political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Have You Changed Your Mind?
Think back a month. Who had you intended to vote for a month ago, and who have you ACTUALLY voted for today?
See my posts on your previous thread. Conservative for local elections. UKIP for Euro. Will that get me expelled from the Tory Party, do you think?.....pmsl
For the local council no. Will still go for what I always have done. Conservative.
However, when it comes to European elections my mind is more and more swaying towards UKIP and Libertas. Never thought I would hear myself saying that.....
However, my reasons aren't because of all the expenses revelations. Looking at them realistically tax payers money is being wasted by this government in huge amounts elsewear (how many billion for NHS IT!!!!) that it's relatively minor in comaparison. Although the honesty of MP's has left me digusted.
UKIP in the EUROs because they look like they might now beat Labour. And having seen Cameron & Hague squirm on the EU question, I think voting for them is far from being a wasted vote. It makes the situation worse on Labour, and shows Cameron what people want.
I was voting Tory local then Tory 1 Euro and UKIP 2 Euro until I learned I had just one vote. I thought long and hard about who to vote for that would best give Labour a kicking. Or the Lib Dems down here in Nehaven.
I then voted Tory as they had a teller outside who kindly kept an eye on my dog! The only people I'd have trusted more with my dog is the BNP because the headlines procured from any animal abuse/recklessness would terrify their poor people. Except, of course, there weren't any....
But yeah, Conservative all the way for a very bit of boring and conventional (small 'c' conservative?) electoral action!
I was thinking of voting UKIP but I decided to vote Tory. I was thinking of voting for UKIP because I believe we should leave the EU and all it's associated costs behind. I don't suppose that the Cameroons have the balls to get us out of Europe but they are the only serious opposition and it is past time for a change.
I wasn't going to vote. Then I thought why not give Jury team a go. Decided I might as well not bother. So I've decided after much thought that Labout and Plaid cymru who have been recipients of my vote in the past can get stuffed. I vote for Plaid as they have only been the opposition and since Labour have Wales by the short and curlies a vote for second place has to be made. However, with the PR vote in the Euro election I have decided to vote Conservative as they are the only party that have actually told me what they will do. Labour and the rest say I will do this for wales yeah right.
I want a referendum on the lisbon treaty in whatever guise it maskerades in.
A month ago I intended to vote UKIp and that is what I have done. Why? Because the Tories are spineless on the EU (but then they took us into Europe on a false propsectus didn't they) and because generally I don't like the Cameroons and in paricular of late I have found Cameron's handling of the expenses thing inconsistent / opportunistic.
Seriously considered voting UKIP as a protest but they've not really inspired when on the TV and also JuryTeam before Esther Rantzen appeared. Stayed Tory in the end as I admire Mr Hannan immensely and my local MPs have all emerged from the Telegraph revelations unscathed. I live in hope that 'The Plan' will form the next Conservative Party Manifesto.
I think a protest vote is now a bit too frivolous - the country is in such dire need of repair and Dave is the only man in a position to be effective.
I had intended to vote for ukip. I’ve voted ukip in the past euro elections but not today, today I won’t vote at all. Any sort of vote in a euro election is interpreted by the euro elite as a vote for them, voting for ukip makes no difference to anything and just hands a small victory to those who really rule our country. The best way to show you want out of the EU is not to vote at all. I’m not voting in the locals as there is only a choice between parties who seem all to be on the take.
I intended to vote for the Tories, but I'm going for UKIP.
Mainly because the Tories have proven to be just as much troughers as Labour! Also because with the rise of the small parties that everyone's predicting, it sends a message.
Always intended to vote BNP - not because they're brilliant (they certainly aren't) nor because of their risible economic policies but because a large BNP vote is the only means by which this country can have a sensible debate on the most important issue we face: immigration.
People want a sensible, informed debate from which we can then reach a consensus without being smeared as racist.
Iain, sadly as much as the Tories say they want to have a debate the reality is that it won't happen under David for he seems to have caught the 'pc' bug aswell - that really is a pity for he could have been the man to progress a sensible immigration policy in this country. Regardless, he'll make an excellent Prime Minister.
I decided to vote BNP in the end, seeing as the election doesn't matter, I preferred to to give the establishment a shock. Hopefully that will start to provoke a return to politicians doing what their constituents want, instead of doing what they want.
The Euro questionnaire you linked to some time ago said I should vote UKIP or Libertas. I voted Tory, I have to say for almost exclusively domestic UK reasons. It shows what a farce this so called Euro election is. I have been trying to find out if Libertas have better prospects elsewhere, particularly Ireland. They would make better bedfellows for the Tories than some of the nutters talked about.
I am conservative and voted Liberal, having voted Blair 2 of last 3. Didn't want Con to take the gen election win for granted. Wanted Lab to come third so Brown is booted. Then the country gets a better leader until the gen election, when I will vote Conservative, no doubt.
I intended to vote UKIP for the European elections and Conservative for the locals, but by nistake I put an X in the UKIP box for the local elections. Thought about going back to get a replacement for a spoilt paper, but then thought better of it and voted UKIP in the county elections as well.
I voted Green. Polling shifted me into thinking they might have a shot at a seat up here in Scotland. Particularly if the Labour vote collapses and turnout remains quite low. I hadn't intended voting at all - I'm not a big fan of the EU. And I'm having issues with the SNP at the moment.
Was planning voting Green but changed my mind yesterday to Lib Dem. Greens too flaky on some science issues (though not on climate change etc).
Was toying with a Tory vote just to put as strong a boot in to the moribund Labour govt as possible, but their lurch away from europe's centre-right and their cosying up to far right european parties is sickening.
I usually vote Liberal (if anyone asks I describe myself as a Gladstonian Liberal) but I always disliked my local Liberal councillors so switched to voting Tory. However I've moved recently so I'm going to vote Liberal again.
I have voted UKIP by postal vote a week ago, as today I am in Belgium and unable to vote in person. However I now wish I had voted Conservative. This is due to reading the blog of the splendid Daniel Hannan, who has reminded me of just how much change Cameron has promised - large parts of it are in 'The Plan', the e-book that he and Mr Carswell MP wrote. I am not really a rabid eurosceptic, I just dont want to be subsumed into it in a disenfranchised sort of way.
I am a lifelong Conservative but fully intended to vote UKIP. However when confronted with the ballot paper I found that I actually couldnt do it and cravenly voted Tory.
I so wanted to send a message to Dave and the boys but just failed at the last moment.
I was going to vote Tory in the EU elections until Cameron made that dubious statement about the giving us a referendum "if the treaty had not been ratified, so I changed my vote to UKIP today!
Other than that, I am a Tory voter and always have been.
I feel quite let down by them recently on several different issues and have been thinking about voting Libertarian in future if things don't change.
I am still torn between UKIP and Libertas (which could be a wasted vote). If the Tories were intent on reforming the EU, I would vote for them, but I only see division and confusion.
I want the EC's activities stopped dead and no salaries paid until their accounts pass audit. Then I want Commissioners elected and answerable to the people, and not a bunch of failed national politicians. And then there is the Constitution, which EU grandees want to railroad over us.
Who will do that? UKIP simply want out. Libertas have put this at the centre of their agenda.
I had intended to vote Tory until Alan Duncan's smarmy behaviour and false laughter combined with William Hague's pathetic responses on Newsnight reminded me of past Tory insincerities. Don't get me wrong, I want Brown out but I don't want to replace him with another load of arrogant, transparent, dissemblers. So I voted Lib Dem.
Was going to vote UKIP but incresingly pi**ed off by Nigel Farage and a bit worried by the total absence of anyone else, to be honest, so despite some misgivings I voted Labour...
I was going to vote Conservative and Unionist, but then decided to vote for TUV aka Jim Allister QC as he came number 1 out of all British Euro MEPs in a poll conducted by the Taxpayers Alliance.
I am exactly with Anon 2.27 pm. UKIP for Euros, Conservative for locals. No change in intention, which was a) to cause maximum pain to Labour, and in the case of the Euros pushing them behind UKIP is going to be a massive humiliation, and b) to send Dave a message that to get my vote at the fortheoming GE he needs to stop being a weasel on Lisbon and guarantee a referendum.
was going to go for the torries, did enjoy dan hannan youtube outing a couple of months back and the like, but realsied that i would get even more pleasure by watching labour pushed into 4th if i helped UKIP out a bit.
Can't say i'm massively anti-europe but i think my short term pleasure gets trumps here
I voted Conservative as usual in council elections but voted for UKUIP ( a change for me) in the European. Not because they are nice or even onest but beacuse no mainstream party will take us out of the EU. It has become even more apparent that when trouble happens, in this case the economic crisis, it will be every country in Europe for themselves so the whole thing is an expensive waste of time. Also it has emasculated our Parliament which has lost power over huge areas of Public life. I am hoping the Tories will realise this and change policy. There were EIGHT Eurosceptic parties on my ballot paper- get the message David!
Now more interesting- in a DimLeb held ward in Surrey- only Conservative posters up (NO others at all), only C canvassed, only C tellers, no sign of Libs at all.
Some C supporters voting UKIP but their vote is very soft- I talked several back round last week alone- helps having Dan Hannan top of ticket of course
Have not met one person admitting to voting Labour (including 3 who I know have always voted Labour before)
I was almost certain to vote UKIP and then I decided to contact their incumbent MEP with a few questions about his experience and policy goals. As they refuse to sit on committees and thus try to get the best deal for British taxpayers by influencing legislation and directives, I am not prepared to waste my vote; whilst I was reluctant to vote for the individuals on the Conservative ticket, because in my opinion the first candidate is a crook and the best candidates are ranked fourth and sixth (the latter of whom was by far the most engaging and politically-astute speaker, but I reckon her skin colour unfairly disadvantaged her chances of a better list position), in the end I decided to couple my Conservative county council vote with a Conservative European vote.
A friend of mine, with a good professional qualification and a strong religious belief (much like his family's), is also tempted to vote for the BNP after "living in Uxbridge for a year". In 2007 he voted Conservative.
Switched from Labour a year ago to Conservative [when the country nearly went bust and no Lisbon vote] to UKIP.
They deserve a good spanking from having presented themselves as the British Obama Party, while still being full of reactionary old twats like Steen, twits on the make like Viggers, Wiggers, Wiggins, Waggins and Buggins.. and shysters like Alan Duncan hoovering up my tax money while sitting on a fortune of zillions..
Remains to be seen whether they will do any good. Didn't have a council vote this year in Bristol, but would vote Green if I could, if only to kibosh the corporate slash and burn being inflicted on Brizzle by a shite planning dept.
I voted UKIP as I can understand how to unfold the ballot paper and Tory for the county. If the Tories has promised a referendum on the EU come what may I would have voted for them as they did not I voted UKIP.
In the end voted on local issues in the local elections and made my feelings about Europe clear in the Euro elections, despite the fact that the party I voted for locally is europhile!
