What Influences Your Vote?

[agchristie]

As we head towards the 2015 General Election, what are the factors that influence your choice? Is it personalities, policies, how your ancestors voted or something else?

You may feel strongest say about immigration, but what if you are influenced by more issues from another party?

A lot of questions there but has the nation become more trivial in their decision-making process?

[Mosaic]

I find it very hard to vote now. Where I live, Green representation is poor, Labour is corrupt and Conservative more so. Liberals or whatever their called have not been elected since the 1920s, probably for good reason.
I would like to think there was an effective, fair, competent socialist party to elect, which had a commitment to long term national vision, but there isn't. And if I vote conservative my ancestors will rear up and haunt me.

[Old_Geezer]

I know where my political leanings lie so am predisposed to vote one way initially, but can be swayed if the party they belong to seems to be following a daft agenda and I am not confident they would rebel. Certain issues I feel strongly about must be in line with the candidate's view. If their party is already in power I must feel they had done a decent job and not taken my support for granted to achieve things I disagree with. And if there is an issue I feel has been neglected for ages I am persuaded to vote for someone I might not otherwise in an effort to get some movement on that issue.

After all that I remind myself that my one small voice among millions is next to insignificant anyway. If the others can't see sense when they vote, I need not lose sleep over it. They'll get the government they deserve and I'll have to put up with it yet again. Not that there is an ideal choice anyway, it's mostly a case of which bunch of elites you want pushing you around for the next few years anyway. So if you lot vote in the wrong bunch of lizards, it probably makes little difference.

[naomi24]

After a lifetime voting Labour, Tony Blair forced me to change my allegiance when the euphoria of his 1997 victory swiftly turned to dismayed, disheartened, disappointment. Labour, always touted as the party for the working man, is not. My ancestors, Labour voters, and some of the Communist persuasion, haven’t haunted me.

[EDDIE51]

I have always voted for the person who I feel will personally do the best job regardless of which party they represent.
For example I know one local councillor who does an excellent job, he was a Lib Dem but has now joined Labour I still vote for him and would do so even if he joined the Conservatives, Green party ,UKIP or any other party.

[agchristie]

Mosaic - you sound disillusioned with the choice in your area! Would you really fear the haunting or have I taken you too literally?

OG - Thanks for that answer and retaining an open mind!

[janbee]

My voting pattern have changed over the years. Nowadays, immigration and the vile EU dominate my thoughts. Why knows how my voting will change AFTER May 2015.

[agchristie]

Morning Naomi, interesting that the defining moment for you to switch allegiances was in the Blair years. Can I ask your thoughts on his role as Peace Envoy? Should he be doing more or ought we to be realistic about his role?

[agchristie]

Thanks Eddie - understand what you mean but if this gentleman switched parties is there a danger you could end up voting for a party that is less in line with your general views on policy matters?

[woofgang]

policies, always policies, followed by recent performance history and what i think of the actual people I would be voting for, not necessarily my local candidate but who would be PM, cabinet etcetera.

[VHG]

I will vote for any party that takes us out of the vile EU.

Particularly when you see on the news today another significant rise in immigration, of which two thirds was from the EU.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28964323

News item says "There was also an increase in Romanian and Bulgarian citizens migrating to the UK, up to 28,000 from 12,000 in the previous 12 months".

Yet more Romanian bank card scammers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2337158/Cashpoint-card-snatches-treble-Romanian-crime-gangs-responsible-92-thefts-cash-machines-police-believe.html

[agchristie]

Wolfgang - which policies do you consider most important?

VHG - the EU issue will be uppermost in many people's eyes.

[agchristie]

Apologies 'woofgang'

[naomi24]

agchristie, //Can I ask your thoughts on his role as Peace Envoy? Should he be doing more or ought we to be realistic about his role?//

Quite honestly, I can’t really see what he’s done, but realistically, I can’t see what any ‘peace envoy’ could do with the Middle East. There will never be peace in the Middle East, so perhaps ‘redundancy’ is the best option for him. That should give him a nice little pay-off to add to the coffers.

[agchristie]

Thanks again Naomi. I saw a few articles which suggested he was taking a good salary for his role as Peace Envoy and that he had only been to Gaza twice since 2009 as opposed to over 100 visits to Jerusalem, which is of course, where his office is based!

Do you think there have been deliberate attempts to label him by large sections of the media or does he deserve it?

[AB Editor]

Removal of the current incumbent will probably be my goal :)

[agchristie]

Whyso ed? Is it policies, personalities or just everything about the coalition?

[naomi24]

ag, Rightly or wrongly, labelling happens to a lot of people, but in his case, criticism is warranted.

[tommy39]

deffo not polices .vote for the person i deem to be telling the fewest lies. it's bloody hard

[craft1948]

With me it's more a case of what I couldn't vote for, which is why I'll stick with Dave......

[agchristie]

Better the devil you know eh craft!