Ot- May calls for election in June.

[roger_ramjet]

But regretably I think a Conservative landslide is what we will get.

As a matter of interest, did you vote in the Labour leadership election? The reason I ask is that I have observed, and eventually stuck my ample nose into, a number of discussions dominated by folk who 'want' the Conservatives out of power, see Corbyn as the biggest obstacle to that, but couldn't be arsed to do the obvious thing about it, join the Labour Party and vote him out. Anyone who espouses socialist/welfare-focussed ideals yet didn't take the golden opportunity to make their vote REALLY count (in 2015 and even more so in 2016) only have themselves to blame for possibly a generation of 'never kick a man unless he's down' government.

This doesn't give any indication how I will vote by the way, its just an observation!

I'm not sure about that Andy, but 6 of my friends / colleagues paid their pennies and joined the labour party in order to vote FOR Corbyn as leader. They are dyed in the wool Tory supporters and saw this as the best way to ensure the perpetuation of conservative rule. Who is to say that they are wrong but what a strange world we live in!

[Andy_Faber]

I'm not sure about that Andy, but 6 of my friends / colleagues paid their pennies and joined the labour party in order to vote FOR Corbyn as leader. They are dyed in the wool Tory supporters and saw this as the best way to ensure the perpetuation of conservative rule. Who is to say that they are wrong but what a strange world we live in!

They may be right and yes it is a strange world. I have only voted tactically once, and that was at a karaoke competition in Majorca maybe 15 years ago. Scene of my only ever rendition of foreigner's 'I want to know what love is' if you are interested, a song I realised just too late required a range I didn't possess.

[ramAnag]

I know i should probably take an interest, but politics bores the pants off me and I think the majority of politicians are parasites and are downright dodgy.

I agree with you completely about the politicians OTR, but like it or not, it is all going to effect you.

[ramAnag]

They may be right and yes it is a strange world. I have only voted tactically once, and that was at a karaoke competition in Majorca maybe 15 years ago. Scene of my only ever rendition of foreigner's 'I want to know what love is' if you are interested, a song I realised just too late required a range I didn't possess.

Voting tactically and joining something to deliberately put a spanner in the works are surely two quite different things. The first requires a degree of insight and intelligence...the second is just fundamentally dishonest.
'I want to know what love is'...big, big range...did your tactics work?

[macstheman]

That's the problem for us who have been around a few years OTR we've seen it all so many times and got far too many 'tee shirts'!! They say this, promise that, implore us to support them, tell us the other lot are a load of shysters then after getting their foot in the door they do the complete opposite, deny everything, and completely ignore us once we've voted!! The one saving grace is that they are all crap and that is why our democracy is so good.....they ain't clever enough to convince more than 40 odd % of the electorate to support them and then make such a balls up that they get replaced quite quickly by the other load of pillocks. This protects us from the risk of one lot overstaying their welcome and gives us something other than the weather to talk about every few years. Apart from that there's always next season to put the bore of an election behind us!! In other words the perfect democracy.....oh and it gives me chance to earn a few bob when I get on the winner!!

[roger_ramjet]

Voting tactically and joining something to deliberately put a spanner in the works are surely two quite different things. The first requires a degree of insight and intelligence...the second is just fundamentally dishonest.
'I want to know what love is'...big, big range...did your tactics work?

I am intrigued, Anag. What is dishonest about joining a political party and exercising your right to vote? You might question their motives, but dishonest?? No.

[ramAnag]

I am intrigued, Anag. What is dishonest about joining a political party and exercising your right to vote? You might question their motives, but dishonest?? No.

Surely in such circumstances motives and honesty are synonymous Rog. It is, imo, dishonest, dishonourable and completely lacking in integrity to join something with the express intention of damaging it. If your friends feel so strongly about Tory supremacy over Labour then shouldn't they be prepared to argue the case rather than acting as 'fifth columnists' and furtively 'joining' something in order to destroy it from within?

Dishonest in my book...perhaps disingenuous might be a better description.

[Andy_Faber]

Surely in such circumstances motives and honesty are synonymous Rog. It is, imo, dishonest, dishonourable and completely lacking in integrity to join something with the express intention of damaging it. If your friends feel so strongly about Tory supremacy over Labour then shouldn't they be prepared to argue the case rather than acting as 'fifth columnists' and furtively 'joining' something in order to destroy it from within?

Dishonest in my book...perhaps disingenuous might be a better description.

Rag: underhand, but I think all such tactical voting is equally so.

Rog: yes my underhand tactics did work, rather than choose a song I could sing best, I chose a song I could sing OK, knowing my rival couldn't sing the other song. I won, and karma emerged all too soon as the bar owner chose my winners song to be something I sounded like a strangled budgie on. Maybe such karma will affect some (or even better, all!) political parties this time around. Also strange that Tim Farron (a Christian) should be hounded to reveal his theological views when Theresa May (another Christian) has not.

[KingCharlieGeorge]

Surely in such circumstances motives and honesty are synonymous Rog. It is, imo, dishonest, dishonourable and completely lacking in integrity to join something with the express intention of damaging it. If your friends feel so strongly about Tory supremacy over Labour then shouldn't they be prepared to argue the case rather than acting as 'fifth columnists' and furtively 'joining' something in order to destroy it from within?

Dishonest in my book...perhaps disingenuous might be a better description.

Dishonest is absolutely correct.

Tactical voting is another matter entirely. In a first past the post system, when you live in an area likely to be won by the party you don't want to be the Government, you vote for the party most likely to beat them. Hopefully the LIbDems will take a lot of Tory seats!

[AdiSalisbury]

I'm not sure about that Andy, but 6 of my friends / colleagues paid their pennies and joined the labour party in order to vote FOR Corbyn as leader. They are dyed in the wool Tory supporters and saw this as the best way to ensure the perpetuation of conservative rule. Who is to say that they are wrong but what a strange world we live in!

Interesting Rog. My book of face feed, is full of Corbyn lovers, they all signed up to Labour to vote for him as leader, because they genuinely think he is the best thing since sliced bread. I've never witnessed such a love in for a politician, some of it makes me wonder if he played the lead in Love Actually.