General Election

[NellieMay]

Perhaps the right time to do a poll on how we would vote? Personally I dont think canvassing or csmpsigns will make any difference. We are all pretty sure of our intentions!

[New Judge]

As long as it includes an option for "None of the above"

[TonyV]

Will vote but don't know which party.

[spathiphyllum]

There was one recently when the last GE scare was going on. Cons won by a land slide. This is AB you know?

[New Judge]

//Personally I dont think canvassing or csmpsigns will make any difference.//

Interesting you should say that, Nellie. I've been of that belief for many a year. In fact I'd go so far as to ban campaigning from the moment an election is announced. All that would be allowed would be the publication of each candidate's manifesto. People need to make their decision based on what has happened not what politicians tell them they will ensure happens (because it never does). Having said that there are enough gullible fools around who believe politicians when they pledge to abolish all taxes and give each of us our own private hospital.

[Bobbisox1]

I think this is a good idea

[NellieMay]

I doubt many people read the Manifestos. It should be compulsory. I like your idea of no campaigns NJ.

[drmorgans]

Maybe divide it into the four nations of the UK?

[Adfa]

Don’t know who I will vote for (If anyone) but have a long list of those I can’t or won’t vote for

[AuntPollyGrey]

My vote will be purely tactical. We have a shadow minister with huge majority as our MP but live in a staunch leave area. I think a lot of Labour supporters in this area will grit their teeth and vote for the party they think will take them through Brexit and it isn't gonna be Commy Corbyn and his little red hoods that's for sure.

[Cloverjo]

I know how I’m going to vote, and it is tactical. In the past that approach hasn’t ended in a brilliant result but it’s the best I can hope for now.

[jourdain2]

I'd love to think that it would be possible for it to be made compulsory to read candidates' manifestos and just leave it at that. Perhaps a reminder speech from each head of party on the eve of the election and leave it at that.

It's a pipe-dream, isn't it. My idiotic younger daughter just throws away Tory & Brexit publications without reading them and her fb page indicates that she feels proud of doing so. I'm in despair at times. :(

[NellieMay]

I know I won't vote for and that leaves me one party who I will probably vote, for but not with any enthusiasm. I will read the manifestos, but I doubt I will have any change of mind.

[jourdain2]

^^^ I'll be voting tactically as well. Solid Tory majority - but I don't think Boris' deal is any good so I'll try to give them a bit of a fright and make them re-think.

[NellieMay]

My son avidly reads all the Manifestos and shamed me into doing the same at the last election. I have to admit that my vote will have a tactical element too.

[agardener]

I agree that most voters decide who to vote for based on their own values and, biases and therefore they are not easily swayed by campaigns. However, harking back a long way to the sixties we should not ignore the effect of the media when JFK beat Nixon. The media focusses largely on personalities not policies, whilst most voters are concerned with day to day effects of policies on their lives.
Closing down an election campaign would entail all media including social media. It would be desirable but it's naive to think it possible.
I am very interested in those constituences that contradict their MP as already referred to. This is not going to be an "ordinary" election and I can't see the outcome as anything other than a hung parli ament.
Sadly I can't see any politician in my constituency that I have the regard for to deserve my vote.

[davebro]

Got a Tory now, will have a Tory at Xmas. No point voting (for or against!). I know there have been some enormous swings at past elections but the GE could probably be restricted to about 150 constituencies & deliver the same result as everyone voting.

[ichkeria]

Campaigning and canvassing DOES make a difference.
Most of the people who comment here no doubt have long since made their minds up but it’s not just about us.
The are more “floating voters” than ever before, and gone are the days when you could predict a uniform swing across the country and where there was a very small or at least predictable “battleground” of seats.

[NellieMay]

I suppose us older voters have realised by now that you can't believe all the campaign drivel from all the parties. The young will learn in time too. We are not so gullible.

[Jackdaw33]

I predict a Tory majority of at least 50 seats and possibly a lot more.

[Ken4155]

I am a 'floating' voter but i do not envisage any amount of campaigning persuading me one way or t'other. This election will be fought mainly on the Brexit question. Johnson will tell us that his so-called 'excellent deal' is the best for the country; Farage will question the deal and tell us a clean break is necessary; Corbyn will tell us that a Labour government can get us a better deal and the Lib Dems will garner much support for their guarantee of a 2nd referendum. The result, i predict, will be a hung parliament with another coalition on the cards.