Might not vote 2021

[scottsdad]

I've voted in every election I've ever been eligible for, starting with the 1997 devolution referendum. This approaching election and I think - nah. I really might not vote. Nobody on offer excites me, or makes me feel like they have anything to offer. Looking at the runners and riders:

SNP: 14 years in power and they're creaking a bit. What legacy do they have? The NHS, education, police, fire - none have really been improved. They have independence going for them, sure, but what else? This is a government we're voting for,

Tories: They have one policy as far as I can see, and that's not holding a referendum. So if they win they'll spend 4 years not doing something. What else do they have? They put a leaflet through my door a few weeks back and the entire thing was about a referendum. Nothing on crime, economy, education, etc. 

Labour: No thanks. 2014 killed them for me, gleefully parading round Scotland telling us we were hopeless. Gordon Brown touring care homes frightening folk with "Your UK pension will stop" and saying that cross-border blood and organ donations will stop. Lies, denigration, never again.

Liberals: No thanks. 2010 killed them for me. Bedroom tax, tuition fees in England, enabling every single austerity measure and running down the NHS ahead of a global pandemic (cheers, lads). They'll sell every policy they have for a ministerial job.

Greens: Don't know much about them except their young guy spent some time a while back in twitter fights about Winston Churchill. I'd expect this from an adolescent, not an MSP. 

You might get the idea that none of this crown makes me want to vote for them. Feeling really down about this election. 

[GordonS]

I think this is maybe more a reflection of the fucking appalling level of political coverage in this country, more than of the parties or the politicians. 90% of the work they do is proper government stuff and it literally doesn't get reported anywhere, apart from sometimes in places like Holyrood magazine or the trade press of the relevant sector.

I could tell you good things each of the parties have done. Even the Tories, they got a national nitrogen balance sheet into the new climate change act, which is genuinely excellent. I could also argue with you about some of your criticisms. But unless you're immersed in it - and tbf, most of the people who are immersed in it are twats - then the perception you have drawn is fair enough.

Ultimately someone is going to run the country so if you can't vote for anyone then does it help to think about who you would most want to vote against? And if that doesn't work then it's always worth spoiling your ballot rather than just abstaining - for the constituency papers, all the candidates and their agents see every spoiled paper, so they'll see any message you write (as long as it's not, like, a psycho manifesto).

[SweeperDee]

56 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

I've voted in every election I've ever been eligible for, starting with the 1997 devolution referendum. This approaching election and I think - nah. I really might not vote. Nobody on offer excites me, or makes me feel like they have anything to offer. Looking at the runners and riders:

SNP: 14 years in power and they're creaking a bit. What legacy do they have? The NHS, education, police, fire - none have really been improved. They have independence going for them, sure, but what else?

https://www.snp.org/record/

It's telling that Labour don't have anything similar, nor do the rest. Obviously they haven't been in power for a while but...yeah. 

Edited March 19, 2021 by SweeperDee

[BFTD]

Spoil your ballot, at least.

Preferably with something amusing. I can't imagine having to count these things is much fun, so a wee laugh probably goes down a treat.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

5 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Spoil your ballot, at least.

Preferably with something amusing. I can't imagine having to count these things is much fun, so a wee laugh probably goes down a treat.

Imagine being in throbber’s constituency. Must be a laugh a minute come election time.

[Jimi Shandrix]

Of the runners and riders in the OP the tories are a non starter for me. As a child of the eighties I never have and never will. c***s. Labour have a lot of work to do before I'd ever consider them again. Libs fucked it by getting into bed with the aforementioned c***s. So, if I'm feeling generous it'll be the SNP. If I want to protest it'll be the Greens. And if they're all shit it'll be a big spunking cock.

[Scorge]

32 minutes ago, BFTD said:

Spoil your ballot, at least.

Preferably with something amusing. I can't imagine having to count these things is much fun, so a wee laugh probably goes down a treat.

The Scottish election count is the longest because of the two votes so TBH a few artistically amusing cock and bollo non-votes can help to break up the dredge of the sorting.....

[Granny Danger]

2 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I've voted in every election I've ever been eligible for, starting with the 1997 devolution referendum. This approaching election and I think - nah. I really might not vote. Nobody on offer excites me, or makes me feel like they have anything to offer. Looking at the runners and riders:

SNP: 14 years in power and they're creaking a bit. What legacy do they have? The NHS, education, police, fire - none have really been improved. They have independence going for them, sure, but what else? This is a government we're voting for,

Tories: They have one policy as far as I can see, and that's not holding a referendum. So if they win they'll spend 4 years not doing something. What else do they have? They put a leaflet through my door a few weeks back and the entire thing was about a referendum. Nothing on crime, economy, education, etc. 

Labour: No thanks. 2014 killed them for me, gleefully parading round Scotland telling us we were hopeless. Gordon Brown touring care homes frightening folk with "Your UK pension will stop" and saying that cross-border blood and organ donations will stop. Lies, denigration, never again.

