Oh, I know, I know. Actually, I didn't know that, La-za-RO-vitch? Not La-ZA-ro-vitch? Interesting.
I got your leaflet through the door the other day actually! 'Fraid I'll be voting Lib Dem, though. The Greens are lovely and everything but (as of course you know) it's a LD/Lab marginal constituency.
Mostly I wish there was just a 'Hang Parliament' option on the ballot paper, really.
Well, tactical in a sense, but the Lib Dems cover almost all the bases at a local level (Kevin Lang's personal campaign manifesto could practically belong to a Green - help low/middle income workers, scrap ID cards, more money for pensioners, more renewable energy), and at a national level have a shot at some real power.
They're also committed to electoral reform in a way that the big two never will be because it's the only way they can keep said power if they get it in a coalition.
Mark L got brownie points recently for voting against the DEB but he's still basically a party-line-toer, so in N&L the Lib Dems are definitely a better choice.
But yeah, it's not so much that I like the Lib Dems (although I do, mostly). It's that it's the best way to get a fairer voting system. And then maybe next time I'll be able to vote for whoever I want knowing that it'll actually count.
God I'm repeating myself a lot at the moment - I just had almost this exact rant in my LJ.
Given their tendency to talk a good game until they're actually in power (Edinburgh congestion charge, for just one example), I'd take his manifesto with a pinch of salt, and look at how it joins up. His LD colleague at the hustings I did last night said some very peculiar things about Trident.
But I'll be meeting Lang for the first time at the Broughton Spurtle hustings tonight, so we'll see!
Slight difference; national policy is set by members through conference. Council policies are set by councillors, who're only accountable when up for reelection, and deselecting can be difficult.
If the LDs are in majority Govt, the manifesto will be implemented, or the party would crucify the MPs. If it's a coalition, they'll negotiate the best deal, which'd include STV for Westminster.
If, by that time, your party has dumped all its anti-science stuff, decided that it doesn't want to destroy the remaining English pubs (no idea if Scottish party has stupid tax policies but English party does) and is prepared to look at economic impact of massive increases in taxation in the roudn, then there's a chance they'll get some MPs.
But without STV, outside of 2 seats, no chance at all.
On second thoughts, not on the implication that I'd vote for the Green candidate. On voting LibDem because it's a marginal, yes, and on a hanged parliament, yes.
I don't know any names at the moment, because I only start researching candidate info a little while before an election, and I'm not aware of any upcoming elections in my jurisdiction at the moment. That said, when I can find candidate info, I research it and choose the candidate I like best, but if I don't find any useful candidate info for a particular position, I either don't vote for that slot, or I vote for the party which seems to most align with my ideals.
I know her name, but I'm voting for her primarily based on party lines rather than because I think she's particularly good. I don't know the names of the people I'll be voting for in the local elections.
Whenever people like you have that much connection to local politics I feel like I really ought to pay more attention and actually put some effort into it myself.
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Can't spell or pronounce it. But I know it.
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Yeah, vote for me instead.
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I got your leaflet through the door the other day actually! 'Fraid I'll be voting Lib Dem, though. The Greens are lovely and everything but (as of course you know) it's a LD/Lab marginal constituency.
Mostly I wish there was just a 'Hang Parliament' option on the ballot paper, really.
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Tactical voting, ugh. I can't blame you for doing it, though I really doubt the Lib Dems are any better than Labour.
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They're also committed to electoral reform in a way that the big two never will be because it's the only way they can keep said power if they get it in a coalition.
Mark L got brownie points recently for voting against the DEB but he's still basically a party-line-toer, so in N&L the Lib Dems are definitely a better choice.
But yeah, it's not so much that I like the Lib Dems (although I do, mostly). It's that it's the best way to get a fairer voting system. And then maybe next time I'll be able to vote for whoever I want knowing that it'll actually count.
God I'm repeating myself a lot at the moment - I just had almost this exact rant in my LJ.
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But I'll be meeting Lang for the first time at the Broughton Spurtle hustings tonight, so we'll see!
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If the LDs are in majority Govt, the manifesto will be implemented, or the party would crucify the MPs. If it's a coalition, they'll negotiate the best deal, which'd include STV for Westminster.
If, by that time, your party has dumped all its anti-science stuff, decided that it doesn't want to destroy the remaining English pubs (no idea if Scottish party has stupid tax policies but English party does) and is prepared to look at economic impact of massive increases in taxation in the roudn, then there's a chance they'll get some MPs.
But without STV, outside of 2 seats, no chance at all.
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So I really ought to. But, she's the candidate from my party.
Having said that, I voted against the candidate from my party on the strength of his uselessness once; on balance, that was the right choice.