It's called being an intelligent voter. I can't be alone, which means any extrapolation from these elections as to the likely outcome of a general election (where I will vote differently again and in a manner more pleasing to mine host) will all be so much bollocks!
Was going to vote Tory - as always. But Voted UKIP.
The Tory Party are only promising a Referendum if the Lisbon Treaty is not ratified.
Watched Hague on newsnight, confirmed my fear that Cameron is not going to sort out our relationship with Europe - his promises are all weasel words and spin.
I usually vote Conservative but have voted UKIP because (i) I would like to leave the EU and the Tories are too wishy-washy on the subject and (ii) it would be great to see Labour beaten to fourth place.
UKIP in the euros as long planned. But in the county election we have two-X voting and I surprised myself by splitting my ticket with one conservative candidate and one Lib Dem out of personal respect for a particular candidate.
As a despairing labour voter I wasn't. going to bother but decided that the presence of the BNP and UKIP on the ballot meant I had to vote for an alternative. I bit the bullet and being relatively pro-eu I plumped for the libdems.
Haven't voted yet. My first election, only turned 18 a couple of months ago. I was going to vote Conservative, briefly thought about UKIP but will vote Conservative.
Originally Tory but now leaning UKIP. Why should my vote be taken for granted by a mainstream party with half its MPs having their noses firmly in the trough ?
I intended not to vote and ended up voting Conservative. My reasons were as follows:
i) I don't want the BNP, UKIP, Libertas, Jury Team, the Greens, or any of those other parties with stupid ideas to get any more votes than they have to.
ii) I still have confidence in party politics to produce results and felt I should make the effort.
Intended to vote BNP but voted UKIP,reason ,I thought we have had ten years of fascism from Liebour,so I now know how it feels to live in a fascist country
UKIP today versus Conservative.No other choice until CMD grows a spine and starts listening and treating electorate "like adults". Hannan is losing credibility in this space too.
In the Euros I'd intended to vote Conservative (which is probabley what I'd vote in a general) but have decided to vote lib dem on the assumption the Tories will beat Labour anyway so the best way to give Gordon a kicking was to help Labour come in third - and yes, if I thought there was a chance of UKIP beating Labour I'd vote for them. But I don't.
Hell, that felt good! (voting) I realise I'm preaching to the converted with the readers of this blog, but if you haven't used your democratic right to vote for whoever you want today, please do so. Both my Grandfathers would appreciate it I'm sure - they gave their lives in WW2 to let us have the freedom to do so.
This election has hardly had a look in but I've voted in every election of every description since I was able in 1970.Have always voted Consevative and have done so again.
Intended to vote Conservative for euro elections several weeks ago but decided to vote for UKIP this morning since polls indicate a real chance of them beating Labour....
I was going to Vote Lib Dem in the EU elections, because I think they are most forthright in favour of the European ideal (which I support). But I voted Labour, both locally and for the EU.
As I said on my blog, though, I am happy with any none BNP vote today:-
No matter how bad our politicians, no matter how bad our parties, this right to vote is a valuable thing. It's why the entire political class is shivering in Westminster. It's the only ultimate power we have.
I had the honor of voting twice today (local and EP elections), for Labour and against the SAME woman (Jean Purdy) running as a BNP local councillor and MEP in the NW. Get out, and vote for ANY non-BNP Party.
I don't really care how people vote today as regards mainstream parties. I too want to see massive change in the Labour Party and the government in general. I too want open debate over Europe. I too think a General election in the next few months is needed.
But I also do not want to be shamed by my fellow Britons sending any fascists to the European Parliament.
Even up to this morning I was going to vote for Jury Team or Libertas (reasoning: Euro votes don't matter, system can benefit smaller parties), but when I got to the polling booth I just found myself wanting to give Gordon the biggest kicking I could and voted Conservative (for the first time).
I have always voted Conservative, but this time I thought long and hard because of the expenses disgrace. I was shocked to find that Conservatives like the snobby Mr Steen were still around. However my main concern is to get Labour out and the most likely way to that is to vote Conservate, which I duly did.
It will give me great pleasure to help to give Gordon Brown a bloody nose because of the damage he has done to our country.
I did intend to vote LibDem, but Clegg and Huhne changed my mind for me over the last couple of days with their silly attacks on the Tories for not supporting the European Arrest Warrant when the LDs themselves have previously argued against it - for very good reasons.
It's not often I'll change my mind like this, but this cheap electoral points scoring really incensed me... to the point I also voted Green in the County poll, too.
If I could believe the Conservatives on Europe then they would have had my vote for the Euros. However, it was a Tory who took us in without asking me, a Tory who signed the Single European Act without asking me and a Tory who signed up to Maastricht without asking me - so I don't trust Dave on his qualified promise of a referendum either. I therefore gave my Euro vote to UKIP - not because I like the party or its members, but because it is the only chance I have been given to register a vote unequivocally opposing the submerging of my country's democratic governance into the corrupt and self-serving EU. If enough people register their opposition in the same way, it may just penetrate the minds of those in the Tory party that, come the general election, we want more than vague assurances from them on a real say about membership of the EU if they want our votes. If they still wont listen then they can't complain about the haemorraging of their support to other parties at Westminster too. The expences scandal didn't influence my voting in the slightest.
I was going to vote Conservative (Euros only here); but Cameron's desire to pull out of the EPP and two recent articles against PR at Westminster (and some tweeting by Sandra Gidley) changed my mind to Liberal Democrat.
I'm a staunch Tory and had planned on voting for them but they're too soft on the whole Europe issue: all we get are woolly answers to serious questions. Would vote for them in a Gen. Election but BNP today.
As a long standing supporter of the Conservatives, in deed as well as word/money, I went for UKIP. Why?
Cameron has not been convincing on expenses. He has been claiming himself and it sticks in the craw. You can't hunt with the hounds and run with the hares. He has no foreign policy to speak of. When did he last give a speech on it? I can't remember one.
Hague's sophistry over the Lisbon Treaty. Very disappointing. I used to have high regard for Hague. But his stock is a sell.
The Conservatives need a credible European policy. A referendum on membership would be a good start.
I had planned to be sensible and vote for the Conservative party, but because I always post anonymously on your blog, Iain, I have become quite disorientated. I voted for Silvio Berlusconi.
was thinking of voting Green/Lib Dem and then, thought, what the heck... Brown is awful at communications but he is the best prime minister this country could have in the current economic mess. As such, while he come's across as a rubbish PM, he is actually a great one... and would have been deemed so in a less televisual age.
I wasn't going to bother to vote at all. But I voted for UKIP because I had to go past the polling station on the way back from the shops. Oh I picked UKIP because all the others looked much more bonkers.
I was going to go for Scargill's party, but I've mellowed towards Brown since he started to lose his "friends".
I'd love to give a reason based on the reporting of the issues, but since UKIP (funded by their multi-million EU expense claims) has attracted those voters morally offended by expense claims, I find the whole thing bizarre.
I'd love to know if any single one of your commenters Iain has actually changed their mind after reading your site ?
I changed my mind to vote for Libertas because their leaflet arrived last week and I agreed with it.
Interestingly, it was devillish to find them on the ballot paper because it came under "P" ("Pro Democracy: Libertas") - which I think was a big mistake and could cost them the few votes they might have won.
One reason, Ian, is seeing you attack Tories who are against the EU and have decided to lend their vote to UKIP. You have pissed me off with your, "My party, right or wrong." attitude.
I will probably grit my teeth and vote for Cameron at the GE though, but only as the lesser of all evils.
Was going to vote UKIP to remind the main parties we want the chance to say NO, but actually voted conservative, because we need to force a general election by a catastrophic Labour collapse and get Cameron in power ASAP.
I don't really care how people vote today as regards mainstream parties. I too want to see massive change in the Labour Party and the government in general. I too want open debate over Europe. I too think a General election in the next few months is needed.
I have been a Conservative County Councillor and Borough Councillor and have always thought of myself as Conservative for forty years and voted accordingly. I could never bring myself to vote for any other Party. I might abstain but not this time. I voted Conservative in the County Council and Euro Elections.
No matter how cynical of Cameron's intentions some people are - he is the only one who can realistically (and willing)do anything to get the best deal for the UK.
Lab/Lib want further integration.
UKIP Want to go too far.
The others will never have enough support to do anything useful.
Will Cameron be strong on the EU? I don't know, but who else has any real chance of dragging powers back to the UK?
I'm amazed that so many Conservatives voted UKIP. Cameron-Hague are the most rabidly anti-European leadership team any party has had at least since Michael Foot in 1983, probably since we joined the Common Market. Do they not satisfy you?
And surely nobody voted UKIP because of expenses? They're the most criminal of the bunch, even if the BBC, Telegraph, et al have miserably failed to scrutinise them.
Yes. A month ago i was considering a Europe protest vote for Libertas or UKIP. Today i voted Conservative because they are the most deserving of my vote and i couldn't bare the thought of Gordon Brown saying when the results are in that yes Labour had done bad but the Tories hadn't done well either!
"I had intended to vote Tory until Alan Duncan's smarmy behaviour and false laughter combined with William Hague's pathetic responses on Newsnight reminded me of past Tory insincerities. Don't get me wrong, I want Brown out but I don't want to replace him with another load of arrogant, transparent, dissemblers. So I voted Lib Dem.
I planned to vote Conservative for dead cert. This evening I will vote Conservative but very briefly when Cameron was equivocating on Kirkbride I considered protest-voting for Libertas.
Normally vote Conservative. Thought of UKIP: put off them by reports of more snouts etc. Decided to vote for Libertas, which for some EU reason has to be called 'Pro Democracy Libertas.' Unfolded ballot paper and after a couple of scans found them in third section. Polling station staff (Islington) had helpfully stuck up sample ballot paper at door showing it in unfolded state. Briefly considered spoiling ballot paper in objection to having to vote for closed list and, indeed, the general crumminess of the whole operation, but what's the point, the main object is to humiliate Gordon Brown. Anyway, did my duty as a citizen - Battle of Britain pilots died for this and I remember that every time I vote.
My mind was changed watching William Hague on Newsnight. Slipping and sliding each time he was asked the question- IF the Lisbon Treaty is ratified what then!
Sorry. As you know, iain, as I sent you the email I received from Cameron's office we are left in Limbo as to what will happen. IF anything will happen at all.
I was wavering between LibDem and Green, as I wrote in my blog back in April. After receiving fraudulent LibDem election literature, which I wrote about here, I decided in the end to vote Green.
But I will still vote LibDem at the general election, because a Green vote would be wasted under first-past-the-post and the LibDems are serious about Europe and constitutional reform.
I am a Conservative voter going back 36 years but with the expenses nonsense seriously considered UKIP as a protest.
I have voted Conservative again being greatly reassured by Dave's MK speech - reform, repatriation from EU etc - and feel very comfortable with my choice (and slightly ashamed for considering UKIP!).
My worry now is that Brown will manage to hang on full term because Labour is so craven while the economy goes even further down the pan.
