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> Politics in Newbury; which way to vote at the forthcoming election
Spider
post Mar 3 2015, 05:26 PM
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Do people from West Berkshire have a wide range of choices when voting in Newbury? It is believed that the Tories will win Newbury (again) at the next election. The Lib-Dems shot their goose at the last election and are not very popular at the moment. UKIP are new and need to grow, while the Greens offer crazy politics. Labour has not chance in Newbury, more so while they've got a left-wing led union controlled leader. Independents are just a gamble. Should we follow like sheep and just vote for the party that is going to win in this area?

This is something that concerns me. In the past I've voted Lib-Dems, but this time I am not sure which way to vote. I am tinkering with UKIP in the hope of shaking things up.
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Cognosco
post Mar 3 2015, 06:08 PM
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QUOTE (Spider @ Mar 3 2015, 05:26 PM) *
Do people from West Berkshire have a wide range of choices when voting in Newbury? It is believed that the Tories will win Newbury (again) at the next election. The Lib-Dems shot their goose at the last election and are not very popular at the moment. UKIP are new and need to grow, while the Greens offer crazy politics. Labour has not chance in Newbury, more so while they've got a left-wing led union controlled leader. Independents are just a gamble. Should we follow like sheep and just vote for the party that is going to win in this area?

This is something that concerns me. In the past I've voted Lib-Dems, but this time I am not sure which way to vote. I am tinkering with UKIP in the hope of shaking things up.


Same with me I'm afraid there is no party that I can say I would be happy with.
Just have to vote for the lesser of the evils, not vote or spoiled vote me thinks! unsure.gif


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Simon Kirby
post Mar 3 2015, 07:04 PM
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I believe in Liberal Democrat values: "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives."

My difficulty locally is finding someone to vote for who also believes in these things.

I'll be voting for my friend David Yates, and in the local elections I'll be voting for the apolitical independents where national politics has little meaning and what I really want is someone who will decide the issues on their merits according to their conscience and who isn't afraid to canvas opinion and be swayed by a good argument.

If anyone's interested in getting party politics out of local government we're holding a public meeting on the 10th at the Upper Crust (upstairs at the Empire Cafe), starts 1900, with a speaker from the independent Frome Town Council who successfully achieved what we're looking to do in Newbury (see here). It's more about encouraging ordinary free-thinking people to stand for election than drumming up votes, so if you've been thinking that you ought to do something about the state of politics in West Berkshire then you're not alone and we can help each other.


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Spider
post Mar 3 2015, 07:14 PM
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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Mar 3 2015, 07:04 PM) *
I believe in Liberal Democrat values: "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives."

My difficulty locally is finding someone to vote for who also believes in these things.

I'll be voting for my friend David Yates, and in the local elections I'll be voting for the apolitical independents where national politics has little meaning and what I really want is someone who will decide the issues on their merits according to their conscience and who isn't afraid to canvas opinion and be swayed by a good argument.

If anyone's interested in getting party politics out of local government we're holding a public meeting on the 10th at the Upper Crust (upstairs at the Empire Cafe), starts 1900, with a speaker from the independent Frome Town Council who successfully achieved what we're looking to do in Newbury (see here). It's more about encouraging ordinary free-thinking people to stand for election than drumming up votes, so if you've been thinking that you ought to do something about the state of politics in West Berkshire then you're not alone and we can help each other.


As once a member of the Lib-Dems and its values I can honestly say that since going into coalition they've dropped those values and gone for what is best for their status and power potential. That is why I am leaning towards UKIP. They are a fresh party that will shake up the other parties and make everybody think. Either that or the status quo.
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Spider
post Mar 3 2015, 07:15 PM
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QUOTE (Cognosco @ Mar 3 2015, 06:08 PM) *
Same with me I'm afraid there is no party that I can say I would be happy with.
Just have to vote for the lesser of the evils, not vote or spoiled vote me thinks! unsure.gif


