The Election - Decisions Decisions ...

[snow]

With the Election only weeks away for the first time in decades my vote is undecided - essentially I have been a life long Labour voter, even a party member at times, I cannot and will not ever vote Tory having done so only once and having then suffered like most of Wales under Maggie Thatcher they cost me mine & hubby's jobs our house and catapulted us into 20 years of paying a mortgage for a house we no longer owned or lived in - I will never EVER again trust a Tory government no matter who's in charge or what they promise.

 

However, I am not happy with the Labour party and haven't been for a good while I was and remain anti the Iraq "war" (Afghanistan is different and I do support that) and as a forces wife I have watched and experienced the appalling way that successive Labour governments have utterly broken their covenant with the armed forces amongst other things and with hubby facing the end of his service and us having to find somewhere to live the way Labour has mismanaged the economy means that we are seriously concerned about our future after he leaves the forces so they have now lost my vote and I doubt that they can win it in back in just a couple of weeks.

 

This leaves me with the Lib Dems or UKIP realistically only the Lib Dems have a real chance of winning the seat as this area has been Tory for years and I don't see that changing to Labour any time soon.

 

I have been able to find out their policies on armed forces, housing & jobs etc what I'm also interested in knowing is where they stand on the DDA and Puppy Farming - Lib Dems apparently supported the repeal of DDA and introduction of the Dog Control Bill in it's place they seem to be saying they want to target the right end of the lead but does anyone know what exactly it is they support when it comes to issues concerning dogs?

 

I can't find anything at all on what UKIP think of the DDA their website just says information coming soon however UKIP are the only party who do support an issue that is very dear to my heart - repeal of the smoking ban in pubs & clubs replacing it instead with "the right to choose" which I support wholeheartedly. I have no problem with pubs & clubs choosing to ban smoking but I am utterly opposed to legislation which takes away a persons choice completely.

 

So decisions, decisions, I still am undecided who will get my vote ....

 

What about the rest of you? Have you decided already who you'll vote for? Do you even care? What issues are important to you when it comes to choosing? Do you think the parties have given you enough information to know where they stand on the things which matter to you?

[griff]

like you our household has been a labour voting house.. we will never ever vote tory, i don't know what to do to be honest in my opinion all of the parties will promise this promise that and then when in power back track like theres no tomorrow (perhaps i am just synical ) it is quite a difficult decision this time round...add to that we have local elections as well

[BillyMalc]

Sadly, having Dutch nationality, I'm not allowed to vote in the UK elections. If I would be though, I'd vote Lib Dems. UKIP would be far too rightwing and nationalistic for me and I don't recall ever having read any of their ideas re animal welfare. I don't think they're interested to be honest.

 

As for the smoking in pubs and clubs: having had asthmatic friends, I do support a ban. People who smoke will have a choice whether to stay inside and not smoke or go out and smoke, but when you have respiratory conditions, your choice will be to go out and get ill or stay at home - which to me just seems unfair. I'm lucky enough to not suffer from any such conditions at all, but, despite having smoked for 18 years, being in a room full of cigarette smoke knocks me sick. Why should I be denied the pleasure of going out just so that other people can satisfy their addiction indoors? What would be a matter of free choice for some people means having no choice for others

[merledogs]

I am a floating voter and have voted for various parties over the years.

 

I can't stand Cameron and his cronies - he is making lots and lots of promises but I am not convinced he is capable of backing them up (nor can I see where the money is going to come from) and I find him really slimey, so I will not be voting for the CONservatives. I also don't like the idea that he is in favour of an open debate on bringing back hunting with hounds.

 

If only Tony Blair had stayed I think this would be a very different election. He and Brown were the 'dream team', but I don't think Brown really cuts it, he hasn't the same charisma as Blair.

 

My local Labour MP is Hazel Bleurgh, I mean Blears Can't stand her either and the Labour party WILL lose votes in this area because of her.

 

However, having said all that, I am looking at the bigger picture. I don't agree with a lot of what they do, but I do feel that Labour have been more honest about the cutbacks and sacrifices which will need to be made. They have brought us out the other side of a recession. Yes, they had to make some controversial decisions in order to do that, and they have taken lots of criticism for it, but I honestly don't believe any other party would have done any better.

 

I haven't even bothered voting in the last election, but with the parties so precariously balanced, I will be voting because Labour need my vote.

 

We also have local elections on the same day, which I don't normally bother with, but will be voting Labour there as well. They have managed to keep my council tax has at the same level as last year (though the Police/Fire Service elements have increased).

[merledogs]

Just to add : I am not overjoyed at voting Labour in again, but I really feel they are the best of a bad bunch. Maybe a hung parliament with power shared between Labour and the Lib Dems would be the best thing all round.

[cycas]

I have written to my Lib Dem MP, Colin Breed about an animal welfare issue (factory farming of pigs), about the Digital Economy Bill, and about the DDA. On each occasion he responded quickly, seemed to have read my letter properly, and came back with a response I was happy with. I didn't ask him about the Lib Dem line on the DDA and I don't seem to have his letter any more, but so far as I can recall, his own views were pretty much what I would have liked them to be. He was not a 'breed ban' loon in other words.

 

 

 

He was also one of the few MPs who voted against the appallingly ill thought out Digital Economy Bill that was rushed through last night with practically no debate, which was opposed by the Lib Dems and rushed through by the other 2 parties - and is going to come back to haunt us all, I fear.

