I’ve been persuaded not to vote and that’s so bloody wrong
The penny has finally dropped for me. Voter fatigue and persuading people not to vote is the easiest way to win an election. Please register to vote.
If there’s a theme to the articles that I’ve written about the media shenanigans over the first few weeks of the general election campaign it’s that the media and social media has left us exhausted.
I’ve been persuaded not to vote because I feel helpless about the options before me. I’m not alone. Many of my family and friends feel the same.
None of the parties provide hope or vision for the UK. This is an election about austerity, the NHS, jobs and Brexit. I’ve been worn down by propaganda, disinformation and caustic discourse.
I can’t support the Conservative Party after ten years of austerity. It’s determined to drive an increasingly right-wing agenda post-Brexit. Its leader has proven to be untrustworthy and is a joke on the national and international stage.
I can’t support Labour because of the party’s extremism, anti-Semitism and weak leadership. I have limited confidence of its ability to lead a Government and many of my friends have left the party.
I can’t support the Liberal Democrats because they’ve already pivoted twice in the election campaign. It’s reminiscent of the collation Government that they formed with the Conservative Party between 2010 and 2015. I don’t trust them.
I can’t support minor parties such as the Greens because in our first past the post system it’s meaningless beyond a mention in the post-campaign wash-up.
Here’s the issue.
There is no perfect candidate or leader. Heroes come along infrequently in our lifetimes. That’s Seth Godin’s line, not mine, but he’s spot on.
There is no perfect party. Political parties are organic, messy organisations, typically with unconventional structures and governance.
We’ve two options.
We can either vote for the party that is best aligned to our vision and point of view or we can vote tactically for the outcome that gets closest to this goal.
We’re choosing a Party for the lifetime of a Parliament, not a life partner.
Not voting or spoiling a ballet paper is irresponsible. It’s a failure or civic duty. Women only got to vote a 100 years ago. People died in the First and Second World War so that we could vote.
It’s democracy and it’s important. If you haven’t registered to vote you’ve got until midnight tonight.
