Saturday

How are you voting?

I may be alone here but I bloody love election time! I just get so excited with all the build up, then I try to stay awake all night and usually end up falling asleep on the sofa. Last General Election, I wrote this post to showcase the range of different blogger voices, and there was no question in my mind that I would do it again this time round. 

General Election 2017

HOW ARE YOU VOTING?

After asking around on Twitter, I managed to find bloggers voting for five of the larger parties: Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Scottish Green and Scottish National Party. As with last time, try as I might, I couldn't find anyone voting UKIP or other smaller/regional parties. To avoid any bias, I've popped the parties in alphabetical order and I've not included my own views in this one as I want to keep it as balanced as possible. With all that said, let's see what our bloggers have to say.

Voting Conservative 2017

Laura J Davis is voting Conservative:

'Politics is always a personal thing, hence I have my reasons why I vote Conservative. Back in 2015, and approaching my first vote in a general election, I decided I didn't want to be ignorant. I went out of my way to read the manifestos of all major political parties at the time; the Green Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and UKIP. I was open minded, and used isidewith.com as well as various other websites to gauge my stance on various political issues such as immigration, the NHS and crime. Most often my views were centre right wing. What drew me to the Conservatives was their leader at the time; David Cameron. I looked up to him as he constantly raised awareness of increasing anti-semitism and he was a staunch supporter of the state of Israel; two issues which are very important to me, as I am Jewish. Additionally, records show that anti-semitism was lower when the Conservatives were in government. Furthermore, and this may come as a shock to many people, but I support austerity. I believe the best way to pay back debt is to make cutbacks, just like we would in our lives, rather than borrowing more and increasing taxes. So, austerity, anti-semitism, zionism and feeling safe in this country are the reasons for which I personally am a member of the Conservatives and will continue to vote for them.'

Voting Labour 2017

Laura Hadley is voting Labour:

'My vote is based upon both the policies Labour have laid out and what I feel other parties are lacking. I’m voting not only for myself but in mind of younger people who are not of voting age and how I felt at 16 during the 2010 election. 

Firstly, Labour are proposing to banish zero hour contracts and boost the incomes of the poorest. Luckily I’ve never been on a 0-hour contract but know people who have, and their lives have been shaken up due to last minute demands for shifts and never knowing when they can plan social events due to work commitments taking place, especially on minimum wage. They also plan to close the gender pay gap!

Secondly, the NHS really needs our help. As someone who is chronically ill I rely on the NHS to give the treatments I need to be able to function. Labour want to secure the NHS and make sure mental health and care for others is prioritised. We’re so lucky to have the NHS and I really don’t want it to become fully privatised. I have my fingers crossed!'

Voting Lib Dem 2017

Laura, of Cherry Soda Blog, is voting Liberal Democrat:

'I’ve been a Liberal Democrat member on and off since I was 16, and have voted for them in every election I could for the last 11 years. But it’s Brexit that’s made me even more determined to do so this time round; I was a passionate Remain campaigner and the fact that the Liberal Democrats are the only party offering a referendum on the terms of the deal is a big part of why I’m voting for them again. That said, they’re not a one-issue party either; when they were in coalition, they pushed through legislation on equal marriage and raising the income tax threshold (both long-standing party policies) amongst others. I also really admire their strong support for improving mental health services as this is an issue close to my heart. Put simply, they are the party that is advocating for the kind of Britain that I want to live in, and that’s why I’m voting for them in June.'

Voting Scottish Green 2017

Charlotte, of Colours and Carousels, is voting Scottish Green:

'I was between two parties, SNP and Scottish Green, as I feel that they represent my opinions and beliefs better than other options I have. Ultimately, I have decided to vote Scottish Green as I feel passionately about environmental issues such as fracking, pollution and nuclear energy, which they represent more than the SNP. I'm very much against issues such as Trident, being a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, as are the Scottish Greens. The Scottish Greens are passionate about preserving local communities and their services, as well as working to increase the number of women and young people getting involved in politics and having a say on key issues. They care about the future, which is important to me as a young student. Obviously, as a resident of Scotland, the independence debate is hard to ignore, and I currently am for Scottish independence, as are the Scottish Greens. Not all constituencies have a Green candidate, with mine being one of the few, which makes it even more important to me that I vote Green as I think their voice should be heard. To me, the Scottish Greens are the most progressive, inclusive option available to me and that's why I'll be voting Green come election day.'

