Yes, me! After being a #Labour voter all my life - and never again - I'm genuinely embarrassed by them. I'm seriously considering voting #Green, but my worry is, with our FPTP system, would my vote be wasted, and would it allow Labour back in, or worse, the #Tories (and/or #Reform)? - ThreadSky

kevbro1969.bsky.social • 1 day ago

Yes, me!

After being a #Labour voter all my life - and never again - I'm genuinely embarrassed by them.

I'm seriously considering voting #Green, but my worry is, with our FPTP system, would my vote be wasted, and would it allow Labour back in, or worse, the #Tories (and/or #Reform)?

Reposted from Edwin Hayward

Any Labour voters feeling the leopards eating their faces yet? Just curious.

(After all we're quick to throw out that accusation at voters of other parties - I do it too - when the party they voted for turns round and bites them... so Labour shouldn't automatically be immune from such criticism.)

Comments

chopalley.bsky.social•1 day ago

Every election the same tactical voting arguments are used to get people to vote Labour. And what is the result? Your Labour vote is a wasted one anyway.
Vote #Green, you have nothing to lose, and if enough people do the same, you have a lot to gain.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

But tactical voting does work, but not just in Labour's favour. The Tories have used it previous elections.

mcmh44.bsky.social•1 day ago

Morning - I did vote Green in the last election. Unfortunately the FPTP (First Past The Post) system of voting seems to favour a duopoly - either Conservative or Labour. The voting system needs to be changed to Proportional Pepresentation, of which there are several different types.

dndnerd69.bsky.social•1 day ago

Couldn’t agree with this more. People cant vote how they really want to, having to resort to tactical voting to try and get a result they think is the lesser of two evils!

kevbro1969.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Exactly, and we're one of a handful of countries that still use this archaic & grossly unfair system. We shouldn't have to vote tactically, we should just simply vote for who we want & know that our vote actually matters.

jimprescott.bsky.social•1 day ago

Indeed and reducing a Labour majority to hung parliament is the way to potentially bring about a change. So Labour losing seats due to people abandoning them can help. Otherwise with the current situation, Labour could win a majority again.

siry4ever.bsky.social•1 day ago

There is the Rejoin EU party aswell as the Greens. Labour has lost my vote.

ses67.bsky.social•1 day ago

Same. And same about Green and FPTP.

nazishmunch.bsky.social•1 day ago

@catherinerowett.bsky.social and I were talking about this…

sarawlinson.bsky.social•1 day ago

The first thing to do is actually join the Green Party. You don’t have to vote for them, I share your concerns about FPTP, but membership size matters. I joined just before GE having voted labour my whole life.

epicemily.bsky.social•1 day ago

Imagine if everyone felt the same way.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm not sure of the size of the swing the Greens would need, but likely to be a massive one. Would enough people not vote for Labour, LibDem's & Tory to push the Greens to power? I'd like to think they would but I'd doubt it.

Our FPTP system cripples smaller parties & needs to go.

deancheviotview.bsky.social•1 day ago

Both Greens and LD were good at targeting seats last time.Why not wait to see if yours is on the list for 29? In the meantime both need members money and activists so why not join one and help that way?

epicemily.bsky.social•1 day ago

Absolutely!
In the meantime, we have some Council elections coming up and we are doing all we can to raise Green profile and get Greens voted in.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm 100% voting Green in the council elections. As I said my worry is in the GE.

epicemily.bsky.social•1 day ago

I get it. I just fee like that’s what they want us to think and it stops people form voting Green when they truly want to. Last GE I spoke to a number of people who said this to me outside my polling station.
I didn’t stop Reform…

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

Good point, but sadly the Green's don't have the constant media & press coverage that Reform has. However FPTP definitely makes it much more harder for smaller parties.

mikesadler.bsky.social•1 day ago

You speak for me too

orbyuk.bsky.social•1 day ago

For many years I went along with the ‘better than Tory’ argument. But at the last election Greens were clear in support of EU membership, public ownership, redistribution of wealth and making the case for immigration. I joined the Greens and will only give my vote to those I trust.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•21 hours ago

Absolutely! I was the same. I'm genuinely impressed by the Greens & IMHO are how Labour used to (and should) be. My only concern is FPTP which is unfair & only favours a 2 party race. Smaller parties, unless they receive a massive swing, barely get a look in.

catherinerowett.bsky.social•1 day ago

In some recent elections voting Labour has prevented Greens from winning (including one 3 wks ago we lost by 4 votes in Suffolk because Labour campaigned against us and let the Tories in). In other places Green is now the only party that can keep Reform out because Labour & Tories both so unpopular.

catherinerowett.bsky.social•1 day ago

https://join.greenparty.org.uk/

jimprescott.bsky.social•1 day ago

Stopping voting Labour after Iraq was one of the most liberating things, politically, that I ever did. Don't be blackmailed by the "but you'll let the others in" argument. Labour (or anyone) should earn your vote and not get it by default, FPTP or not.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

Good for you, and your point is valid. However FPTP means many votes for smaller parties can be wasted.

jimprescott.bsky.social•1 day ago

The idea of a wasted vote is not straightforward. Votes are always wasted in FPTP unless you vote for the winner. A vote sends a simple message - it is an endorsement. Labour doesn't know or need to care which voters actively chose them or which felt they had no choice, they all give them power.

kevbro1969.bsky.social•1 day ago

Good point.

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