I was going to vote Green, but just now, a vote for the Lib Dems is a vote for PR, so they got both votes, local and European. Later, when we have a genuine democracy (and a means to oust a sitting prime minister that doesn't depend on a bunch of spineless scumbags), I'll vote green.
Local Elections: Any one BUT the big three! Well, not the Green`s obviously!
EU: I would be committing Sedition & Treason if I participate in the EU elections. If I did vote it would be UKIP or BNP or English Democrats.
We have been crewed rotten by the Scots over the past 10 or so years. Brown will go soon, but that does not mean I will embrace another foreigner like Cameron!
Tempted by Conservatives this time. Cameron is supportable. But some of the other characters are as weird as some in Labour's cabinet. Besides, you realise he's gaming uncomfortable issues - expenses of his mates and democratic concerns, PR - just like Brown.
So it's UKIP. Farage is appalling - talks, thinks and acts like a spive. But it's a way of kicking the lot of them with a minor concern about the European superstate.
Just listen to us, you bastards. You're not doing what the hell you like. And if you do, like the Labour party, then you're going to take it up the arse.
My main intention was to vote against the Govt. Therefore was planning Tory - but Cameron's plan to get into bed with far-right parties in EU rather than centre-right deterred me. Voted LibDem therefore.
On the fence, UKIP-Conservative; probably leaning towards the former, for two reasons: first, to boot Brown where it hurts, hopefully forcing his party down where it belongs with the other fringe joke parties, and secondly to send a message to Cameron and co, shoring up his apparently wavering resolve over a referendum.
I wished to register a protest at the behaviour of the three main parties and have voted for an independent in the local election and UKIP in the european election. I intend vote conservative at the general election
Had intended to vote Libertas as a protest against the troughing major parties and in recognition of the service performed to the rest of Europe in the Irish referendum. Went to Poland and found that they had done a hatchet job on Declan Ganley exposing his links with the Russian oligarchs and the Dubya neo-cons.
Decided to lend my vote to conservatives today. Am not in favour of UKIP position of total withdrawal from Europe and am in favour of the Cameron espoused position of being in Europe as a trading area.
Vote was an act of "faith". Cameron is persuasive that we will give us a referendum if the Lisbon "constitution" has not been ratified but needs to start convincing what actions he will take if the treaty is already in place. Also need more details of what actions the new Euro grouping will take to loosen the grip of the EU changes introduced by Thatcher and Major.
Local election was a two-horse Lib/Con race. Or perhaps Lib/Con is a one-whores race these days? Natural inclination would have been to vote Con, but Worcs County Council (Tory controlled for yonx) refuses to spend sufficient of our abundant reserves on looking after the roads round here properly, resulting in third-world style craters everywhere. So I spoilt my ballot paper. In the Euro, my vote went to UKIP, because they unequivocally promise a referendum on Lisbon, and aim to get us out of the EUSSR. Dave C's weasel words and refusal to give a straight answer mean I don't trust him on this issue. And then there was Little Billy Hague vs Paxo on telly, in the matter of Ashcroft. No straight answer there, either. Wasn't the score Paxo 16:0 Hague? My big hope is that the Lab/Lib/Con party receive a God almighty kicking in these elections and realise that the British people deserve a choice; we have arrived at the point where we've become a one party state. Time to change it, whilst we still can.
I intended to vote Conservative, but in the last day or so, I changed that to UKIP. If Labour finish behind UKIP, then Brown is finished, a new man can come in and will have to call a general election in the Autumn. I will then vote Conservative and we can have our promised Lisbon referendum before the Irish have theirs.
On balance,I felt that voting UKIP was the only way to get Lisbon defeated.
I am still torn between voting UKIP to give the Conservatives a nudge towards a more Euro-sceptic position and voting Conservative to ensure that a reduced Conservative vote doesn't give the labour/BBC alliance something other than the collapse in the Labour vote to talk about. Decision time is nigh...
That assumes that Brown isn't the beneficiary of some national security flap that delays or precludes elections; the discovery of a ubiquitous airbone nano explosive detonated by the proximity of a human being, a pencil, a sheet of pre-printed paper, a wooden screen and a metal box, perhaps.
I'm running the computers at my Conservative branch committee room. At the moment 14% of people who told Conservative canvassers they won't vote have voted. B****y Liars!! (Sorry, always amuses me this) :)
Since becoming a permanent resident in the United States, I am now ineligible to vote in UK elections. Had I been able to, though, I would have voted UKIP. This is for the simple reasons that I believe in transparency and democracy. Neither feature is very much in evidence in the ridiculous movement Heath signed us up to in the 1970s.
Cameron and Hague have been far too vague on referendum pledges recently. It is time for them to give the British people a say, not just on Lisbon, but on the entire project.
If the United Kingdom goes back to being in charge of its own affairs (as any sovereign state should) I must just come back.
Hague's performance on Newsnight over Lisbon persuaded that I just had to go UKIP. He just sounded..well...like one of those awful Labour ministers. Honestly, our political class has absolutely no backbone at all. Grubby unemployable sleazebags for the most part.
Have not been, and my postal vote still remains un-opened. I am Conservative all the way. but will vote when they change the laws they brought in after dunblain. They tarred us with the same brush, so quid-pro-quo!
I was determined to send a message to Gordon and Dave, so needed a viable alternative. Crossing out all of the racist options left me with a much smaller list to choose from.
I'd had an almost pathological desire to vote for Hope not Hate, for as long as I can remember. But when it came to the crunch I couldn't find the party on the ballot paper - and in sheer desperation I just put my cross in the top box.
I have a sneaking feeling the Hope not Hate Party must have been on the folded bit next to UKIP.
I'm sure I would have done things differently if I'd remembered to wear my monocle.
I have always voted labour. For the first time ever I did not. I live in a rural area and have not seen any candidates who hope to get my vote in either county or European elections. I have never seen a politician in my area nor any party representative at my polling station. I am in a county which is dominated by Conservatives and I do so hate the lack of political debate.
In the County elections I had little choice outside of the three main parties and the BNP. I would have wished to have been able to vote for an independent candidate. I did not vote for labour and abhor the BNP. The economy in this area would collapse without workers from Europe who undertake menial farming and food processing work. I had a greater choice in the European election and have visited the websites and read information on all the smaller parties. As a protest against this abysmal government who have taken their core vote for granted, I voted for the Jury team. I was impressed with the calibre of candidate standing in this area!
The ballot boxes will have to be changed. I had great difficulty in placing my voting slip for the European election in a box which is not fit for purpose.
To answer your question - I thought I would change my mind when I entered the polling booth. It was a difficult decision but I did not.
Had thought seriously about UKIP, we really do need someone to get us out of this hell hole that is Europe and on the way to the polling station my wife forcefully reminded me that it was the Tories (Ted Heath..God how I hate that lying buffoon) that took us in..
Being a Resident Alien in the US does not stop you registering to vote in the UK. I voted for Diane Abbott as an absentee voter for 20 years. Now back in the UK, I am in Bury South - a much more marginal seat, and thus all the better to vote Labour in.
I'm an ex Labour member a month ago I thought I was going to vote Green or Lib Dem, so hacked off was I with the party.
I ended up voting Labour, to try and make my point that Hazel Blears and her like can't just get away with kicking Gordon Brown when he is down. What she did was despicable.
I'm a lifetime Conservative voter, so of course I'm voting for UKIP today.
No, I wouldn't want them to form a government in the UK as things stand, and I don't expect to vote for them in a general election. But in the Euro election I shall cast my one tiny vote in the only place on the ballot paper where it's likely to make a real difference.
Only had EU vote today and voted with great reluctance as I felt insulted by the fact I was offered a long list of names I'd never seen before and about whom I knew nothing, and there was I giving some of these complete strangers a lifetime on the gravy train which I'd rather like to join myself.
Anyway having got myself to the polling booth (think of those suffragettes) I changed from UKIP (get us out of EU and introduce smoking rooms in pubs) to Cnservative (to give our Dear Leader a complete beating, to give us a referendum on Lisbon Treaty and an alliance with other EU people who don't want federalism )
But I don't feel as though I've enjoyed my democratic rights today. WHy wasn't I voting in a GE? How dare that man hang on in this demented way. How dare he borrow all that money......rant rant....
Yes, Commies and Trots. But not exclusively so. It's a start, what with the immediate past Leader of the Liberal Party, the leaders of the Visteon and the Lindsey oil refinery workers (top of the lists in the East Midlands and in Yorkshire & The Humber), and Peter Shore's old agent. Now they just need to lose the Commies and the Trots.
Peter Shore, eh? Worked with the Hard Left where necessary. But chaired the Solidarity Group. Denounced the Major Government for scrapping the Royal Yacht. Supported the Canadian rather than the Spanish fishermen not least because Canada and the United Kingdom shared a Head of State. And much else besides.
With him (and his running mate, Gwyneth Dunwoody) dead, with David Stoddart extremely old, with Frank Field getting on a bit, and with Kate Hoey not far behind, who is the next in line?
Whoever it is has today voted No2EU - Yes To Democracy.
Or will have done so by 10 o’clock. Get a move on.
I wrestled with Con v UKIP for the European in the booth, it was extraordinarily difficult. I had intended UKIP. In the end, much as I wanted to register a protest vote aginst Brown and Europe, I voted Con. UKIP would have given me much pleasure for 24 hours, but felt my vote would be more effective in the long run for a party who will be in a real position to influence the UK's position in Europe. But Cameron had better live up to his promises.
I considered voting Green as they have a good record on digital rights issues, but I decided against them because they are flakey on science and pro non evidence-based alternative medicine.
I eventually voted Lib Dem, bespite the fact that the leaflet they sent me was full of shit and deliberately deceptive.
I would have gladly switched to the Tories if Cameron had unequivocally pledged a Referendum on the Lisbon ConTreaty regardless of the ratification of other nations (esp Eire if they are forced to vote again).
Hague said there would be a Referendum without adding the usual 'rider' but not Cameron. It was therefore worthless.
I therefore have to conclude that despite having the best-known and highly sceptical MEP in Dan Hannan, Cameron is another Tory EU appeaser.
The suspicion that dave will do or say anything to win following his glorious EPP pledge during the leadership campaign keeps the deep concern about what he ISN'T going to do over Lisbon alive.Yes he can play the big con but somehow he doesn't quite cut it does he?
I was assuming that I would vote Conservative, but on actually examining the options, I found Libertas was the closest to what I actually thought should happen in Europe. So that's who I voted for.
After hearing about all the fraud I was going to vote UKIP - till I heard about how they were worse that the others. Instead I've protest voted for greens.
Too many Duck Houses, moats, and retirements with golden handshakes courtesy of the taxpayer and not even having the whip withdrawn or being told to go now, when in all liklihood a Tory candidate would win the by-election and put further pressure on the government to hold elections.
I had thought about voting UKIP and yes I did change my mind !
The caveat to this is that the conservatives need to take a tougher line on europe, rather than pandering to the few europhiles whose political heyday was in the last century.
