Do you vote the same in National and Local elections?

[Oneeyedvic]

With the forthcoming elections, do you vote the same in your local borough or county elections as you do in the General Election (if there are same parties standing) or do you vary your vote.

EG - Do you think that the conservatives can make a good local council but would prefer a labour government?

[naomi24]

I vote the same for both.

[Gromit]

Where I live, the Labour Council and the MP have huge majorities, so tactical voting is pointless.

I was talking to a Labour Councillor at the weekend and he had an interesting theory. It could be the ramblings of a desperate man, but he reckoned Labour voters didn't bother voting last time because it was obvious Labour would win. This time, with the prospect of the Conservative's winning, more Labour voters would turn out.

I was doubtful, but he did cite a local example. The BNP finished second in a local ward and were a couple of hundred short of the Labour winner. That councillor died and a local bye-election was called. The BNP thought they could win it and canvassed very hard and spent a lot of resources and man hours in the ward. The result is that Labour increased its majority by 400. The stay at home Labour voters turned out in the bye-election to keep the BNP out.

Will Labour voters who didn't bother to turn out at the General Election because they knew the Tories couldn't win it, turn out this time because they know the Tories might? It is an interesting theory.

[craft1948]

In York we unfortunately have a Labour MP, but when it comes to local issues the Lib Dems have the highest number of councillors, but not an overall majority.

[Oneeyedvic]

I should point out that we have a conservative borough and county council (by large majorities) but a labour MP. All Borough councillors are either blue (29) or red (15) and county is: Conservative 60, Liberal Democrat 13, Green 7, Labour 3, UKIP 1.

Gromit - I have been out canvassing on behalf of the Conservatives over the last 2 weeks, and talking to the majority of people they are undecided. Only on a handful of occasions have I actually spoken to people who have said that they were definite Labour supporters. The party keep records of what people said they voted last year, and from appearances it looks like a lot of labour voters will either not vote or are still undecided.

It really is an interesting campaign.

[rov1200]

In our area most people vote Tory in the local elections. Profligate Labour councillors will always seek to dish out ratepayers money on trivial projects. The Tories will try to minimise it.

However when it comes to national government the Tory priority changes from the middle class individual to the more rich and powerful.

[Seadragon]

This is an interesting question as I have never given this much thought before. In a General Election I choose between 2 Parties however in the Local Election I do skim through any Party pamphlets that are posted and consider them more open-mindedly in regard to local issues and thus tend to vary my vote more between the 3 main Parties. Although I am more inclined towards one Party than the others, I would float between local Councillor's.