 

Sadly, he is stepping down this election, but I am minded to go Lib Dem again based on my contacts with Colin, who I genuinely think is the kind of bloke we need more of in Parliament.

 

However, I am a little concerned that the Lib Dems will end up in coalition government with Labour, and I really want to see Gordon Brown out on his ear. Not on animal welfare grounds particularly, but I believe his handing of the economy has been spectacularly inept, in particular his actions over pensions as Chancellor, and to a lesser extent over his bungling with gold reserves.

[Helly]

Im the opposite to most of you and have always voted Tory, but now I have a problem as they wish to abolish the hunting ban which I cant support. In my own town, the Lib Dems have done a very good job, and it really is a good place to live. BUT as already mentioned, I dont want to see a dual govt with Labour as I really do feel they have to go.

[snow]

Sadly, having Dutch nationality, I'm not allowed to vote in the UK elections. If I would be though, I'd vote Lib Dems. UKIP would be far too rightwing and nationalistic for me and I don't recall ever having read any of their ideas re animal welfare. I don't think they're interested to be honest.

 

As for the smoking in pubs and clubs: having had asthmatic friends, I do support a ban. People who smoke will have a choice whether to stay inside and not smoke or go out and smoke, but when you have respiratory conditions, your choice will be to go out and get ill or stay at home - which to me just seems unfair. I'm lucky enough to not suffer from any such conditions at all, but, despite having smoked for 18 years, being in a room full of cigarette smoke knocks me sick. Why should I be denied the pleasure of going out just so that other people can satisfy their addiction indoors? What would be a matter of free choice for some people means having no choice for others

 

UKIP are supporting pro choice Billy - that means pubs & clubs will be allowed to choose if they are a smoking or non smoking venue so there should be plenty of choice for both smokers and non smokers to be able to go out and socialise and either not have to be exposed to smoke or be able to smoke indoors or at the very least undercover. Plain fact of the matter is that currently smokers have absolutely no choice other than to stand outside rain or shine and that has hit business hard - I have no objection to a venue banning smoking inside but I have very strong objections to being made to stand in the pouring rain because the current law says that a "shelter" has to be more than 50% open (including the roof) I also have extremely strong objections to being demonised the way this government has allowed and encouraged to happen - I was assaulted in the street just for being a smoker and legally smoking in the open - so for me a repeal or modification of the current smoking ban is very much high on my personal agenda. I do understand how difficult it is for people with asthma etc however pro choice should work out so that we all get a choice not just some of us

[barb]

I will not be voting Labour, they could not keep a promise to save thier lives, they have had all those years to do things they promised. Not sure who to vote for. At least with the tories we were in the black, labour has put us so far in the red my grandchildren will spend their life paying it off.

 

I will vote for someone otherwise I will not be able to complain about the winning party with a clear conscience.

 

Barbara

[mum24dog]

in my opinion all of the parties will promise this promise that and then when in power back track like theres no tomorrow (perhaps i am just synical )

 

Not cynical - realistic.

Whatever Labour promises the question must always be asked -"Well why didn't you do it before then? You've had 13 years."

The Conservatives are an unknown quantity who will undoubtedly use the traditional excuse of "OMG Labour have made an even bigger mess of it than we thought" if they get in. Sorry, we can't do all that we planned after all."

The Lib Dems can promise the earth in the knowledge that they will never be called upon to act on it.

For most of us the rest are also rans in a General Election.

 

I enjoy people watching in election campaigns and am interested in the PR twists and turns.

 

If I had to summarise the faces of the parties on today's TV -

Gordon Brown - stodgy and dull.

Peter Mandelson - creepy and well suited to a pantomime villain role.

David Cameron - at least he speaks fluently and with animation.

Nick Clegg - worthy but boring.

 

I shall vote Conservative as I always have - not because I necessarily believe they will do a better job, but because the underlying philosophy of standing on your own feet and taking personal responsibility is what sits best with me. Ironically, my lifelong Labour voting working class mother brought me up that way.

 

Pam

[Happylittlegreensquirrel]

I shall be out of the country when the election is on so I have applied for Mark to have my proxy vote

 

Although on many levels I think all parties are the same ( can do a great job when they are in opposition but it all falls apart when they are elected ) I really really think its important to vote even if its a protest vote

 

 

so many countries don't have free or fair elections , we might not like the governments we have but at least we do get a choice in the matter

[cycas]

I am secretly attracted to Mebyon Kernow (the Cornish Independence party) if only because their election literature is so appallingly bad they clearly aren't doing spin....

 

They sent us this brilliant leaflet about the council elections last time and every one of their candidates was grey and zombie-like and quite obviously a corpse. They really were a spectacularly ugly bunch, and apparently undead as well, what's not to like

[murtle]

Im the opposite to most of you and have always voted Tory, but now I have a problem as they wish to abolish the hunting ban which I cant support. In my own town, the Lib Dems have done a very good job, and it really is a good place to live. BUT as already mentioned, I dont want to see a dual govt with Labour as I really do feel they have to go.

 

I'm with Helly so very undecided. I also live in a very strong Labour stronghold though he is stepping down this year.

[khanu]

I live in a tory stronghold where this site tells me my vote is pretty much worthless.

This site tells me I should be voting lib dem

 

So i guess i'll be voting lib dem and also hoping that somehow the system will change so that every vote matters.

[BillyMalc]

Voting for Conservative to me sounds like voting for animal cruelty - the Tories want an open vote to repeal the hunting ban and dear David Cameron has already gone on about widening the badger cull to "kerb bovine TB"