I voted SNP as they have the best chance of removing Labour in my area. I am not a nationalist by the way so Alex Salmond should not get the wrong idea as there are plenty who think like me in central Scotland.
In 1974, I was pro-Europe but I voted against entry as I thought the campaign was dishonest and biased. Today I'm far less pro-Europe but considered voting Lib Dem as the current campaign is dishonest and biased the other way. Ended up voting for the 'Christian' party. May help keep the nutters out.
Gave Lib-dems the council vote - hope they stick to repairing pavements.
I intended to vote Cons, as i always have done, even when I was brought up in Labour Heartland (Hull East) but in the end was a close run thing between BNP and UKIP, opted for UKIP.
First time I have not voted Con in 24 years. I will probably vote Cons at a General Election, but they shouldn't take my vote for granted.
Hope for a strong UKIP vote, but hope Brown survives, I want him to go down with the ship.
I always used to vote Lib Dems but it has become more and more difficult for me to reconcile my Classical Liberalism with their essentially Social Democratic policies. The thing which crystalised it for me was hearing a documentary about Isiah Berlin talking about the two kinds of freedom 'positive freedom' where the state tries to compel people to do things, and 'negative freedom', where the state provides a space wherein it does not interfere. The lib dems are in the meddlesome first camp.
So I voted Conservative. I would like to see them become a genuine party of Liberalism in the classic sense. Small state, less interference, better & less taxation, and consequentially more freedom. I think they can do it.
I am very much not a supporter of the old nasty party, so I hope they really prove to be as radical as I suspect they might be.
I voted UKIP (EU) and C (local). Was planning to vote UKIP for both, but (as I only found out when looking at the ballot form) they weren't standing in my local.
I'd normally be planning to vote C at the GE, but unless Cameron comes out and states clearly and unambiguously that: if elected, the C gov't will regard the Lisbon Treaty, whether ratified or not, as 100% non-binding upon Britain and that his gov't will refuse to implement it or follow any of its requirements until it has passed a referendum vote here, then my vote at the next GE will also be going to UKIP.
I am an octogenarian who has always voted Conservative and a month ago I intended to carry on doing so. However I changed my mind and voted UKIP not because of the expenses scandal but because I consider that if enough of us vote that way Dave Cameron & Co. might get the message and adopt a truly hard line on the EU. Who knows I may still live long enough to see us out of that ill begotten club.
I intend to Vote Conservative and did. I has a brief flirtation at changing to English Democrats as a protest vote but decided to stick to my guns.
What has surprised in the number of my friends and work colleagues who have said the support the BNP. Either hye have growing support or the supports feel more enclined to come out of the closet. Either way not a good thing.
Never voted anything remotely socialist before, and when we get a decent democracy back I will not be doing so again; but today, as I decided a while ago, I've voted BNP.
Throwing the Nick Griffin cat into the EU pigeons seems like a good idea. (It was not a UK election after all.) It will get all the Labour fascists squealing around 'animal farm'. AND I want immigration on the debating table; the greatest danger of our age is not the wretched climate but Islamic fundermentalism - I see another poor man got his head cut off yesterday. As no one is listening on that score, then a virtual bomb has to be thrown.
I always intended to vote Conservative but, then read your story on the "folded ballot paper" and thought that's novel they have figured out a way to stop stupid people voting. So, I popped round to the polling booth and voted for the ORIGAMI party.
Iain, being the Uber-geek that I am, I decided to conduct a straw poll of the comments on this thread (up to 9:52pm).
I included all EU votes plus those who didn't make it clear which election their answers referred to (ie, local election votes were excluded). Only those whose answers were clear were included (plus a few whose wording, although not 100% clear, was almost beyond misinterpretation). Thus, 140 comments were included.
Perhaps more interestingly, 70 commenters (50%) described themselves as either normal Con. voters or that they had initially/predominantly thought of voting Con. Here's how that group actually voted:
Obviously I agree that there could be a fair margin of error on my part, as I was doing my best to interpret different styles of writing/wording as best as possible, etc. But there you go... Cheers, Tom.
Was going to vote Con for the Euros, but Dave & co still appear pro EU and refuse to guarantee that referendum (weasels!). So voted UKIP.
(I think leaving the EU is one of THE most important issues our country faces, and ignoring the overwhelming majority view on this gives perpetual ammo to Tory opponents and the media. The boil needs lancing! Dave - face your fears!)
Locals: was going to vote BNP as a pure protest vote against immigration and the general lot of "ordinary people". (Con only lost by a handful of votes last time, so bound to win here this time).
Decided at the last minute - literally pencil in hand and voted Conservative.
PS: Hi to my teller - if she's reading. Knockout pair of jugs popping out!
Local CC elections. I was not sure whether to vote LibDem or Conservative, but I decided to vote for the Conservative candidate after meeting her. Euro elections. I was thinking of voting Conservative but I've actually voted for Libertas after investigating the different candidates in their lists. Plus I could not quite bring myself to vote Tory all the way as I'm not 100% happy with the party at the moment. UKIP have had too many dodgy characters to even consider them.
207 comments:
1 – 200 of 207 Newer› Newest»I intended to vote conservative and have voted conservative. They are the only option for the country now.
Well that and the lib dems if you believe Nick Clegg.
Nope. I intended to vote UKIP and have done so.
It was Conservative all the way.
Yahoo! First.
Incidentally, yes, I will be voting for a Party that hasn't received a vote from me for years.
I'll give you a clue...........
It's the one that has promised us a referendum on LISBON.
WV, believe it or not: fungi.
See my posts on your previous thread.
Conservative for local elections.
UKIP for Euro.
Will that get me expelled from the Tory Party, do you think?.....pmsl
Haven't voted yet but I won't be changing.
Sorry, should have said intended to vote Tory at the Euros. Changed my mind.
For the local council no. Will still go for what I always have done. Conservative.
However, when it comes to European elections my mind is more and more swaying towards UKIP and Libertas. Never thought I would hear myself saying that.....
However, my reasons aren't because of all the expenses revelations. Looking at them realistically tax payers money is being wasted by this government in huge amounts elsewear (how many billion for NHS IT!!!!) that it's relatively minor in comaparison. Although the honesty of MP's has left me digusted.
But now I'm rambling :)
Not so much changed my opinion as cemented it.
UKIP in the EUROs because they look like they might now beat Labour. And having seen Cameron & Hague squirm on the EU question, I think voting for them is far from being a wasted vote. It makes the situation worse on Labour, and shows Cameron what people want.
Not changed view on local election, Tory still.
I was voting Tory local then Tory 1 Euro and UKIP 2 Euro until I learned I had just one vote. I thought long and hard about who to vote for that would best give Labour a kicking. Or the Lib Dems down here in Nehaven.
I then voted Tory as they had a teller outside who kindly kept an eye on my dog! The only people I'd have trusted more with my dog is the BNP because the headlines procured from any animal abuse/recklessness would terrify their poor people. Except, of course, there weren't any....
But yeah, Conservative all the way for a very bit of boring and conventional (small 'c' conservative?) electoral action!
I was intending to vote Lib Dem.
I'm now wavering Lib Dem/Conservative.
Main factors being that nice Mr Cameron and an increasing desire to do anything to get rid of Brown.
I was thinking of voting UKIP but I decided to vote Tory. I was thinking of voting for UKIP because I believe we should leave the EU and all it's associated costs behind. I don't suppose that the Cameroons have the balls to get us out of Europe but they are the only serious opposition and it is past time for a change.
jury team all the way - was going to vote BNP or USNIP until I found my saviour.
I wasn't going to vote. Then I thought why not give Jury team a go. Decided I might as well not bother. So I've decided after much thought that Labout and Plaid cymru who have been recipients of my vote in the past can get stuffed. I vote for Plaid as they have only been the opposition and since Labour have Wales by the short and curlies a vote for second place has to be made. However, with the PR vote in the Euro election I have decided to vote Conservative as they are the only party that have actually told me what they will do. Labour and the rest say I will do this for wales yeah right.
I want a referendum on the lisbon treaty in whatever guise it maskerades in.
And that is why I am Voting Blue today!
A month ago I intended to vote UKIp and that is what I have done. Why? Because the Tories are spineless on the EU (but then they took us into Europe on a false propsectus didn't they) and because generally I don't like the Cameroons and in paricular of late I have found Cameron's handling of the expenses thing inconsistent / opportunistic.
Just wanted to say that I won't vote for the sleazy UKIP which I find as repugnat as te BNP and socialist workers party
Seriously considered voting UKIP as a protest but they've not really inspired when on the TV and also JuryTeam before Esther Rantzen appeared. Stayed Tory in the end as I admire Mr Hannan immensely and my local MPs have all emerged from the Telegraph revelations unscathed. I live in hope that 'The Plan' will form the next Conservative Party Manifesto.
I think a protest vote is now a bit too frivolous - the country is in such dire need of repair and Dave is the only man in a position to be effective.
I've stuck to the Conservative and Unionist candidate, but I've shuffled my preferences down the ballot a little.
I had intended to vote for ukip. I’ve voted ukip in the past euro elections but not today, today I won’t vote at all. Any sort of vote in a euro election is interpreted by the euro elite as a vote for them, voting for ukip makes no difference to anything and just hands a small victory to those who really rule our country. The best way to show you want out of the EU is not to vote at all. I’m not voting in the locals as there is only a choice between parties who seem all to be on the take.
I intended to vote for the Tories, but I'm going for UKIP.
Mainly because the Tories have proven to be just as much troughers as Labour! Also because with the rise of the small parties that everyone's predicting, it sends a message.
And I want that message heard loud and clear.
No,
Hopefully we'll have a general election soon
No.
Always intended to vote BNP - not because they're brilliant (they certainly aren't) nor because of their risible economic policies but because a large BNP vote is the only means by which this country can have a sensible debate on the most important issue we face: immigration.
People want a sensible, informed debate from which we can then reach a consensus without being smeared as racist.
Iain, sadly as much as the Tories say they want to have a debate the reality is that it won't happen under David for he seems to have caught the 'pc' bug aswell - that really is a pity for he could have been the man to progress a sensible immigration policy in this country. Regardless, he'll make an excellent Prime Minister.
To all Tory voters who always meant to vote Tory and have now proudly announced that they did - please read the article Iain posted.
I decided to vote BNP in the end, seeing as the election doesn't matter, I preferred to to give the establishment a shock.
Hopefully that will start to provoke a return to politicians doing what their constituents want, instead of doing what they want.
The Euro questionnaire you linked to some time ago said I should vote UKIP or Libertas. I voted Tory, I have to say for almost exclusively domestic UK reasons. It shows what a farce this so called Euro election is.
I have been trying to find out if Libertas have better prospects elsewhere, particularly Ireland. They would make better bedfellows for the Tories than some of the nutters talked about.
I am conservative and voted Liberal, having voted Blair 2 of last 3.
Didn't want Con to take the gen election win for granted. Wanted Lab to come third so Brown is booted. Then the country gets a better leader until the gen election, when I will vote Conservative, no doubt.
