Medway Council.

[Andrew]

Which means you WILL be voting FOR which ever liblabcon candidate has the best chance of taking the seat from the current member.

[Andrew]

Not really. Turnout always low, sometime almost non-existant compared to a general election.

If you are living here, paying tax and NI and using local services, then you should be able to vote for whatever party you think is best able to deliver those services.

[Andrew]

As Theresa May discovered in 2017 when her 'massive lead' over Corbyn (according to the polls) vanished and the latter only needed 2000 carefully targetted votes in marginals to end up in No 10 (aided and abetted by all the Brexit/reform clowns who handed many seats to Labour)

[Brian Morrison]

It's fine, don't know why you think it's seen as a problem by us Brits.

We actually quite like some of you peeps.

[Roger Hayter]

We would have to learn how to run coalitions. And parties would have to learn to choose their coalition agreements carefully and publicise them. And the great British public would have to learn that junior coalition parties will

*have to* vote against their manifesto commitments if they join a coalition. We'll get used to it, but there will be a lot of lies told for political gain; as usual.

It seems to work alright in Scotland and Wales.

[Rod Speed]

Yep, Starmer still wants to renationalise most stuff.

The only change from Corbyn is that he no longer wants no university fees.

[Colin Bignell]

Which means they are taking into account the opinions of a very large number of people.

[The Natural Philosopher]

So what - there is no chance anyone but a tory will win here. So its safe to vote for whom you want.

I have no expectation that any government comprised of any mainstream party or parties will be less corrupt, incompetent or lazy than the current one.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No, the opinions of a reasonably large number of gamblers. Do YOU know anyone who has laid a bet on an election?

[Colin Bignell]

A group that comprises 45% of adult males and 42% of adult females, according to a March 2022 report.

None that are still alive. However, it was much like betting on football. Serious gamblers would bet on form, but the majority were supporters would bet on their team, whether they expected them to win or not.

[Brian]

It isn’t remotely like betting on football.

With football, you can look at recent games, performance, the players etc.

Where is the equivalent in an election when, for example, you have no real access to the real intentions / views of other voters?

Look at the Referendum. Cameron was so convinced of the outcome, he failed to prepare for a Leave result. No effort was expended by the Civil Service at all. There had been huge cuts which resulted in massive, and costly, recruitment ( after costly cuts) to prepare to leave.

[Rod Speed]

Dont believe that anything even remotely like that bet on the general election result.

In my case none still alive or now dead.

And I get that's just as true of those actually stupid enough to bet on a general electon result

[Colin Bignell]

As I said, serious gamblers will bet on form. The supporters of a team simply bet on their team.

If you are voting for your team (or party) that won't matter.

Which is all quite irrelevant to how people bet.

[Colin Bignell]

I doubt it too, but even if only 1% of them bet on the general election, that is nearly a quarter of a million people. Even 0.1% is likely going to be more than any opinion poll will ask.

[Rod Speed]

But it is very far from clear how many punters have any idea about the result.

[The Natural Philosopher]

That's as maybe, but if someone asked me to bet on the next election Id bet on a narrow conservative majority or NOC.

Even though I will never vote tory and have never voted tory.,

One does not bet on whom one wants to win, - more sensible to bet on whom one wants to lose, so that if they do win at least the winnings are some sort of consolation

[Vir Campestris]

In my view a deliberately spoilt, or blank, paper is more of a message to all those idiots than not bothering to vote. Which is what most people did in the local elections.

Andy