Poll: Potential General Election: who are you voting for?

[radamfi]

Also means splitting the Labour vote or did that pass you by?

Labour have moved to a largely Remain stance now so pro-No Deal voters were already lost.

 

[peri]

Never ever Tory.
Lib Dems still unclean from the coalition.
Labour the only choice.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Never ever Tory.
Lib Dems still unclean from the coalition.
Labour the only choice.

Well said. I'd never trust a Tory as long as I live after their actions since 2010.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Bear in mind that in 2017, the RailUK poll leaned more towards Labour and the Lib Dems than the actual result

Party / RailUK / National result

Cons - 21% / 42%
Labour - 50% / 40%
Lib Dems - 17% / 7%
SNP - 3% / 3%

So the interesting thing is really going to be what the railforums swing is since 2017. That may give us some idea of how things are going to change nationally. So far, comparing those figures with the poll results at the top of the page, it looks like, amongst railforums members, support for Labour has collapsed and support for the Tories gone down somewhat since 2017, with virtually all those votes going to the LibDems. But there aren't that many votes in yet, so things could change.

Given that past polls have shown railforums members to be, on average, more pro-remain than the national population, I'd expect that railforums members are swinging to the LibDems much more than the entire electorate would be.

 

[507021]

Nearly a year off voting age!

Surprised there is no votes on spoiled ballot, given the current state of UK politics...

If my current MP (who I like) was standing again I'd vote Labour, but as he's standing down, I'm planning to spoil my ballot paper.

I don't really feel enthusiastic voting Labour at the moment and there's no other party (except maybe the Green Party) I'd even consider voting for.

 

[Tetchytyke]

and yet Corbyn is such a great guy with absolutely no skeletons in his closet!

He doesn't have skeletons in his closet, though. You know where you stand with him. You might not agree with him, but you (so long as you don't believe the Daily Heil) know what you're getting.

Johnson? He'd feed his own grandmother to the ravenous bug-blatter beast of Traal.

Anyway, to answer: I'm not sure. I'm a Traitor Remoaner Snowflake Traitor TM, so naturally I'd vote LibDem. But I live in an area full of extremely gullible and very stupid people who think Nigel Farage will look after them, so if there's even a sniff of the Ronseal Reichsführer getting his party elected I'll vote Labour.

 

[talltim]

I’m voting Green (proving they stand) I know they won’t get in, but if I can help them retain their deposit it will be bonus. My current MP is Labour and I won’t be upset if he gets in again although I’m not keep on the leadership (excepting Kier Starmer) Lib Dem’s would be OK but they’ve lost their drive since they formed the Lib-Con coalition (I think a lot of their supporters lost faith in them, the head understands why they did but the heart doesn’t). Never voting Con/Brexit etc

 

[HOOVER29]

Said many times before I’d never vote Labour as long as I’ve air in my lungs & blood flowing through my veins.
Always voted conservative.
Always will.
Couldn’t stand Blair, still makes my guts turn when I see him.
Ditto Gordon Brown.
As for Corbyn, I’m not saying what I think of him as I’ll be banned & or locked up!!!

 

[J-2739]

If my current MP (who I like) was standing again I'd vote Labour, but as he's standing down, I'm planning to spoil my ballot paper.

I don't really feel enthusiastic voting Labour at the moment and there's no other party (except maybe the Green Party) I'd even consider voting for.

I guess at this current time, it's about voting for the least worst party (which can vary from person to person).

 

[nr758123]

Whoever is most likely to defeat the Tory.

 

[John Griffiths]

A personal vote for a decent, hardworking, trustworthy Remainer Labour MP. If it were a party vote, LD.

 

[Busaholic]

I did and i'm in complete agreement, this is the General Discussion area after all. It's a strange concept that you don't want people to expand an opinion on a discussion forum because it isn't about trains.

He will be a disaster because everything he ever proposes is completely unrealistic and will inevitably drag us further down.

