Who are you voting for?

It's Lib Dem all the way for me. I am desperate to see them win and seeing Clegg wipe the floor with the other two last night means they've got a better chance than ever.

I won't be, 'cos I'm not allowed :p

For me, the main priority is that Labour don't win. Who am I voting for? That's secret!

Not having a pop at you at all 4matt, but a genuine question. Why do so many people like to keep their votes secret? I was thinking about this when I posted the question because I know some people see these things as 'private'. I can't really understand why?

No "pop" taken Keep_Calm.  I guess it's because it can lead to debate which can get strained etc. For example, if someone came on here and said they were going to vote for the Communist Party or the BNP (I'm not going to vote for either, btw!), then it could lead to personal attacks, exchanges etc.  I guess that's why.

Come on, there is no way for LibDem to win, most probably the coming election will result in neither parties win nor achieve the needed majority. Frankly, I hate to vote for Labour, but what to do, the other two clowns are not convincing enough. Happy voting, folks. Cheers.

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Well for me, it's more a matter of principle. Even if they don't win I've stuck by my guns and voted for who I believe should. And it's such a defeatist way of thinking. Do we want to end up like the American system?

Thanks for explaining 4matt, I do understand that. I quite like a bit of debate myself, but I'll have no personal insults on my thread :-)

Edit: self-fulfilling prophecy is proably more accurate than 'defeatist'

I have three places I could potentially vote and all are safe Labour or Lib seats.....so it may be a protest vote for me (Greens, SWP, etc.) One thing I am certain of is that I'm not voting Tory. Particularly now they've launched this "Big Society" campaign in a disingenuous attempt to be different to Thatcher. Thatcher wanted a smaller government.....the "Big Society" idea is just that. It's just a change of emphasis.

Anyhow, I'm going to hand over to my man Nye Bevan to finish this post off.

“No attempt at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.”

Heh, totally agree with your sentiments there, Slizor!

Normally I'd do the same - make a vote that makes a statement about my principles and the values I stand up for. However, I'm in a really marginal constituency (they reckon there might be as few as 250 votes between Labour and Tory), and my current MP (Labour) is actually really good - he stands up to the Labour leadership when he disagrees with them, he thinks things through carefully and always takes a well-reasoned position, he's a fantastic constituency MP (taking up issues that people come to him with and working behind the scenes) and he came out of the expenses scandal looking like one of the most honest MPs in Parliament. So I'm voting for him, even though overall I dislike many of the things Labour have done. And I absolutely 100 per cent do not want the Tories to get in.

It's the first time I've ever lived in a marginal constituency - every other time I've voted, there's aways been such a large majority (usually for Labour, though once for a Lib Dem) that my vote hasn't really made a difference. This time round, I'm told my marginal constituency might be one of the ones that decides the whole election. Yikes! Exciting and yet terrifying...

I'm going Lib Dem. They're the only party, in my opinion, who are making any sense at all. Both Labour and Tories have failed us in the past, and quite frankly, I'm bored by their lies.

The debate last night confirmed that for me.

I keep hearing people say that they're voting labour just to keep tories out, and yes, I agree we can't let the tories in, but Labour are no better than them. In all honesty, what has the labour government done for us since 97? Spent millions on wars that are quite frankly pointless. Last night, Brown could barely explain why we were in Afghanistan... if he doesn't have a clue why, then why the hell are we spending good money on war when it could go on education, policing, health... the economy?! It baffles me.

On a lighter note... I was extrememly amused when David Cameron, when talking about immigration, said that he'd once talked to a 40 year-old balck man who had been in the navy for 30 years... apparently the navy recruits 10 year olds. That was news to me. Haha. Idiot.

*No offense to anyone who supports Tories or Labour. Politics is a matter of opinion, and this is just mine. ;-)

I live in Scotland so I don't have to worry about unexpected wins for the Conservatives. ;-) My vote goes to the Lib Dems as it has always done.

For the first time ever, I've been tempted by the Lib Dems, purely because I'm in science, and they have the best policies in that area.  But they have so many other barmy policies, such as unilateral nuclear disarmament and amnesties on illegal immigrants that I really don't think I could bring myself to put an X in their box. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that Clegg would be more likely to climb into bed with Brown than Cameron, which is another reason for me not to vote for them.

I'd like to see the Liberal Democrats win. I think Vince Cable would make a good chancellor. Realistically I don't think that will happen. A 'Lib-Lab pact' is the next best outcome.

There is something I'm genuinely intrigued about. The Labour government has shown that it pretty much despises people who try to make something of themselves, who excel at anything, and who try to escape from dependence on the state for money and lifestyle "advice". So why do so many people in academia align themselves with Labour?

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When has it shown any of those things 4matt? Or are you trying to understand the rationale behind socialist policies generally?

Edit: As a brief answer, I grew up on a council estate and may be seen to have 'excelled' myself by getting to PhD stage but those were because of advantages I had in my familial situation. What a hyprocrite I would be if I didn't try to ensure that more children from working class backgrounds could get to university and enjoy all the benefits I have had from it.