Liberals: No thanks. 2010 killed them for me. Bedroom tax, tuition fees in England, enabling every single austerity measure and running down the NHS ahead of a global pandemic (cheers, lads). They'll sell every policy they have for a ministerial job.

Greens: Don't know much about them except their young guy spent some time a while back in twitter fights about Winston Churchill. I'd expect this from an adolescent, not an MSP. 

You might get the idea that none of this crown makes me want to vote for them. Feeling really down about this election. 

Unless you think all parties are equally bad* then vote for the least bad one.  That’s what everyone does.

 

 

* They’re not.

[Detournement]

My polling card came in the other day. Straight in the bin.

[Big Rider]

You don’t need the card to vote. Hopefully you recycled it.

[The Golden God]

I'll vote SNP-Green. The only way we'll get or at least get close to a left wing/socialist Government is through Independence and the only way to get that is a pro Indy majority. Even aside from that, I trust the SNP much more than I trust any of the rest of them atm, they're not perfect but they're a better option than anyone else by quite a distance.

[Suspect Device]

Could drawing a cock and balls on the voting slip really achieve anything?

Could putting a X against any of the useless fuckers really achieve anything better?

Choices choices choices.

 

 

(I will probably still vote SNP/Green)

[Mr Tourette]

I’m drawing a massive cock against Douglas Ross (then a x against a.n.other

[GordonS]

1 hour ago, Detournement said:

My polling card came in the other day. Straight in the bin.

 

[BFTD]

33 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

Could drawing a cock and balls on the voting slip really achieve anything?

Could putting a X against any of the useless fuckers really achieve anything better?

Choices choices choices.

 

 

(I will probably still vote SNP/Green)

If enough folk spoilt their ballots rather than just staying at home, it would highlight the unpopularity of the options and give the parties an incentive to chase non-voters. At the moment, they just think people can't be arsed, and some parties are more than happy with that state of affairs.

[John Lambies Doos]

People that spoil their ballots are wrong uns

[Angus_Don]

4 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I've voted in every election I've ever been eligible for, starting with the 1997 devolution referendum. This approaching election and I think - nah. I really might not vote. Nobody on offer excites me, or makes me feel like they have anything to offer. Looking at the runners and riders:

SNP: 14 years in power and they're creaking a bit. What legacy do they have? The NHS, education, police, fire - none have really been improved. They have independence going for them, sure, but what else? This is a government we're voting for,

Tories: They have one policy as far as I can see, and that's not holding a referendum. So if they win they'll spend 4 years not doing something. What else do they have? They put a leaflet through my door a few weeks back and the entire thing was about a referendum. Nothing on crime, economy, education, etc. 

Labour: No thanks. 2014 killed them for me, gleefully parading round Scotland telling us we were hopeless. Gordon Brown touring care homes frightening folk with "Your UK pension will stop" and saying that cross-border blood and organ donations will stop. Lies, denigration, never again.

Liberals: No thanks. 2010 killed them for me. Bedroom tax, tuition fees in England, enabling every single austerity measure and running down the NHS ahead of a global pandemic (cheers, lads). They'll sell every policy they have for a ministerial job.

Greens: Don't know much about them except their young guy spent some time a while back in twitter fights about Winston Churchill. I'd expect this from an adolescent, not an MSP. 

You might get the idea that none of this crown makes me want to vote for them. Feeling really down about this election. 

You missed the indefatigable Gorgeous George Gallaway Alliance4Unit Party...........the best known oppositon leader in Scotland according to George himself.

[BFTD]

38 minutes ago, John Lambies Doos said:

People that spoil their ballots are wrong uns

Of all the options available in a polling booth, spoiling your ballot is way down the list of poor decisions.

[G51]

It is entirely possible to vote SNP on the basis that you want independence, while simultaneously acknowledging that they're little better than the New Labour centrist party that preceded them (without the illegal wars, of course) and that you're completely disillusioned with the lack of progress they've made on key issues.

The problem with this approach though is the SNP is that they're unlikely to write any of the fundamental protections people require (right to housing, devolution of power to local authorities, ensuring debtors aren't subject to criminal prosecution etc) into a Scottish constitution.

It's quite a conundrum. On reflection, the best approach is probably to stick with it for now before immediately campaigning to overthrow the SNP the day after the referendum.

[John Lambies Doos]

It is entirely possible to vote SNP on the basis that you want independence, while simultaneously acknowledging that they're little better than the New Labour centrist party that preceded them (without the illegal wars, of course) and that you're completely disillusioned with the lack of progress they've made on key issues.
The problem with this approach though is the SNP is that they're unlikely to write any of the fundamental protections people require (right to housing, devolution of power to local authorities, ensuring debtors aren't subject to criminal prosecution etc) into a Scottish constitution.
It's quite a conundrum. On reflection, the best approach is probably to stick with it for now before immediately campaigning to overthrow the SNP the day after the referendum.

Where will your vote go, no issue if you don't want to say?