I think the fundamental problem with a Corbyn government will be the same as with the present shower i.e. the most vital decisions will be made by the shadowy unelected 'powers behind the throne' and the Cabinet will overwhelmingly be filled with 'loyalists' who'll do and say anything that keeps them in a job. The best that could be hoped for would be that John McDonnell might be permitted to oust Corbyn, because he's an intelligent guy with a good command of economics (which is partly why he and Cuddly Ken Livingstone fell out so dramatically during Labour's GLC days) and, by-the-by, would probably be decisive about the anti-semites, with whom he has no truck as far as I can tell.

 

[robk23oxf]

I live in a safe Conservative seat however I'd be voting Lib Dem anyway. No doubt my former MP who got us into this mess will be out campaigning for my current MP, he'll be getting a few interesting words if he knocks on my door.

 

[507021]

I guess at this current time, it's about voting for the least worst party (which can vary from person to person).

I agree with that 100%. I do still see Labour as the least worst option, I just don't really feel I can get behind the leadership any more.

I may reconsider the current plan to spoil my ballot paper if I like who replaces my current MP, but that's a very big if at this stage.

 

[cb a1]

Said many times before I’d never vote Labour as long as I’ve air in my lungs & blood flowing through my veins.
Always voted conservative.
Always will.
Couldn’t stand Blair, still makes my guts turn when I see him.
Ditto Gordon Brown.
As for Corbyn, I’m not saying what I think of him as I’ll be banned & or locked up!!!

I'm not criticising your choice of party here (although I don't recall ever voting Conservative) but I am always intrigued when someone says they 'Always will' vote for a particular political party. 'Generally will', I can understand and even 'Have always' but the absolute nature of voting for a political party feels somehow a waste.

This doesn't apply in this election, but under more reasonable circumstances, I've often voted for who I think will be second placed. I like my elected representative to have as slim a majority as possible. I figure that a slim majority improves the probability that they will actually bother to work hard for their constituents.

 

[tomglazed]

I voted Lib Dems once before and I think now is a time I gave them a second look I the hope they look like they have grown some cojones to end what literally feels like borderline dystopia.

 

[muddythefish]

The Conservatives deserve to be drummed out of office for their mismanagement of the country since 2010.

They are responsible for a brutal and ideologically driven austerity that hurt the weakest sections of society most and caused immeasurable damage to the education, police, the NHS, the armed forces, education, and followed that with an unnecessary EU referendum that has split the UK as never before.

The country needs radical change from top to bottom. Labour can deliver it.

 

[oliMw]

I voted Labour in 2017, however personally I now prioritise stopping Brexit over the reformative policies Corbyn is offering. If Corbyn stood on a full second referendum and remain platform I would support him. It's the Lib Dems or Greens now for me, depending on who is likely to get a higher vote in my constituency. I would only vote Labour as part of a full Remain Alliance.

 

[edwin_m]

I would be surprised if Change UK/TIG hold any of their seats and even more surprised if they get anyone out to campaign for them.

There is talk of a pact so that only one of LibDem, Green and TIG stands in each constituency as a "unite for remain" candidate. Unfortunately Labour seems unwilling to join to make it a true anti-Tory pact and the others are probably unwilling to trust them. I hope the remain parties won't put up even a nominal candidate in seats where the Labour candidate has the best chance of beating the Tory and is strongly pro-remain.

My worry is that Boris will do a pact with Farage, not field a candidate in the seats where the Tory has just been expelled for rebelling, in return for Brexit party not standing in any of the other seats.

 

[Darandio]

Said many times before I’d never vote Labour as long as I’ve air in my lungs & blood flowing through my veins.
Always voted conservative.
Always will.
Couldn’t stand Blair, still makes my guts turn when I see him.
Ditto Gordon Brown.
As for Corbyn, I’m not saying what I think of him as I’ll be banned & or locked up!!!

And there lies the problem, people like yourself happy to accept mediocrity and keep clowns like this relevant.

 

[Bevan Price]

Well - I won't be voting for Batty Boris and the Little Englander wing of the Tories.
I won't be voting for Farage and his Brexit Party.
Nor will I be voting for UKIP.
In my opinion, they are all too right wing, and have tendencies to adopt policies that enrich those who are already rich, and to move money from the less well-off to the rich.