I intended to vote UKIP for the European elections and Conservative for the locals, but by nistake I put an X in the UKIP box for the local elections. Thought about going back to get a replacement for a spoilt paper, but then thought better of it and voted UKIP in the county elections as well.
I voted Green. Polling shifted me into thinking they might have a shot at a seat up here in Scotland. Particularly if the Labour vote collapses and turnout remains quite low. I hadn't intended voting at all - I'm not a big fan of the EU. And I'm having issues with the SNP at the moment.
Was planning voting Green but changed my mind yesterday to Lib Dem. Greens too flaky on some science issues (though not on climate change etc).
Was toying with a Tory vote just to put as strong a boot in to the moribund Labour govt as possible, but their lurch away from europe's centre-right and their cosying up to far right european parties is sickening.
Was going to vote Tory in Euro but decided at the last minute to vote UKIP. Will vote Tory at GE though.
Contemplated switching and voting UKIP in the Euros but have changed mind. Will vote Conservative
Counties was always Conservative all the way.......
County: Tory
EUR: UKIP
No change.
I had a good look at Libertas and Jury.
I was singularly unimpressed by their candidates, and have met Paul Judge. I'll say no more.
I usually vote Liberal (if anyone asks I describe myself as a Gladstonian Liberal) but I always disliked my local Liberal councillors so switched to voting Tory. However I've moved recently so I'm going to vote Liberal again.
Waivered about UKIP but have to stay loyal for The Country and for getting rid of Labour. A big fat X for Conservatives.
I have voted UKIP by postal vote a week ago, as today I am in Belgium and unable to vote in person. However I now wish I had voted Conservative. This is due to reading the blog of the splendid Daniel Hannan, who has reminded me of just how much change Cameron has promised - large parts of it are in 'The Plan', the e-book that he and Mr Carswell MP wrote.
I am not really a rabid eurosceptic, I just dont want to be subsumed into it in a disenfranchised sort of way.
Was Tory, Tory.
Now Tory, UKIP.
Usual reasons.
I am a lifelong Conservative but fully intended to vote UKIP. However when confronted with the ballot paper I found that I actually couldnt do it and cravenly voted Tory.
I so wanted to send a message to Dave and the boys but just failed at the last moment.
I was going to vote Tory in the EU elections until Cameron made that dubious statement about the giving us a referendum "if the treaty had not been ratified, so I changed my vote to UKIP today!
Other than that, I am a Tory voter and always have been.
I feel quite let down by them recently on several different issues and have been thinking about voting Libertarian in future if things don't change.
Couldn't find UKIP on the ballot paper so voted BNP instead
I am still torn between UKIP and Libertas (which could be a wasted vote). If the Tories were intent on reforming the EU, I would vote for them, but I only see division and confusion.
I want the EC's activities stopped dead and no salaries paid until their accounts pass audit. Then I want Commissioners elected and answerable to the people, and not a bunch of failed national politicians. And then there is the Constitution, which EU grandees want to railroad over us.
Who will do that? UKIP simply want out. Libertas have put this at the centre of their agenda.
conservative for both. no question.
I had intended to vote Tory until Alan Duncan's smarmy behaviour and false laughter combined with William Hague's pathetic responses on Newsnight reminded me of past Tory insincerities. Don't get me wrong, I want Brown out but I don't want to replace him with another load of arrogant, transparent, dissemblers. So I voted Lib Dem.
"Have you changed your mind? If so, tell me why."
Yikes, it's the Spanish Inquisition! Well I haven't changed my mind so :p.
I was going to vote UKIP. But then I listened to Cameron's recent speech.
It seemed pretty sincere to me. And rather exciting...
nothing as made me change my mind over the past month, voted conservative.
Was going to vote UKIP but incresingly pi**ed off by Nigel Farage and a bit worried by the total absence of anyone else, to be honest, so despite some misgivings I voted Labour...
LMFAO
conservative!
Nope. I voted Conservative. I am now and have always been a Cameroon.
I was going to vote Conservative and Unionist, but then decided to vote for TUV aka Jim Allister QC as he came number 1 out of all British Euro MEPs in a poll conducted by the Taxpayers Alliance.
Allister got my vote.
I am exactly with Anon 2.27 pm. UKIP for Euros, Conservative for locals. No change in intention, which was a) to cause maximum pain to Labour, and in the case of the Euros pushing them behind UKIP is going to be a massive humiliation, and b) to send Dave a message that to get my vote at the fortheoming GE he needs to stop being a weasel on Lisbon and guarantee a referendum.
was going to go for the torries, did enjoy dan hannan youtube outing a couple of months back and the like, but realsied that i would get even more pleasure by watching labour pushed into 4th if i helped UKIP out a bit.
Can't say i'm massively anti-europe but i think my short term pleasure gets trumps here
I voted Conservative as usual in council elections but voted for UKUIP ( a change for me) in the European. Not because they are nice or even onest but beacuse no mainstream party will take us out of the EU. It has become even more apparent that when trouble happens, in this case the economic crisis, it will be every country in Europe for themselves so the whole thing is an expensive waste of time. Also it has emasculated our Parliament which has lost power over huge areas of Public life. I am hoping the Tories will realise this and change policy. There were EIGHT Eurosceptic parties on my ballot paper- get the message David!
I'm a lifelong Tory.
I had determined to vote UKIP as I deplore the waste and the unaccountability of the EU.
I accept, though, that there has to be a strong protest vote against the government now and this needs to come from voting Conservative.
There are no local elections here, just European.
wv: mingit (honest)
Was thinking about voting UKIP; but decided to Stick with Dave.
A month ago I was planning to vote UKIP, today my vote was cast for the conservatives.
Largely due to promising a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, leaving the EPP, etc.
C all the way.
Now more interesting- in a DimLeb held ward in Surrey- only Conservative posters up (NO others at all), only C canvassed, only C tellers, no sign of Libs at all.
Some C supporters voting UKIP but their vote is very soft- I talked several back round last week alone- helps having Dan Hannan top of ticket of course
Have not met one person admitting to voting Labour (including 3 who I know have always voted Labour before)
I was almost certain to vote UKIP and then I decided to contact their incumbent MEP with a few questions about his experience and policy goals. As they refuse to sit on committees and thus try to get the best deal for British taxpayers by influencing legislation and directives, I am not prepared to waste my vote; whilst I was reluctant to vote for the individuals on the Conservative ticket, because in my opinion the first candidate is a crook and the best candidates are ranked fourth and sixth (the latter of whom was by far the most engaging and politically-astute speaker, but I reckon her skin colour unfairly disadvantaged her chances of a better list position), in the end I decided to couple my Conservative county council vote with a Conservative European vote.
A friend of mine, with a good professional qualification and a strong religious belief (much like his family's), is also tempted to vote for the BNP after "living in Uxbridge for a year". In 2007 he voted Conservative.
Switched from Labour a year ago to Conservative [when the country nearly went bust and no Lisbon vote] to UKIP.
They deserve a good spanking from having presented themselves as the British Obama Party, while still being full of reactionary old twats like Steen, twits on the make like Viggers, Wiggers, Wiggins, Waggins and Buggins.. and shysters like Alan Duncan hoovering up my tax money while sitting on a fortune of zillions..
Remains to be seen whether they will do any good. Didn't have a council vote this year in Bristol, but would vote Green if I could, if only to kibosh the corporate slash and burn being inflicted on Brizzle by a shite planning dept.
Would normally vote labour as i am an old leftie.
This time voting green and jury team.
Disgusted by politicos venality. Time to clean out the house.
No change for me. I was always going to vote conservative and did.
Euro only as no local where I am.
I voted UKIP as I can understand how to unfold the ballot paper and Tory for the county. If the Tories has promised a referendum on the EU come what may I would have voted for them as they did not I voted UKIP.
Oscillated like hell.
In the end voted on local issues in the local elections and made my feelings about Europe clear in the Euro elections, despite the fact that the party I voted for locally is europhile!
It's called being an intelligent voter. I can't be alone, which means any extrapolation from these elections as to the likely outcome of a general election (where I will vote differently again and in a manner more pleasing to mine host) will all be so much bollocks!
I was going to vote Conservative, but eventually voted UKIP in the Euros.
Whilst I feel closer to the Tory position I think the opportunity to push Labour into 3rd or 4th place has to be embraced.
Was going to vote Tory - as always.
But Voted UKIP.
The Tory Party are only promising a Referendum if the Lisbon Treaty is not ratified.
Watched Hague on newsnight, confirmed my fear that Cameron is not going to sort out our relationship with Europe - his promises are all weasel words and spin.
Of course I changed.
Today it is incumbent on everyone to make a protest vote and - hopefully, just possibly - to hasten the general election we need.
What could be a better opportunity for a protest vote than the EU elections?
I usually vote Conservative but have voted UKIP because (i) I would like to leave the EU and the Tories are too wishy-washy on the subject and (ii) it would be great to see Labour beaten to fourth place.
UKIP in the euros as long planned. But in the county election we have two-X voting and I surprised myself by splitting my ticket with one conservative candidate and one Lib Dem out of personal respect for a particular candidate.
Not changed my mind at all. My opinion of LibLabCon was already at rock bottom before the expenses scandal broke.
As a despairing labour voter I wasn't. going to bother but decided
that the presence of the BNP and UKIP on the ballot meant I had to vote for an alternative. I bit the bullet and being relatively pro-eu I plumped for the libdems.
I did manage to unfold the ballot paper !
Haven't voted yet. My first election, only turned 18 a couple of months ago. I was going to vote Conservative, briefly thought about UKIP but will vote Conservative.
Originally Tory but now leaning UKIP. Why should my vote be taken for granted by a mainstream party with half its MPs having their noses firmly in the trough ?
Fear not, I will return to the fold come the GE.
Yes. I intended to vote Conservative (and did in local elections) but for the Euro's I voted UKIP.
I intended not to vote and ended up voting Conservative. My reasons were as follows:
i) I don't want the BNP, UKIP, Libertas, Jury Team, the Greens, or any of those other parties with stupid ideas to get any more votes than they have to.
ii) I still have confidence in party politics to produce results and felt I should make the effort.
Intended to vote BNP but voted UKIP,reason ,I thought we have had ten years of fascism from Liebour,so I now know how it feels to live in a fascist country
Intended to vote Con until I watched Cameron and Hague failing to answer the "if ratified" quetion on Lisbon.Squirm didn't quite cover it.
UKIP today versus Conservative.No other choice until CMD grows a spine and starts listening and treating electorate "like adults". Hannan is losing credibility in this space too.
Plaid Cymru all the way. Very glad that I have such a clear-cut choice to be honest - a party with a steadfast guiding principle.
It'd fill me with despair to have to choose between Labour and Lib Dem - intellectual vacuum all around.
Couldn't vote Tory for the life of me, even though Cameron's making good noises on electoral reform.
If I didn't live in Wales I'd go for Green I suppose.
