General Chat

I've read extracts from the Tory manifesto not much has changed in their thinking since Thatcher's day. Gwynne

Abigail, I feel that the response you had was not a typical reaction from any particular party but from a self centred egomaniac of which each party has it's fair share. I hope your neice gets the attention she needs. Jacky xx

I will be voting for the party I belive will be best. I would also make two changes to the voting system. i would ban the discredited postal vote imediatly. i would also have a none of the above box. if the none of the above added to those that did not vote were more than 50% of those eligable then that seat would be declaired unrepresented and would not have an MP. bob

I won't be voting they are lyers and have their priorities wrong, I also agree they should have a box for voting none and then maybe they would realise just how unpopular they all are...............Denise. I must also say if they decided that because I didn't vote and we were not entitled to any benefits etc; it wouldn't really affect me and maybe they would stop taking large benefits from my husbands pay packet (tax) as they give very very little in return.

You would have to put a gun against my head to vote tory. My grandparents were paid up members of the labour party and I am very proud of it.

One thing wrong with Lib Dem in my opinion - Europe. However, I will always vote and think it is important - just think what those women went through to get us girls the right to vote. I would feel I was letting them down. Even a wrong vote is better than no vote at all. If you do not vote - then you do not have the right to moan. Ann

Can I rename this - WHEN you vote! We must take the one opportunity we have every 4 years to make a stand. Lily

Would never betray my working class roots, Labour gets my vote everytime, even though they are really luke-warm Tories!

No i wouldn't vote for the party who gave people the right to buy their council houses and then repossed their homes a few years later after doubling the interst rates.........people (thousandsof them) do not forget or forgive that easily.

I vote for the person who has a proven track record,who I feel has the welfare of his constituents well to the front of his agenda and who has performed consistently well when the spotlight of electioneering is not on him. Jim Knight. If I write about an issue of concern I always get a reply from his staff and action from the minister concerned. He is extremely hard working and is often in the area seen to be involved. I must admit that this time the treatment of Pensioners by the Labour Govt has made me think twice.But as Politicians go I think this man as more trustworthy than most . It will be a difficult decision to make this time. Rose

I think everyone should vote no matter what their political views are vote for somebody. especially the ladies remember the ladies in the past who gave up so much and were jailed or even lost their lives getting you the vote 'Use it' please. Davex

Hi All I truly believe that no matter which one 'gets in' there will always be something they do that people disagree with. However I have and always will vote Labour for the forseeable future. I did lapse when I was 18 and voted Tory - big mistake and being as it was my first time, never new any better. What they did to our country was dispicable. And even thought I dont agree that Tony Blair should have lied to enable us to go to war - I do believe that Saddam needed to be removed - no matter what way he went, as long as he was brought down. It is dispicable the way he treated his own people! I think that we will never recover from what the tories did to our country and I dont forgive and forget it either. Vikki

Our local MP does a lot for the town, but his Party are not the ones I would like to see in Government. I would prefer one of two things, either have all independant members with none of this divisiveness just because it was 'The Other Side' who made a proposal, or alternatively have a 'No Vote' box on the Ballot Paper so the voters have a chance to reject the Plonkers who were selected by the local Parties.

Last time I voted tactically for a minor party to give the message to the major parties that they need to rethink their policies on certain matters. This time I shall probably go back to supporting a major party. I am very worried on the constitutional issues. The removal of hereditary peers from the Lords without having a plan to replace them with members who can hold the Government to account removed one of our major safeguards against a dictatorial and over-powerful Executive. The Commons has become a rubber stamp for whatever the Prime Minister and the European Parliament throw at us. The Cabinet is side-lined. Both the Commons and the Lords need reforming. My preference for the Commons would be for General Election ballot papers to have a 'None of the Above' candidate, so that a Party would only be elected if their policies had popular support. Proportional representation or large constituencies with multiple seats would be a way forward for the Lords, with a proportion co-opted for their expertise in various fields.

Jacky, Unfortunately, Gordon Marsden's comments were simply the crowning glory on top of a mountain of reasons why I think the labour party has lost its way. Granted the tories left things in an unholy mess but by now I expected better. The 'get lost - I don't believe any of you lying gits' box is a brilliant idea. And don't forget - benefits are not just financial, I would love it if every time anyone had to see a doctor they had to pay, my children would see my husband wide awake and he would be able to spend at least more than one storytime a week with even just one of them. We do get quite a lot for our money paid in - if you think of it on an individual lifetime. But living as a society as large as we are now I become very resentful and often downright angry at those who don't pull their weight and then blame others for the problems, be it not voting or not working and diddling the financial benefits system. some of those people who do would probably make great chief executives, because they can understand supremely complicated systems and managed to get the maximum for nothing out of them! It is fascinating how many people are saying (not just on here) about how they would vote for lib dem but feel they can't! Just the ones I know of from the last two weeks would probably make a difference round here! Abigail

Don't forget that the period of high interest rates was a result of membership of the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism) when we were thinking of joining the Euro, which was supported by Labour, and still is, at least by Tony Blair. Coming (or being forced) out of that was the best thing we ever did. And the Chancellor no longer sets interest rates, the MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) of the Bank of England does that, so whatever party is in power, they would not have that lever to pull.

I could never NOT vote. My vote goes to my local MP who is a really good bloke. He's Tory and I would vote for him whatever his party. Daisy

Just a thought, A number of people have said they could never vote tory because of what Thatcher did. Will they now be unable to vote labour for exactly the same reasons? Brown has endorsed her handling of the economy during her time in office. Bob

The other half and I posted our votes today........ We just could not decide who to vote for, as long time Labour voters it was a really hard choice this time around. Having worked in the NHS (on and off) since 1965 this was my `bete noire`. Still we have done the deed now and no changing of minds. Love and Peace Marianne.xxxx

I would vote for your second option but who ever wins I hope they scrape through with the narrowist of majorities so that we can have a bit more from the opposition on serious matters (well i can dream can't I) howard