The Tories tell lies, in that they claim to reduce taxes, when they mean they only reduce Income Tax -- they have certainly not reduced VAT, and their starving of funds from Local Government is encouraging increases in council tax. They are trying to make BBC responsible for TV licences for all over-75s; effectively changing the TV licence into a tax to help pay for what are essentially social security benefits, taking money from everybody, rather than just those people most able to pay more.

Lib Dems ?? Well, I have once or twice voted tactically for them in local elections, but more to help keep out the tories than out of any love of their policies.

Greens ?? No thanks; I fear that some of them would prefer us all to be living in caves, whilst others would want to make much of our countryside look like industrial estates, swamped by thousands of wind turbines, etc.

As for Labour, I usually vote for them, but Mr Corbyn is a bit of a disaster. Whilst some of my opinions are even to the "left" of Mr Corbyn, I realise that such policies will never win elections. And with Militant Mark 2 (a.k.a. Momentum) in such a dominant position in Labour, any successor could be even worse than Mr. Corbyn. I fear that Labour may never win an outright majority in a General Election until a new "Neil Kinnock" type of successor manages to curb Momentum, and persuade Labour to adopt policies that might win elections. They need to learn that "a little of what they want" is better than "permanent opposition".

 

[hexagon789]

No longer potential - the government lost tonight's vote and Johnson has tabled a motion calling for a snap General Election.

 

[krus_aragon]

No longer potential - the government lost tonight's vote and Johnson has tabled a motion calling for a snap General Election.

Still technically "potential" : he said he's tabling a motion as per the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, so he needs two thirds of the house to vote for it.

 

[hexagon789]

Still technically "potential" : he said he's tabling a motion as per the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, so he needs two thirds of the house to vote for it.

True, but are they likely to oppose it?

 

[telstarbox]

I voted Labour in 2017, however personally I now prioritise stopping Brexit over the reformative policies Corbyn is offering. If Corbyn stood on a full second referendum and remain platform I would support him. It's the Lib Dems or Greens now for me, depending on who is likely to get a higher vote in my constituency. I would only vote Labour as part of a full Remain Alliance.

Why do you think a Remain Alliance would be successful?

 

[jmh59]

I will probably vote labour but not sure. I always voted lib demo because our local MP was a great bloke, but for the last general I voted labour as lib dem had little chance nationally. Anyway, the local labour guy is also ok. Awkward really, do you vote for the MP that actually does good for your area or vote in an attempt to get the government you want (or rather get rid of the one you don't want)...

 

[krus_aragon]

True, but are they likely to oppose it?

Three (or was it four?) opposition party leaders said in reply that they wanted to pass their EU bill first, then have an election. So they'll probably vote down tomorrow's motion.

 

[hexagon789]

Three (or was it four?) opposition party leaders said in reply that they wanted to pass their EU bill first, then have an election. So they'll probably vote down tomorrow's motion.

I see, if that fails though...?

 

[Howardh]

A lot of the blame for tonight's thumping is going towards Rees Mogg who simply alienated his own MP's.Someoen in the Telegraph wrote "the oppositions best ever recruiting agent".

Never thought I'd be grateful to JRM!!

Anyhow, if the vote goes the right way tomorrow the Opposition (who are now pretty much the government) must ensure that it's after no-deal's been eliminated.

 

[oliMw]

Why do you think a Remain Alliance would be successful?

A Remain Aliance (I hope) would offer a second referendum, giving an opportunity to stop Brexit, my primary motivation.

Following on from this, we can assume two situations in the forthcoming (now imminent?) election:

1) Brexit Party and Conservatives enter some kind of non-aggression pact to create a no-deal bloc.
2) Brexit Party and Conservatives compete against each other as the Brexit Party deems the conservatives as ‘not pure’.

In both these situations a Remain Alliance would be successful. In scenario 1: Two blocs compete against each other almost guaranteeing a small majority when assuming the electorate is still split 48-52 as of 2016 (Not likely to be the case anymore). In scenario 2: A fully formed bloc will gain a larger majority against the ‘no deal parties’ allowing a second referendum.

Of course there’s is no guarantee what would happen in a second referendum, but if any of us could read the future we would be much wealthier than we all our currently!