Boris falls in river:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8082995.stm
I was going vote BNP in the Euro & Tory in the local but decided to go with the BNP for both.
BNP to get us out the EU & the BNP for their immigration policy.
Local: Tory
Euro: UKIP
As intended.
Thought of voting Tory but voted Lib Dem. Too many Tory sleazebags, Cameron included, was part of it.
In the Euros I'd intended to vote Conservative (which is probabley what I'd vote in a general) but have decided to vote lib dem on the assumption the Tories will beat Labour anyway so the best way to give Gordon a kicking was to help Labour come in third - and yes, if I thought there was a chance of UKIP beating Labour I'd vote for them. But I don't.
I voted Conservative without being deflected by the expenses scandal.
I did change my vote from a major party to a minor one but I won't say any more than that.
Hell, that felt good! (voting) I realise I'm preaching to the converted with the readers of this blog, but if you haven't used your democratic right to vote for whoever you want today, please do so. Both my Grandfathers would appreciate it I'm sure - they gave their lives in WW2 to let us have the freedom to do so.
This election has hardly had a look in but I've voted in every election of every description since I was able in 1970.Have always voted Consevative and have done so again.
Intended to vote Conservative for euro elections several weeks ago but decided to vote for UKIP this morning since polls indicate a real chance of them beating Labour....
We only have a Euro vote here in Greater London and the only party to vote for to make our votes mean anything is Conservative.
If only we had the general election today as well - what a party there would be tomorrow!!!
Yep. I've gone from blue to the Greens. It's entirely a protest vote and I shall vote for the Tories in the GE - when it eventually happens.
I was going to Vote Lib Dem in the EU elections, because I think they are most forthright in favour of the European ideal (which I support). But I voted Labour, both locally and for the EU.
As I said on my blog, though, I am happy with any none BNP vote today:-
No matter how bad our politicians, no matter how bad our parties, this right to vote is a valuable thing. It's why the entire political class is shivering in Westminster. It's the only ultimate power we have.
I had the honor of voting twice today (local and EP elections), for Labour and against the SAME woman (Jean Purdy) running as a BNP local councillor and MEP in the NW. Get out, and vote for ANY non-BNP Party.
I don't really care how people vote today as regards mainstream parties. I too want to see massive change in the Labour Party and the government in general. I too want open debate over Europe. I too think a General election in the next few months is needed.
But I also do not want to be shamed by my fellow Britons sending any fascists to the European Parliament.
Even up to this morning I was going to vote for Jury Team or Libertas (reasoning: Euro votes don't matter, system can benefit smaller parties), but when I got to the polling booth I just found myself wanting to give Gordon the biggest kicking I could and voted Conservative (for the first time).
I planned to vote Conservative, both at the council and EU elections, and I did exactly that.
Looked at the Tories, realised I hated them, voted UKIP.
I have always voted Conservative, but this time I thought long and hard because of the expenses disgrace. I was shocked to find that Conservatives like the snobby
Mr Steen were still around. However my main concern is to get Labour out and the most likely way to that is to vote Conservate, which I duly did.
It will give me great pleasure to help to give Gordon Brown a bloody nose because of the damage he has done to our country.
Voted Green today.
I did intend to vote LibDem, but Clegg and Huhne changed my mind for me over the last couple of days with their silly attacks on the Tories for not supporting the European Arrest Warrant when the LDs themselves have previously argued against it - for very good reasons.
It's not often I'll change my mind like this, but this cheap electoral points scoring really incensed me... to the point I also voted Green in the County poll, too.
I have not changed my mind recently. For this election, I shall vote UKIP, and go back to the SNP for the GE.
If I could believe the Conservatives on Europe then they would have had my vote for the Euros. However, it was a Tory who took us in without asking me, a Tory who signed the Single European Act without asking me and a Tory who signed up to Maastricht without asking me - so I don't trust Dave on his qualified promise of a referendum either. I therefore gave my Euro vote to UKIP - not because I like the party or its members, but because it is the only chance I have been given to register a vote unequivocally opposing the submerging of my country's democratic governance into the corrupt and self-serving EU. If enough people register their opposition in the same way, it may just penetrate the minds of those in the Tory party that, come the general election, we want more than vague assurances from them on a real say about membership of the EU if they want our votes. If they still wont listen then they can't complain about the haemorraging of their support to other parties at Westminster too. The expences scandal didn't influence my voting in the slightest.
I was going to vote Conservative (Euros only here); but Cameron's desire to pull out of the EPP and two recent articles against PR at Westminster (and some tweeting by Sandra Gidley) changed my mind to Liberal Democrat.
I'm a staunch Tory and had planned on voting for them but they're too soft on the whole Europe issue: all we get are woolly answers to serious questions. Would vote for them in a Gen. Election but BNP today.
As a long standing supporter of the Conservatives, in deed as well as word/money, I went for UKIP. Why?
Cameron has not been convincing on expenses. He has been claiming himself and it sticks in the craw. You can't hunt with the hounds and run with the hares. He has no foreign policy to speak of. When did he last give a speech on it? I can't remember one.
Hague's sophistry over the Lisbon Treaty. Very disappointing. I used to have high regard for Hague. But his stock is a sell.
The Conservatives need a credible European policy. A referendum on membership would be a good start.
Charles Prince.
I have voted for the only Party committed to putting England first the English Democrats.
I would normally have voted Labour and have done all my life.
I had planned to be sensible and vote for the Conservative party, but because I always post anonymously on your blog, Iain, I have become quite disorientated. I voted for Silvio Berlusconi.
was thinking of voting Green/Lib Dem and then, thought, what the heck... Brown is awful at communications but he is the best prime minister this country could have in the current economic mess. As such, while he come's across as a rubbish PM, he is actually a great one... and would have been deemed so in a less televisual age.
I wasn't going to bother to vote at all. But I voted for UKIP because I had to go past the polling station on the way back from the shops. Oh I picked UKIP because all the others looked much more bonkers.
I was going to go for Scargill's party, but I've mellowed towards Brown since he started to lose his "friends".
I'd love to give a reason based on the reporting of the issues, but since UKIP (funded by their multi-million EU expense claims) has attracted those voters morally offended by expense claims, I find the whole thing bizarre.
I'd love to know if any single one of your commenters Iain has actually changed their mind after reading your site ?
I changed my mind to vote for Libertas because their leaflet arrived last week and I agreed with it.
Interestingly, it was devillish to find them on the ballot paper because it came under "P" ("Pro Democracy: Libertas") - which I think was a big mistake and could cost them the few votes they might have won.
1 month ago - UKIP
Today - UKIP
....and why?
One reason, Ian, is seeing you attack Tories who are against the EU and have decided to lend their vote to UKIP. You have pissed me off with your, "My party, right or wrong." attitude.
I will probably grit my teeth and vote for Cameron at the GE though, but only as the lesser of all evils.
Paul Halsall
I hope the BNP get elected in your area as a lesson for voting liebour.
Also as a lesson for telling people how to vote you arrogant twat.
The BNP wouldn't be doing as well as they are if it wasn't for labour being as shite as they are.
Was going to vote UKIP to remind the main parties we want the chance to say NO, but actually voted conservative, because we need to force a general election by a catastrophic Labour collapse and get Cameron in power ASAP.
Paul Halsall,
You say:
I don't really care how people vote today as regards mainstream parties. I too want to see massive change in the Labour Party and the government in general. I too want open debate over Europe. I too think a General election in the next few months is needed.
....and then you tell us that you voted Labour.
Cognitive dissonance or what?
I have been a Conservative County Councillor and Borough Councillor and have always thought of myself as Conservative for forty years and voted accordingly. I could never bring myself to vote for any other Party. I might abstain but not this time. I voted Conservative in the County Council and Euro Elections.
Conservative member - voting Conservative.
No matter how cynical of Cameron's intentions some people are - he is the only one who can realistically (and willing)do anything to get the best deal for the UK.
Lab/Lib want further integration.
UKIP Want to go too far.
The others will never have enough support to do anything useful.
Will Cameron be strong on the EU? I don't know, but who else has any real chance of dragging powers back to the UK?
I'm amazed that so many Conservatives voted UKIP. Cameron-Hague are the most rabidly anti-European leadership team any party has had at least since Michael Foot in 1983, probably since we joined the Common Market. Do they not satisfy you?
And surely nobody voted UKIP because of expenses? They're the most criminal of the bunch, even if the BBC, Telegraph, et al have miserably failed to scrutinise them.
Fascinating...
was going to vote jury team then decided on ukip but decided that only by voting conservative can real change happen.
Always vote Tory in local / general. But voted UKIP today in Euros.
No Change. UKIP then and voted UKIP this morning
BNP.
They will send the smelly pakis home.
Yes I was going to switch to UKIP to in the booth I came to my senses and voted Conservative.
Yes. A month ago i was considering a Europe protest vote for Libertas or UKIP. Today i voted Conservative because they are the most deserving of my vote and i couldn't bare the thought of Gordon Brown saying when the results are in that yes Labour had done bad but the Tories hadn't done well either!
"I had intended to vote Tory until Alan Duncan's smarmy behaviour and false laughter combined with William Hague's pathetic responses on Newsnight reminded me of past Tory insincerities. Don't get me wrong, I want Brown out but I don't want to replace him with another load of arrogant, transparent, dissemblers. So I voted Lib Dem.
June 04, 2009 2:53 PM"
WHY ON EARTH DID YOU VOT LIB DEM THEN?
I planned to vote Conservative for dead cert. This evening I will vote Conservative but very briefly when Cameron was equivocating on Kirkbride I considered protest-voting for Libertas.
Normally vote Conservative. Thought of UKIP: put off them by reports of more snouts etc.
Decided to vote for Libertas, which for some EU reason has to be called 'Pro Democracy Libertas.' Unfolded ballot paper and after a couple of scans found them in third section. Polling station staff (Islington) had helpfully stuck up sample ballot paper at door showing it in unfolded state. Briefly considered spoiling ballot paper in objection to having to vote for closed list and, indeed, the general crumminess of the whole operation, but what's the point, the main object is to humiliate Gordon Brown.
Anyway, did my duty as a citizen - Battle of Britain pilots died for this and I remember that every time I vote.
My mind was changed watching William Hague on Newsnight. Slipping and sliding each time he was asked the question- IF the Lisbon Treaty is ratified what then!
Sorry. As you know, iain, as I sent you the email I received from Cameron's office we are left in Limbo as to what will happen. IF anything will happen at all.
So I have not voted for the Conservatives. EU.
Locally I voted for the Conservative.
I was wavering between LibDem and Green, as I wrote in my blog back in April. After receiving fraudulent LibDem election literature, which I wrote about here, I decided in the end to vote Green.
But I will still vote LibDem at the general election, because a Green vote would be wasted under first-past-the-post and the LibDems are serious about Europe and constitutional reform.
I am a Conservative voter going back 36 years but with the expenses nonsense seriously considered UKIP as a protest.
