“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing…”
A poll in the Guardian caught my eye this week. Readers who were changing parties were asked their reasons for doing so.
Some extracts:
Switching from Labour in 2005 to Conservative now
• The economy is going down, people have no jobs, they are unemployed and they’ve got family and children to feed
• Because I am not happy with Labour’s performance – that’s it
• Because Labour is changing the rules and laws and made a mess of everything
• Because of the Conservatives’ policies
Lib Dem in 2005 to Conservative now
• There’s an actual possibility of the Conservatives getting in
• Don’t think Liberal Democrats will get enough votes to form a government
Labour in 2005 to Lib Dem now
• Because of taxation; they dealt with the financial crises poorly
• They should get a chance. Labour has been moving to the right and I am worried about things – the lack of civil liberty, they don’t represent the poor, only the privileged
• I am disappointed with Labour government and have no faith in the Conservatives. Mr Brown is useless, not very capable. We need a change.
Interesting that whilst voters complain that political parties campaigns focus too much on the negative, their reasons for switching are often just that.
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13 Comments
If we all voted honestly, instead of playing the numbers game, we would have a better chance of honest politics.
I sincerely believe that if voters had access to more information about the LibDems in the media, we would naturally be the most popular party.
Our voting system makes people think we can’t ever get in, so they don’t bother voting for us. The media pay attention to the parties with the best chance of winning and the spiral goes on.
Lovely to see recently that the media have had to pay much more attention to the LibDems as ours is the ONLY party making sense of the economy and solutions that are solid. All credit to Nick CLegg for not being an ego based politician and allowing Vince Cable to do what he clearly does best.
Surely, if people want information about the party, they can go to the Lib Dem website.
As to the voters, I see nothing objectionable about their reasons.
Politicians can resort to negativity out of anger and desperation. That is quite different from voters wanting a better government and holding people to account rationally.
Sadly politics has been this way for as long as I can remember.
Honest politics is hard though as long as people feel they have something to hide.
I hope my suggestions are seen as constructive criticism.
As to Mr Clegg, I would suggest not absolving the Lib Dems of blame for our current situation (which is what he seemed to do in a recent conference speech).
Until you admit there is a problem, you cannot come up with solutions.
Gandhi quote “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”
I guess that many positives are also negatives and vice versa. For instance two of the quotes above
“There’s an actual possibility of the Conservatives getting in
“Don’t think Liberal Democrats will get enough votes to form a government”
Are actually the same statement phrased in different ways – one ‘negative’, one ‘positive’.
I think the thing for me is that I want to see what political vision a party is putting out there AND I want the government held to account where appropriate… I doubt I’m alone in that. So there’s a place for both.
Maybe negatives are all we’ve got?
The 3 main political parties continually ignore the bulk of the electorate. All 3 of them are broadly pro EU but the population isn’t and until our political “masters” discover democracy and offer the people a referendum it will remain the same. Labour has governed with a vote of roughly 23% of the electorate. I am desperate to get rid of them but the only way i can is to vote for my least worst option. This is pathetic.
Luckily I have an answer that will kill two birds with one stone.
Ban all donations of any sort to parties . The parties to be funded from member subscriptions only. That way in order to function the parties would need to appeal to broad areas of the people and not just party activist wonks…
As the Meerkat says…..SIMPLES
People in Scotland tend to leave the Liberal Democrats because they find them (as Martin Ford did) neither Liberal nor Democratic. Also, experience of Liberal Democrat transport ministers as enthusiastic motorway-builders often proves off-putting.
“Interesting that whilst voters complain that political parties campaigns focus too much on the negative, their reasons for switching are often just that.”
I wish I could make all my leafletters read this.
James, can you expand on that?
In what way are Lib Dems seen as not being democratic?
In Martin Ford’s case, his colleagues participated in hounding him off committees and out of the party for voting in line with party principles, the local plan and committee practice.
The party also backs a in-out referendum on Europe despite being opposed to leaving Europe, but in Scotland opposes an in-out referendum (or any kind of referendum) on leaving the UK on the basis that no party would ever have a referendum on an issue it doesn’t support.
The Scottish party also voted against GM crops, yet as agriculture minister Ross Finnie approved their planting (in Charles Kennedy’s constituency).
The list is long: that’s just a taster.
Gandhi quote “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”
Too true. Unfortunately politicians as a group have proven themselves corrupt. Although there are individuals of good character.
We are in the current situation in this country because we do not take the political process seriously. We have had democracy so long that we do not respect it.
We need a system in this country where voting is compulsory. Then so you know what you are voting for, all MP’s expenses, voting records, attendences at parliament, additional jobs should be a matter of public record. If as an MP you cannot survive in the crucible of public scrutiny then you are in the wrong job.
Saying sorry when you get caught does not cut it.
“As to Mr Clegg, I would suggest not absolving the Lib Dems of blame for our current situation”
I’m a Brit who lives in Portugal with a European girlfriend, my whole life is made possible by the EU
I was absolutely appalled by the Liberal Democrat stance on the Lisbon treaty
The LIBDEM stance was basically either
you’re opposed to the EU
or you support the EU treaty
I’m a (small l) liberal who has voted twice for the Liberal Democrats, but the arrogance on this subject has been absolutely disheartening
As liberals democracy should be the most fundamental building block of our philosophy
but Nick Clegg, for some reason, abandoned that to try to force people into accepting his stance on the Lisbon treaty by trying to make it have equivalence with EU membership its self
The beauty of the Liberal Democrat party is that its constituted from both sides of the economic spectrum
the one thing that unites us is a commitment to democracy and civil liberty
The Nick Clegg stance on the Lisbon treaty has certainly betrayed that
“We need a system in this country where voting is compulsory”
That would be the text book definition of an Illiberal democracy
hahahah
you are not free
not to vote!!!!
How about this for swing: according to ComRes, half of the people who voted Labour in 2005 will no longer vote for the party: http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2009/04/28/poll-labour-loses-half-its-2005-voters/