Billy Long says

No matter what the outcome is after the General Election it will affect everyone. Will Scotland remain part of the UK or go it's own way?

Will Climate change sway you to the political party of your choice? Do we need to invest more in renewable green energy or nuclear etc?

What about the high fuel costs motorists pay at the pumps? What if public services are cut back and it affects School after-care or cuts nursery down places? What about social security benefits being cut or elderly care being cut?

Do the smaller parties interest you more than the big four main parties of Labour, Tory, Lib--Dems or the SNP? Or are the smaller parties a wasted vote? What about fighting the issues of crime against vandalism, high level of illegal drugs usage and dealing? The effects on alcohol has on our society with cheap booze in the supermarkets and pubs closing down because of it and the smoking ban?

Or what about health issues about getting to see a cancer specialist within the first few weeks of being diagnosed & getting treatment? What about the situation of going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan with the high number of British casualties coming home?

Or are you just too lazy to go and vote because it does not interest you? Let us know what your comments are please, thank you.

Jonathan Kelk says

To be quite honest I'm completely fed up with Labour and Tory politicians and all the lies they tell us. Likewise I'm fed up with the SNP talking about independence and then saying they will take us deeper into the EU (funny kind of independence that - being ruled from Brussels). Don't see why we would be better off being ruled by corrupt politicians in Edinburgh as opposed to corrupt politicians in London anyway. And pretty much all other parties are non-starters too. Completely fed up with politics in this country.

Does that mean I won't vote? Far from it, I will be there. I do not know who I'll vote for or whether I'll just spoil my paper. But I will be there.

There is no such thing as a wasted vote, except for staying at home and not bothering. Voting for a smaller party is not a wasted vote. Voting for an independent is not a wasted vote. Just writing an obscene message across the voting slip is not a wasted vote. They all count and they all reduce the %age vote of whichever parties win, and ultimately the mandate they can claim they have from the people.

I am fed up with having to try and vote for the 'lesser of two evils', only for that party leader to claim I voted for them because of X, Y and Z. No I didn't, I voted for you because the other guy is just so despicable. I'm done with that. The main parties are just one big cartel that look after themselves and won't change the system that could allow another party to grow, because they'd get destroyed overnight.

I've not really been able to mention much about what will make my mind up. I have very strong opinions here too, but they will have to wait for another day. In the meantime I would try and urge everyone to go there and vote when it comes. If you don't like any of the main parties, then vote for someone else or even just spoil your paper. Do not let these people think they have a mandate from us.

Billy Long says

Do you ever think that by spoiling your paper that you are wasting public cash adminstering your vote than trying to send out a message, after all it costs the UK taxpaper millions of £pounds on giving you the chance for you to use your democratic right every time an election comes around? Some countries in the world don't give their citizens that choice Jonathan.

Jonathan Kelk says

By the same argument you could say voting for a 'minor' party or in fact anyone apart from Labour and SNP (realistically the two fighting for our constituency) is a waste of public cash. In fact if you look at last year's results you can say we are all wasting public cash because the winner had so many more votes than everyone else.

By the way in all this I want to state I have noted that Katy Clark has voted against the government (and her party) on quite a few of the worst proposals (Iraq war, 90 day detention, ID cards, etc), but I don't think it is quite enough for me to vote for her, unless she went independent.

As I said earlier, I have not made up my mind who I will vote for - indeed I cannot as there is not a definite list of candidates, never mind the information about what each one stands for. For me spoiling the paper is a last resort, and in my opinion as much of a statement as voting for a minor candidate. I have never missed a vote that I have been eligible for, and for that matter never spoiled the paper (and I doubt I will this time). But I would rather people turned up and demonstrated their disregard for the candidates in this way than sit at home. Politicians think of non-voters as some un-educated underclass that doesn't care and therefore doesn't deserve to be worried about (trust me - I know many such politicians).

As you say many countries do not give their citizens the choice (though not as many as you think - it could be argued that the country with the closest system to ours is Cuba). However many, many more countries give their citizens a genuine choice, not just two parties (the US being a notable counter-example). So you mention about the system, yes that badly needs changing. But any winner party will not change the system for the same reason "turkeys don't vote for Christmas".

I want to repeat, I have never spoiled my paper, I've always tried to vote for someone that I believe has a possibility of winning, and I still don't think I will spoil my paper this time, but then never has my opinion of the choice on offer been lower.

Of course now I've left myself open to the response of "if you don't like what is on offer why don't you stand yourself!!"

Allan McMeekin says

Just like you Billy I was born in Dalry but have been away for a while, although not too far for a while. Still visit my relations in Dalry, up until last year when my mother died, visited most weeks.

In the early 70's I worked in Roche, father voted labour mother voted conservative, like their mothers and fathers before. I went to Dalry High in 1968 with Ronnie Boyd and voted SNP, we knew we could never beat labour, but we voted what we thought was the best. In the 1980's my mother told me they started to vote SNP.

I have been chairman of the tenants association, community council and have got on great with the local councillor, John Blaney (Labour) he solved the problems of the tenents and I gave him peace. Last year there was a problem with my brother-in-law, Des Browne solved it. (Labour MP for Kilmarnock).

Councillor Robert Barr, (Conservative) has been doing a lot for Dalry.

Vote for you will think (or hope) who will do for the best for your community not what you, or your mother or father voted, or your loyality to a party.

Allan McMeekin

Billy Long says

There's nothing to stop people standing as an independent only that you need cash for a deposit and not be bankrupt.