I have voted Conservative again being greatly reassured by Dave's MK speech - reform, repatriation from EU etc - and feel very comfortable with my choice (and slightly ashamed for considering UKIP!).
My worry now is that Brown will manage to hang on full term because Labour is so craven while the economy goes even further down the pan.
I was going to vote Green, but just now, a vote for the Lib Dems is a vote for PR, so they got both votes, local and European. Later, when we have a genuine democracy (and a means to oust a sitting prime minister that doesn't depend on a bunch of spineless scumbags), I'll vote green.
Local Elections: Any one BUT the big three! Well, not the Green`s obviously!
EU: I would be committing Sedition & Treason if I participate in the EU elections. If I did vote it would be UKIP or BNP or English Democrats.
We have been crewed rotten by the Scots over the past 10 or so years. Brown will go soon, but that does not mean I will embrace another foreigner like Cameron!
Voted Labour last time.
Tempted by Conservatives this time. Cameron is supportable. But some of the other characters are as weird as some in Labour's cabinet. Besides, you realise he's gaming uncomfortable issues - expenses of his mates and democratic concerns, PR - just like Brown.
So it's UKIP. Farage is appalling - talks, thinks and acts like a spive. But it's a way of kicking the lot of them with a minor concern about the European superstate.
Just listen to us, you bastards. You're not doing what the hell you like. And if you do, like the Labour party, then you're going to take it up the arse.
My main intention was to vote against the Govt. Therefore was planning Tory - but Cameron's plan to get into bed with far-right parties in EU rather than centre-right deterred me. Voted LibDem therefore.
Today it is Euro-Elections only for me.
A month ago I planned to Vote Tory as I have all of my life.
Since the local Tory councilors do not have the time or courtesy to at least acknowledge mine or my neighbours letters I shall vote UKIP tonight.
UKIP for Euro
Tory at the next general election.
Spoiled Ballot or Local Independent for Council Elections.
On the fence, UKIP-Conservative; probably leaning towards the former, for two reasons: first, to boot Brown where it hurts, hopefully forcing his party down where it belongs with the other fringe joke parties, and secondly to send a message to Cameron and co, shoring up his apparently wavering resolve over a referendum.
I wished to register a protest at the behaviour of the three main parties and have voted for an independent in the local election and UKIP in the european election. I intend vote conservative at the general election
Had intended to vote Libertas as a protest against the troughing major parties and in recognition of the service performed to the rest of Europe in the Irish referendum. Went to Poland and found that they had done a hatchet job on Declan Ganley exposing his links with the Russian oligarchs and the Dubya neo-cons.
Decided to lend my vote to conservatives today. Am not in favour of UKIP position of total withdrawal from Europe and am in favour of the Cameron espoused position of being in Europe as a trading area.
Vote was an act of "faith". Cameron is persuasive that we will give us a referendum if the Lisbon "constitution" has not been ratified but needs to start convincing what actions he will take if the treaty is already in place. Also need more details of what actions the new Euro grouping will take to loosen the grip of the EU changes introduced by Thatcher and Major.
Liberal. Clegg has been getting better and better of late, and he's not a PR man.
Local election was a two-horse Lib/Con race. Or perhaps Lib/Con is a one-whores race these days?
Natural inclination would have been to vote Con, but Worcs County Council (Tory controlled for yonx) refuses to spend sufficient of our abundant reserves on looking after the roads round here properly, resulting in third-world style craters everywhere. So I spoilt my ballot paper.
In the Euro, my vote went to UKIP, because they unequivocally promise a referendum on Lisbon, and aim to get us out of the EUSSR. Dave C's weasel words and refusal to give a straight answer mean I don't trust him on this issue. And then there was Little Billy Hague vs Paxo on telly, in the matter of Ashcroft. No straight answer there, either. Wasn't the score Paxo 16:0 Hague?
My big hope is that the Lab/Lib/Con party receive a God almighty kicking in these elections and realise that the British people deserve a choice; we have arrived at the point where we've become a one party state. Time to change it, whilst we still can.
No, intended to vote Con, but voted UKIP, Cameron too weak on errant MPs.
(I wish I had a golden Parachute!).
I intended to vote Conservative, but in the last day or so, I changed that to UKIP. If Labour finish behind UKIP, then Brown is finished, a new man can come in and will have to call a general election in the Autumn. I will then vote Conservative and we can have our promised Lisbon referendum before the Irish have theirs.
On balance,I felt that voting UKIP was the only way to get Lisbon defeated.
I am still torn between voting UKIP to give the Conservatives a nudge towards a more Euro-sceptic position and voting Conservative to ensure that a reduced Conservative vote doesn't give the labour/BBC alliance something other than the collapse in the Labour vote to talk about. Decision time is nigh...
@ Anonymous 4:32
If you can't enjoy it up the arse, try some vaseline.
As far as I can see, scr**ing women up the arse is the major obsession of straight male pornography buyers.
Personally. I can affirm, there is a male G-spot.
[I bet Iain censors this LOL]
@ Anonymous June 04, 2009 4:50 PM
That assumes that Brown isn't the beneficiary of some national security flap that delays or precludes elections; the discovery of a ubiquitous airbone nano explosive detonated by the proximity of a human being, a pencil, a sheet of pre-printed paper, a wooden screen and a metal box, perhaps.
Couldn't hold elections as people may die!
Vote UKIP (changed from Con).
Needed to send msg to Dave -
Stop being soft on Sleazy MPs,
and get a firm grip!
Hopefully will also knock NuLab
into third position.
I'm running the computers at my Conservative branch committee room. At the moment 14% of people who told Conservative canvassers they won't vote have voted. B****y Liars!!
(Sorry, always amuses me this) :)
Since becoming a permanent resident in the United States, I am now ineligible to vote in UK elections. Had I been able to, though, I would have voted UKIP. This is for the simple reasons that I believe in transparency and democracy. Neither feature is very much in evidence in the ridiculous movement Heath signed us up to in the 1970s.
Cameron and Hague have been far too vague on referendum pledges recently. It is time for them to give the British people a say, not just on Lisbon, but on the entire project.
If the United Kingdom goes back to being in charge of its own affairs (as any sovereign state should) I must just come back.
Twitter
No. I had planned to vote UKIP, and did so.
Though that's not a relfection on my intentions for the General Election.
Meanwhile
Independent talks cobblers, Lib Dems reported to police, plus revealed as whining hypocrites, Hazel Blears vanishes and more polling news
Won't vote for liblabcons any more.
bnp nope
UKIP interesting
Inclined to try Greens until I read article by Tatchell in Grauniad today.
Settled for Eng Dems.
Hague's performance on Newsnight over Lisbon persuaded that I just had to go UKIP. He just sounded..well...like one of those awful Labour ministers. Honestly, our political class has absolutely no backbone at all. Grubby unemployable sleazebags for the most part.
I voted Conservative as always.
Have not been, and my postal vote still remains un-opened.
I am Conservative all the way. but will vote when they change the laws they brought in after dunblain.
They tarred us with the same brush, so quid-pro-quo!
I was always intending to vote Conservative in the locals, but was tempted by UKIP for the Euros. In the end, I stuck with the Conservatives for both.
I was determined to send a message to Gordon and Dave, so needed a viable alternative. Crossing out all of the racist options left me with a much smaller list to choose from.
Green. Simples.
I'd had an almost pathological desire to vote for Hope not Hate, for as long as I can remember.
But when it came to the crunch I couldn't find the party on the ballot paper - and in sheer desperation I just put my cross in the top box.
I have a sneaking feeling the Hope not Hate Party must have been on the folded bit next to UKIP.
I'm sure I would have done things differently if I'd remembered to wear my monocle.
I have always voted labour. For the first time ever I did not. I live in a rural area and have not seen any candidates who hope to get my vote in either county or European elections. I have never seen a politician in my area nor any party representative at my polling station. I am in a county which is dominated by Conservatives and I do so hate the lack of political debate.
In the County elections I had little choice outside of the three main parties and the BNP. I would have wished to have been able to vote for an independent candidate. I did not vote for labour and abhor the BNP. The economy in this area would collapse without workers from Europe who undertake menial farming and food processing work. I had a greater choice in the European election and have visited the websites and read information on all the smaller parties. As a protest against this abysmal government who have taken their core vote for granted, I voted for the Jury team. I was impressed with the calibre of candidate standing in this area!
The ballot boxes will have to be changed. I had great difficulty in placing my voting slip for the European election in a box which is not fit for purpose.
To answer your question - I thought I would change my mind when I entered the polling booth. It was a difficult decision but I did not.
Had thought seriously about UKIP, we really do need someone to get us out of this hell hole that is Europe and on the way to the polling station my wife forcefully reminded me that it was the Tories (Ted Heath..God how I hate that lying buffoon) that took us in..
Do come on Dave dont let me down now!!
No, I intended to vote UKIP and have done so
No - I've voted Tory as usual. There is no other choice.
I was undecided a month ago. Just wanted to vote to keep Nick Griffin out.
Decided on Tory, due to Cameron's unquivocal stance on the expenses saga. Showed he will make a much better PM than the current incumbent.
For a fuller explanation see
http://manicbeancounter.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/on-june-4th-vote-for-positive-change-not-against-the-bnp/
I was nearly tempted to make a protest vote, but then David Cameron made the promise of a referendum, so my vote went Conservative.
Still have serious questions about the group the Tory Euro MP's are looking to join.
@Thomas Rossetti
Being a Resident Alien in the US does not stop you registering to vote in the UK. I voted for Diane Abbott as an absentee voter for 20 years. Now back in the UK, I am in Bury South - a much more marginal seat, and thus all the better to vote Labour in.
My ballot slip included "The Roman Party, Ave!". Who they?
And my wife forgot to take her reading glasses with her and thinks she might have voted for The Christian Party by mistake. The wonders of democracy!
Conservative for local county council
Conservative for Euro
Roll on a General Election
I'm an ex Labour member a month ago I thought I was going to vote Green or Lib Dem, so hacked off was I with the party.
I ended up voting Labour, to try and make my point that Hazel Blears and her like can't just get away with kicking Gordon Brown when he is down. What she did was despicable.
I'm a lifetime Conservative voter, so of course I'm voting for UKIP today.
No, I wouldn't want them to form a government in the UK as things stand, and I don't expect to vote for them in a general election. But in the Euro election I shall cast my one tiny vote in the only place on the ballot paper where it's likely to make a real difference.
Only had EU vote today and voted with great reluctance as I felt insulted by the fact I was offered a long list of names I'd never seen before and about whom I knew nothing, and there was I giving some of these complete strangers a lifetime on the gravy train which I'd rather like to join myself.
Anyway having got myself to the polling booth (think of those suffragettes) I changed from UKIP (get us out of EU and introduce smoking rooms in pubs) to Cnservative (to give our Dear Leader a complete beating, to give us a referendum on Lisbon Treaty and an alliance with other EU people who don't want federalism )
But I don't feel as though I've enjoyed my democratic rights today. WHy wasn't I voting in a GE? How dare that man hang on in this demented way. How dare he borrow all that money......rant rant....