Voting for somebody like UKIP is better than a spoiled vote, me things. Anything that tells the main establishments that we've had enough of their bull****.
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HeatherW
post Mar 3 2015, 07:25 PM
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I've voted all my life Tory, but this time I just don't know. Labour are too far left and up their own backside, and of course we mustn't forget what they left us. Greens are just that, Green and naive. Lib-Dems are a joke and liars. Which leaves UKIP. They may be novices and get a bad press, but there thinking seems old Tory.
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Spider
post Mar 3 2015, 07:41 PM
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QUOTE (HeatherW @ Mar 3 2015, 07:25 PM) *
I've voted all my life Tory, but this time I just don't know. Labour are too far left and up their own backside, and of course we mustn't forget what they left us. Greens are just that, Green and naive. Lib-Dems are a joke and liars. Which leaves UKIP. They may be novices and get a bad press, but there thinking seems old Tory.


What we once believed in (as in party) is now being questioned. I am questioning the party I've voted for years.
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Andy Capp
post Mar 3 2015, 07:48 PM
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I think UKIP's credence is on par with the Greens. The best UKIP could do is make the two main parties sweat it at the next election.
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On the edge
post Mar 3 2015, 10:51 PM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Mar 3 2015, 07:48 PM) *
I think UKIP's credence is on par with the Greens. The best UKIP could do is make the two main parties sweat it at the next election.


You may well be right, but that would be no bad thing. However, it's still same old , same old. UKIP has really taken the LibDem place as the party of protest, but it's possibly too late. I have a feeling that people, particularly the young, are just sick to death of ping pong politics, 'my dad is bigger than your dad'. So the local non aligned independents do seem a viable option. If Dave Yates does stand this time , I might not spoil my ballot paper!


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Claude
post Mar 5 2015, 01:58 PM
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As 'young voter' I'm a little disengaged, but also confused.

What am I voting for in a General Election?

I'm clearly not voting in an X-Factor competition, for the most popular candidate and the person I want to reside at #10, I'm voting for the party. I get that, although many don't.

Each party has national policies which I may or may not agree with, such as how to address immigration, fiscal policies, education, health etc, really high-level stuff, macro-policies if you will.

Am I voting for the party which has the most policies/pledges that I agree with? If so, how do I get my local concerns addressed?

Or am I voting for the local candidate who most closely matches my views on key issues in the Newbury locale? S/he will after all be representing me in Parliament. But what if that person is a candidate of a party I disagree with from a national policies level?

What's the point of voting for an independent candidate? They may be the very closest match to my local concerns but what about income tax cuts and increasing spending on public transport - they're going to be able to offer nothing to that end.

Is it just a balancing act? Weighing up local issues, national issues and while I may agree with 60% of their stance as an individual & party, it's the highest of all the options. Is that how you decide?
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The Hatter
post Mar 5 2015, 02:12 PM
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QUOTE (Claude @ Mar 5 2015, 01:58 PM) *
As 'young voter' I'm a little disengaged, but also confused.

What am I voting for in a General Election?

I'm clearly not voting in an X-Factor competition, for the most popular candidate and the person I want to reside at #10, I'm voting for the party. I get that, although many don't.

Each party has national policies which I may or may not agree with, such as how to address immigration, fiscal policies, education, health etc, really high-level stuff, macro-policies if you will.

Am I voting for the party which has the most policies/pledges that I agree with? If so, how do I get my local concerns addressed?

Or am I voting for the local candidate who most closely matches my views on key issues in the Newbury locale? S/he will after all be representing me in Parliament. But what if that person is a candidate of a party I disagree with from a national policies level?

What's the point of voting for an independent candidate? They may be the very closest match to my local concerns but what about income tax cuts and increasing spending on public transport - they're going to be able to offer nothing to that end.

Is it just a balancing act? Weighing up local issues, national issues and while I may agree with 60% of their stance as an individual & party, it's the highest of all the options. Is that how you decide?