Voting SNP 2017

Lauren, of The Devil Wears Tartan, is voting SNP:

'I should be a Labour voter. I'm as left wing as they come, an advocate for the decriminalisation of drugs and sex work, a believer in a higher minimum wage and I'll defend the NHS to my dying day. But I’ll be voting for the SNP in the general election, a party that’s barely left of centre. I supported Scottish independence but Scottish Labour took a hard party line against it at the demand of their Westminster bosses, working with the Tories in the process. Hopping into bed with the Conservatives ruined their reputation north of the border, and in my eyes. Since Scottish votes matter very little in the election (we’ve never voted Conservative, yet are governed by them more often than not), I want someone I know is sticking up for me down south. Angus Robertson is my MP and he slays at PMQs every week. I really feel like the SNP are the true opposition in the House of Commons just now.' 

CONFUSED ABOUT POLITICS?

Judging by news reports, and the experiences of people I know, a lot of folk are registering to vote for the first time, regardless of how old they are. The UK election system can be pretty confusing, and Voting Counts are working to help with this. A small organisation, Voting Counts is an unbiased political resource, explaining the importance and relevance of British politics without being affiliated to any particular parties. This means the information they offer is completely impartial, allowing users to access help and advice that they can apply to their own experience. Voting Counts explains the likes of our First Past the Post voting system, how to find your local polling station, and why it's important to vote. The handy little booklet in the top image of this post has been produced by them and holds a wealth of information including a glossary. It's well worth checking it out and passing on the link to anybody you know who may be feeling a little confused.

As you can see from this post, there are a whole load of reasons as to why you might vote a particular way but the only person who can ultimately make that decision is you. 

If you're happy sharing, I'd love to hear who you're voting for and why in the comments. 

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4 comments :

  1. I love that you do posts like this, elections are never a time to be apathetic and I feel like not enough bloggers use their platforms to raise awareness. I'm a stanch supporter of Labour, ever more so since Jeremy Corbyn became leader. I have a severe mental illness, so the protection of the NHS is a huge part of my voting as it's literally a case of life or death for me. Labour also offer better protection for disabled rights and other minorities. I just in general feel that Labour are more for the people, whereas Conservatives are more for themselves. Also in these times we live in with the threat of war I'd feel much safer with Labour in office as Conservatives are a little too enthusiastic over the prospect of pressing the nuclear button which is terrifying.

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  2. I love this post Becky - now I've been out of the UK nearly a year and I'm getting ready to vote for coming home just after the election, I LOVE that this is here and that you have all the parties represented! It's awesome, you're awesome and thank you for putting this together. <3

    I'm labour all the way - my greatgrandad was the labour MP for my area all through the war and so we were always brought up putting labour leaflets through doors and wearing rossettes. The older I've gotten the more I find myself supporting their policies as they tend to be the most in line with what I believe and support. Either way labour is practically a part of me and I doubt I'll ever change.

    I believe in Jeremy Corbyn 100%, and I love the idea of coming back home to a UK where Labour is in power rather than the conservatives. That's my dream. But really, it's all down to my mum choosing the correct person on my proxy vote, so fingers crossed she gets it right :)

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  3. I'm glad you do posts like this, too. I missed the last one, glad I saw this one! I'm very much in the liberal camp and also in the 'vote for whoever has more of a chance to block the tories' so, if I were to vote (I can't, not British; don't come at me! I ALWAYS vote in Spanish elections) it'd be Labour, even though I sort of sympathize a fair bit with the SNP as well.

    I can't say I share your excitement re elections, though I'm glad this one is short! (And I'm glad I'm so incompetent I usually forget my own elections are coming up until the day of, upon which I cram on policies and names before heading to the booth.) I'm still feeling election fatigue from the US primaries, I kid you not.

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  4. I voted Tory at the first election I was able to (2010) and I have been nothing but ashamed & disgusted by my choice ever since.
    I'm not a Labour voter, I'd say my morals align better with the Greens, but I'm voting Labour this election because, in my opinion, stopping the Tories dismantling public services, leaving disabled people to starve, and generally not giving two-hoots about the majority of the population & the struggles they are facing, is more important than voting for the party I agree with most right now.
    *refrains from continuing enraged ramble* very strong feelings here!

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I read all comments and appreciate every single one, even if I can't always reply. If you have a question or need a reply, feel free to tweet me @BeckyBedbug- I always reply to tweets!

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