Who To Vote For.

[saintpeter48]

I don't know if this has already been posted on here but i'll ask anyway.
In the local elections on May 2nd, I don't know who to vote for, or if I should vote at all. I am a staunch brexiteer and in my area I have a choice between Tory, Labour, Lib Dems and Greens, i've contacted them all and three of them are remainers and one a leaver, the Tory candidate.
Having been a Labour voter all of my 71 years, apart from the last couple of times when I voted UKIP, I feel that I cannot vote for the Tories, it is against all of my working class background and my dad would certainly turn in his grave if I did!
I feel I have to do something and I don't want to not vote, is there a way I can spoil my ballot paper or has anyone any suggestions as to what to do.
I know the local elections should not impact on what happens in Westminster, but speaking to family and friends, listening to the media etc, there are thousands like me.
Any comments will help, thanks.

[New Judge]

“…vote for the candidate you think will do more for your area and who shares your views,…”

Then, even assuming your choice is successful and that he or she is a member of the party which eventually controls the council, sit back for five years and enjoy the council saying they cannot undertake the pledges they made in their manifesto (and on which you based your vote). This will be because they are too difficult/expensive/sensitive/impractical or any number of reasons which they had not considered when making their promises.

Save your time and angst. Elected local authorities are a waste of time and a scandalous waste of money. Local services should be run by an Executive operating under devolved powers from Westminster. Before too long Westminster will be running principally on devolved powers from Brussels/Strasbourg and that will save us all the time and bother of voting.

[woofgang]

For local elections, I vote on local issues and for who I think will best deal with them. I reckon that few local candidates will ever get into national politics or have any national power so I see the local stuff as totally divorced (or almost totally divorced) from national issues.

[agchristie]

I would have to vote for the candidate whose views agreed with mine on the main issues.

If that meant voting against the party I had always voted for traditionally then so be it.I agree with Jim's opening post.

In my area,only Labour bother to produce a newsletter (albeit prone to making erroneous claims!) and it was interesting to see last week when about six representatives swarmed in my road one evening that nobody was answering.

Labour will still return both candidates,one of which polled a pathetic 483 votes on a 19% turnout!

Bet it will be lower next month...

[Baldric]

Ric-ror,
'BREXIT'
On it's own what is that supposed to mean, that you are for it, against it, or what?

[agchristie]

NJ //enjoy the council saying they cannot undertake the pledges they made in their manifesto//

Absolutely! Crime and anti-social behaviour being a good example.There is always a lack of police/LA manpower or funding to blame.

People simply give up reporting issues and so the councillors assume that all is well and good.

[modeller]

I have changed sides several times. Why not ? People change , parties change. The world changes . That's a healthy intelligent country !

[dannyk13]

At a local election, regardless of party, I vote for the candidate I think will be the best for local matters.

[agchristie]

What amazes me is why some candidates bother putting themselves up for election and then do precisely nothing to promote their views or make themselves known.They remain merely a name on the ballot paper.

The last local elections here saw the Tory candidate a not too remote behind the elected two in the ward.Had he pushed himself only a bit (on a very poor turnout) then he could well have been elected.

How can anyone vote for someone whose own beliefs cannot be ascertained?

There again,many vote the same as they always have done,often purely because their parents did!

...and that makes no sense whatsoever.

[sanmac]

Here is an article regarding the local elections: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-47666080

[Old_Geezer]

With such variety of admin and so many different councils it's difficult to recall what the one you are voting for is responsible for. If you manage to find out then there is the issue of trying to discover the pros and cons of each candidate to try to work out which is best. Then one has no idea if they are capable of delivering. With all that effort needed, is it any wonder folk can only work up enthusiasm at the general election ?

[agchristie]

From Sanmac's link:-

//Voting in local elections also sends a message to the national parties that you are active and they can no longer overlook your needs and priorities."//

Not true.If funding isn't available then whatever is being asked for won't get provided.

I should count myself fortunate that I still have weekly refuse collections but many areas only have fortnightly and in some cases monthly.No amount of pressure will change that.