I can totally sympathise with you. Round here there are only two parties that ever get considered and they are both the same, it's like having an argument to sort out if it's better to do your shopping in Sainsburys or Tesco. You can vote for an independent, which would be like shopping in your local shop - it would make no real difference. They don't want to know what we think, so I'm not going to tell them tongue.gif
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motormad
post Mar 5 2015, 03:15 PM
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'Young' laugh.gif

I'm not voting at all.
If I WERE to Vote, I'd vote UKIP.
Not because I'm a racist prick but because I'm so fed up with the same old crap from the existing parties, and I believe we would be better out of the EU where we are not governed by their stupid rules. I think UKIP offer something new...something a little fresh. And I don't like David Cameron whatsoever.

Then again, I would vote for whatever political party made the M25 and the M4 and the M1 an Autobahn. smile.gif

At the end of the day, you can guarantee that 90% of what they "pledge", they will not do, the 10% that they DO actually manage to piece together will not be exactly what they said it would.


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Strafin
post Mar 5 2015, 05:56 PM
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I considered registering to vote, and would vote UKIP, I think they would at least shake things up a bit. But I probably won't.
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GMR
post Mar 5 2015, 06:56 PM
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QUOTE (Strafin @ Mar 5 2015, 05:56 PM) *
I considered registering to vote, and would vote UKIP, I think they would at least shake things up a bit. But I probably won't.





Why not? Voting for somebody like UKIP would shake things up and it better than not voting.

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On the edge
post Mar 5 2015, 08:59 PM
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Err why? What would UKIP do here apart from suck out a slice of the Tory vote and so let in the LibDem. That would mean you'd get light blue rather than dark blue. Right now, I'm with Strafin, but willing to listen.


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GMR
post Mar 6 2015, 04:35 PM
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QUOTE (Andy Capp @ Mar 3 2015, 07:48 PM) *
I think UKIP's credence is on par with the Greens. The best UKIP could do is make the two main parties sweat it at the next election.





I wouldn't say that, I think they are ahead of them.

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GMR
post Mar 6 2015, 04:41 PM
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QUOTE (On the edge @ Mar 5 2015, 08:59 PM) *
Err why? What would UKIP do here apart from suck out a slice of the Tory vote and so let in the LibDem. That would mean you'd get light blue rather than dark blue. Right now, I'm with Strafin, but willing to listen.


UKIP have already done a lot standing on the side lines. Brought immigration to the forefront. Questioned the EU (where everybody else would rather turn a blind eye). If they get seats - and they will get some - it will make the other parties look deep within themselves. Not to vote for them is basically saying nothing will or should change.

The question is; do you want the status quo or a possible change. The status quo is between the Tories or Labour playing Bing-bong ball backwards and forwards.

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On the edge
post Mar 6 2015, 05:19 PM
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QUOTE (GMR @ Mar 6 2015, 04:41 PM) *
UKIP have already done a lot standing on the side lines. Brought immigration to the forefront. Questioned the EU (where everybody else would rather turn a blind eye). If they get seats - and they will get some - it will make the other parties look deep within themselves. Not to vote for them is basically saying nothing will or should change.

The question is; do you want the status quo or a possible change. The status quo is between the Tories or Labour playing Bing-bong ball backwards and forwards.


I think structural change, rather than just a paint job. Arguably, UKIP are just the Tebbit tendency of the Tory party, so all we'll really get is Thatcherisim undiluted. Fine, but no one has explained what happens next.




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GMR
post Mar 6 2015, 05:22 PM
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QUOTE (On the edge @ Mar 6 2015, 05:19 PM) *
I think structural change, rather than just a paint job. Arguably, UKIP are just the Tebbit tendency of the Tory party, so all we'll really get is Thatcherisim undiluted. Fine, but no one has explained what happens next.





And who said it was going to be just a paint job? What do you think will happen next? If they got enough seats they could possibly go into coalition or influence the government.

I also don't think they will be Thatcherism undiluted.

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On the edge
post Mar 6 2015, 05:27 PM
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QUOTE (GMR @ Mar 6 2015, 05:22 PM) *
And who said it was going to be just a paint job? What do you think will happen next? If they got enough seats they could possibly go into coalition or influence the government.

I also don't think they will be Thatcherism undiluted.


Well, what will they be, or has Mr F taken a leaf out of Cleggies book? Just go for a coalition and grab a bit of personal glory. That's what it looks like, nought wrong with that, but look what happened to the LibDems


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