems to reject all that is good about the principle of democracy and the way it is practiced in the UK. Yes, it is flawed, yes, many of our candidates are not honourable and yes, I do not agree with a significant minority of the policies of any party. But, even in the light of the last few weeks, and the current government, we still live in a relatively free country in which the level of corruption of our politicians and disfunction in our institutions is the envy of most of the world's population. Maybe the best that can be done is to vote for the party we least disagree with. But at least it is voting.

sfc1k

There's been an election campaign? The only signs of it I've seen were Green, Jury Team & SNP placards appearing on the lamp-post outside. Oh, and there were leaflets from the SNP, Libdems & Conservatives.
Considering this is Labour's heartlands I'm a bit surprised that they haven't shown face at all.

Ian Walker

I presume you'll be really proud of the BNP MEP that you end up with?

I presume, since you agree with Dillow's whimpering article, that in parallel with not bothering to vote, you've not bothered to investigate the alternative and independent options available? I'd be amazed if someone on your local Jury Team list doesn't have views that you can sign up to.

If you really can't make a choice, then do two things. One: go and spoil your ballot. Two: next time, stand for election.

Anya Conway

I ALWAYS vote. I owe it to those brave women who fought so hard for the franchise.

dearieme

Long queue at my polling station - the clerks say they've never seen anything like it. Two amusements: (i) the UKIP list is headed by a Campbell Bannerman, (ii) a minor party has a candidate with the surname de Boo, and another with the surname Deboo.

Beefeater

No, mate. Don't vote. It may cause you psychological harm.
Your Britishness - complex, layered, no big deal, contradictory, multi-cultural etc. - is too subtle for the ballot.

Jeremy

Curiously enough, it was only by voting today that I came to realise it is those who vote who decide elections. And the fewer the people who vote, the more important and influential those individual votes become. The voters decide. If you don't like Labour, then vote Tory and therebye bump up the Tory vote. If you think the Tories are too soft on the EU then vote UKIP, therebye bumping up the UKIP vote and sending Mr Cameron a message that he will understand and respond to.

After many years of abstaining, I have come to the conclusion - based upon today's experience - that one ought to vote.

ndm

-- This is where the Border League gets its TV money and packed houses. At least 14 people watching tonight...

This is, of course, why back in the day the SFA didn't allow live coverage of European soccer if even a junior league team was playing.

Fergus Pickering

Good God, for a moment I thought you meant England had lost to Holland. Now THAT would have truly been a disaster. Well, I went out and voted Tory and UKIP. I'm not so happy about the Tory (mere tribalism) but the UKIP vote was for that lovely lady whose name I can't spell who told us that the EU was utterly corrupt and stealing our money and who was royally shafted by that low-life Kinnock for her pains. feel a glow whenever I think of it. I hope it was MY vote that took her back to Brussels, bless her. If you did not vote, shame on you. All fur coatand no knickers.

euSSR GO HOME

I regard voting as both as right and a duty - but only if the governing body has a right to offer the franchise.

The euro vote, however is a travesty of everything that voting is for - representation, freedom, democracy, etc.

As I see it, by expecting us to vote: this Invading Power sets up a myth about its own right to rule. But europe has no right to rule Britain.

Thus if we, the invadees vote: we accept their false value of generosity; we buy into their myth; we accept their standard of rule. So BINGO - they have accomplished their goal. That goal, I say, is subjugation of Britain; and it leaves room for no argument that brussels has a divine right to dominate us both economically and culturally.

We have accepted their invasion; we have allowed them to alienate us from our culture and ourselves. We have let them manipulate us into seeing our own government as oppressive and untrustworthy - and we have given them the green light to be the same.

I will not vote in any euro election - I will participate in any peaceful demonstration against european domination - including flag burning, pamphleteering, and gathering with placards near any euro polling station.