I always intended to vote Conservative in the county and did so.
Re Euros was undecided until quite late on. Thought about spoiling ballot paper and UKIP, but voted Conservative to "send a message to Labour".
I have voted No2EU – Yes To Democracy.
Yes, Commies and Trots. But not exclusively so. It's a start, what with the immediate past Leader of the Liberal Party, the leaders of the Visteon and the Lindsey oil refinery workers (top of the lists in the East Midlands and in Yorkshire & The Humber), and Peter Shore's old agent. Now they just need to lose the Commies and the Trots.
Peter Shore, eh? Worked with the Hard Left where necessary. But chaired the Solidarity Group. Denounced the Major Government for scrapping the Royal Yacht. Supported the Canadian rather than the Spanish fishermen not least because Canada and the United Kingdom shared a Head of State. And much else besides.
With him (and his running mate, Gwyneth Dunwoody) dead, with David Stoddart extremely old, with Frank Field getting on a bit, and with Kate Hoey not far behind, who is the next in line?
Whoever it is has today voted No2EU - Yes To Democracy.
Or will have done so by 10 o’clock. Get a move on.
I was going to abstain (since Cameron's just another statist).
I did in fact vote Conservative in the EU Elections though since the Tories are the only credible alternative to Labour.
I was going to vote UKIP until their BNP style anti-immigration posters put me off.
I was going to vote SNP but I've been thinking it over for the last few days and today I voted UKIP.
Addendem ! UKIP = EUROS
CONS = LOCALS
CONS = GE
I wrestled with Con v UKIP for the European in the booth, it was extraordinarily difficult. I had intended UKIP. In the end, much as I wanted to register a protest vote aginst Brown and Europe, I voted Con. UKIP would have given me much pleasure for 24 hours, but felt my vote would be more effective in the long run for a party who will be in a real position to influence the UK's position in Europe. But Cameron had better live up to his promises.
Haven't liked Cameron of late, and don't like the grouping the Tories are joining in Europe.
Decided to vote Plaid for first time.
I considered voting Green as they have a good record on digital rights issues, but I decided against them because they are flakey on science and pro non evidence-based alternative medicine.
I eventually voted Lib Dem, bespite the fact that the leaflet they sent me was full of shit and deliberately deceptive.
I was going to be voting Labour. I haven't voted yet, but when I do, it won't be for Labour.
I expected to vote UKIP and did.
I would have gladly switched to the Tories if Cameron had unequivocally pledged a Referendum on the Lisbon ConTreaty regardless of the ratification of other nations (esp Eire if they are forced to vote again).
Hague said there would be a Referendum without adding the usual 'rider' but not Cameron. It was therefore worthless.
I therefore have to conclude that despite having the best-known and highly sceptical MEP in Dan Hannan, Cameron is another Tory EU appeaser.
No, have you?
I was planning to vote UKIP in the Europeans until I saw the excellent Dan Hannan 's name on the ballot paper so voted accordingly.
Cons in the Council, UKIP in the EU.
The UKIP vote is intended to wake up the Tories, the majority of people want OUT of the mess which is the EU.
The suspicion that dave will do or say anything to win following his glorious EPP pledge during the leadership campaign keeps the deep concern about what he ISN'T going to do over Lisbon alive.Yes he can play the big con but somehow he doesn't quite cut it does he?
Mulligan-we don't all have a Dan.Some of us have expense fiddlers and failed Party hacks.
BNP
because I want this country to be women, gay and secular friendly in 20 years time.
It will not be if you vote for the "smile and wave" parties, for they are letting in 1m immigrants into the UK a year.
Anyone who did not vote BNP is hiding behind the people who were brave enough to do so.
I was assuming that I would vote Conservative, but on actually examining the options, I found Libertas was the closest to what I actually thought should happen in Europe. So that's who I voted for.
After hearing about all the fraud I was going to vote UKIP - till I heard about how they were worse that the others. Instead I've protest voted for greens.
I was going to vote Conservative, but didn't.
Too many Duck Houses, moats, and retirements with golden handshakes courtesy of the taxpayer and not even having the whip withdrawn or being told to go now, when in all liklihood a Tory candidate would win the by-election and put further pressure on the government to hold elections.
I had thought about voting UKIP and yes I did change my mind !
The caveat to this is that the conservatives need to take a tougher line on europe, rather than pandering to the few europhiles whose political heyday was in the last century.
I decided upon Green some months back for the EU election & I have voted green. My partner voted UKIP.
I voted SNP as they have the best chance of removing Labour in my area. I am not a nationalist by the way so Alex Salmond should not get the wrong idea as there are plenty who think like me in central Scotland.
In 1974, I was pro-Europe but I voted against entry as I thought the campaign was dishonest and biased. Today I'm far less pro-Europe but considered voting Lib Dem as the current campaign is dishonest and biased the other way. Ended up voting for the 'Christian' party. May help keep the nutters out.
Gave Lib-dems the council vote - hope they stick to repairing pavements.
I intended to vote Cons, as i always have done, even when I was brought up in Labour Heartland (Hull East)
but in the end was a close run thing between BNP and UKIP, opted for UKIP.
First time I have not voted Con in 24 years.
I will probably vote Cons at a General Election, but they shouldn't take my vote for granted.
Hope for a strong UKIP vote, but hope Brown survives, I want him to go down with the ship.
W.W.
Was going to vote Conservative but voted UKIP. Maybe they'll clean up their act up enough for me to vote Conservative in the general election.
I always used to vote Lib Dems but it has become more and more difficult for me to reconcile my Classical Liberalism with their essentially Social Democratic policies. The thing which crystalised it for me was hearing a documentary about Isiah Berlin talking about the two kinds of freedom 'positive freedom' where the state tries to compel people to do things, and 'negative freedom', where the state provides a space wherein it does not interfere. The lib dems are in the meddlesome first camp.
So I voted Conservative. I would like to see them become a genuine party of Liberalism in the classic sense. Small state, less interference, better & less taxation, and consequentially more freedom. I think they can do it.
I am very much not a supporter of the old nasty party, so I hope they really prove to be as radical as I suspect they might be.
I voted UKIP (EU) and C (local). Was planning to vote UKIP for both, but (as I only found out when looking at the ballot form) they weren't standing in my local.
I'd normally be planning to vote C at the GE, but unless Cameron comes out and states clearly and unambiguously that: if elected, the C gov't will regard the Lisbon Treaty, whether ratified or not, as 100% non-binding upon Britain and that his gov't will refuse to implement it or follow any of its requirements until it has passed a referendum vote here, then my vote at the next GE will also be going to UKIP.
Intended to vote Conservative twice.
Ended up going UKIP in the Euros, Conservative down here in Ouse Valley East, East Sussex.
After much consideration, I decided I should support the party which best reflected my personal views on Europe.
I am also unconvinced by Cameron, specifically the lack (still!) of detailed policy.
I am an octogenarian who has always voted Conservative and a month ago I intended to carry on doing so. However I changed my mind and voted UKIP not because of the expenses scandal but because I consider that if enough of us vote that way Dave Cameron & Co. might get the message and adopt a truly hard line on the EU. Who knows I may still live long enough to see us out of that ill begotten club.
Voted Conservative local and UKIP European.
UKIP WAS a protest vote - not at expenses as I've no doubt they will spin, but at protest at a weak European stance shown by the Conservatives.
I intend to Vote Conservative and did. I has a brief flirtation at changing to English Democrats as a protest vote but decided to stick to my guns.
What has surprised in the number of my friends and work colleagues who have said the support the BNP. Either hye have growing support or the supports feel more enclined to come out of the closet. Either way not a good thing.
EU - Libertas, same as intended
Council - LibDem; as the Tory is a prat; changed in the last month when I realised who the Tory candidate was...
For any GE I will vote what I have for the last 30 years - Conservative.
Never voted anything remotely socialist before, and when we get a decent democracy back I will not be doing so again; but today, as I decided a while ago, I've voted BNP.
Throwing the Nick Griffin cat into the EU pigeons seems like a good idea. (It was not a UK election after all.) It will get all the Labour fascists squealing around 'animal farm'. AND I want immigration on the debating table; the greatest danger of our age is not the wretched climate but Islamic fundermentalism - I see another poor man got his head cut off yesterday. As no one is listening on that score, then a virtual bomb has to be thrown.
I always intended to vote Conservative but, then read your story on the "folded ballot paper" and thought that's novel they have figured out a way to stop stupid people voting.
So, I popped round to the polling booth and voted for the ORIGAMI party.
Iain, being the Uber-geek that I am, I decided to conduct a straw poll of the comments on this thread (up to 9:52pm).
I included all EU votes plus those who didn't make it clear which election their answers referred to (ie, local election votes were excluded). Only those whose answers were clear were included (plus a few whose wording, although not 100% clear, was almost beyond misinterpretation). Thus, 140 comments were included.
How they actually voted:
Con: 49 (35.0%)
Lab: 3 (2.1%)
Lib: 11 (7.9%)
UKIP: 51 (36.4%)
BNP: 6 (4.3%)
Other/didn't vote: 20 (14.3%)
Perhaps more interestingly, 70 commenters (50%) described themselves as either normal Con. voters or that they had initially/predominantly thought of voting Con. Here's how that group actually voted:
Con: 26 (37.1%)
Lab: 0
Lib: 6 (8.6%)
UKIP: 30 (42.9%)
BNP: 1 (1.4%)
Other/abstained: 7 (10%).
Obviously I agree that there could be a fair margin of error on my part, as I was doing my best to interpret different styles of writing/wording as best as possible, etc. But there you go...
Cheers, Tom.
Was going to vote Con for the Euros, but Dave & co still appear pro EU and refuse to guarantee that referendum (weasels!). So voted UKIP.
(I think leaving the EU is one of THE most important issues our country faces, and ignoring the overwhelming majority view on this gives perpetual ammo to Tory opponents and the media. The boil needs lancing! Dave - face your fears!)
Locals: was going to vote BNP as a pure protest vote against immigration and the general lot of "ordinary people". (Con only lost by a handful of votes last time, so bound to win here this time).
Decided at the last minute - literally pencil in hand and voted Conservative.
PS: Hi to my teller - if she's reading. Knockout pair of jugs popping out!
I voted Tory for local and euro election.
I really wanted to vote UKIP for the euros, I hate the corruption in the Euro Zone as much as Brown ( well almost).
Just couldn't do it in the end, I have always voted Tory. Just hope they don't let us down on Europe.
Local CC elections. I was not sure whether to vote LibDem or Conservative, but I decided to vote for the Conservative candidate after meeting her.
Euro elections. I was thinking of voting Conservative but I've actually voted for Libertas after investigating the different candidates in their lists. Plus I could not quite bring myself to vote Tory all the way as I'm not 100% happy with the party at the moment. UKIP have had too many dodgy characters to even consider them.
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