Who should you vote for?

[GAJ]

quote:Originally posted by Wul

Showing my total lack of knowledge in this issue but doesn't your vote also go some way to deciding your local MP and as such how your council money is spent in your area - or am I getting confuzzled with local elections? 8)

You are confusing the general election with the local authority elections. The last local authority elections were held on the same day as the elections for the Scottish Parliament in 2003 which probably added to confusion.
The Tories did better than expected last time and hold power in 5 authorities but still only won a quarter as many wards as Labour.

[Wul]

OK so continuing my lack of knowledge - why do contituencies and "seats" mean anything to a general election then - when i got to fill in my ballot paper Tony, Michael and Charles names won't be on the list but my local reps will! Surely then they should just put the party leaders names on the ballot.

Or do the constituency votes mean something else that i'm missing?:question:

[GAJ]

The candidates for your constituency are the names you will see on the ballot paper, these are who you are voting for. Most of these people will represent a political party, although some may be independents (representing no party). The person who gets the most votes in your constituency wins. The party who's candidates win the most constituencies form the government. Simple!

[duncan]

quote:Originally posted by GAJ

Just to open another can of worms, you have to remember that unless you live in a marginal seat (very, very few in Scotland) your vote won't make any difference to the result anyway! It's only a few thousand people in marginal constituencies who decide the result.

Remember however, most seats have had boundaries changed since 2001, and that give a lot of predictions, rather than basing it on previous election results.

Dundee East was a Marginal based on 2001, less than 500 votes ISTR between the SNP and Labour.
Now its had the boundaries changed, with more traditional SNP Areas added than traditional Labour, its going to be an interesting one.

Dundee West on the other hand, was close in 2001, and the MP is standing down (not before time) However, the addition of more traditional Labour areas should make this more of a sure thing for Labour.

Throw in the weather on voting day, and it'll make it very interesting throughout the country.

[Wul]

So hypothetically speaking then - A Labour vote in a VERY Strong (ie guaranteed) Tory Constituency means nothing to the general election then (assuming all the tories vote in that area). This to me seems pretty mad - voting by postcode basically!!

[GAJ]

Yup! First past the post.

[duncan]

The other option is Proportional Representation, which is what the Scottish Parliament has to a degree.

Its downside is that in a close vote, small extremist parties can hold the Government to ransom. i.e. Israel.
Plus it increases the chances of unstable government, and numerous elections. i.e. Italy