[Politics] May 2021 local elections and Hartlepool by-election

[BBassic]

I've forgotten to register to vote having moved house recently. Which is shit of me.

Which party is promising to spend money on health and social care rather than more police? Because I'll vote for them. Next time.

 

[Blue3]

Always vote never miss the opertunity, this time four separate ballot papers one was one vote first past the post the next two you could vote for several candidates and the fourth was the transferable vote system, our electrol system is a bit of a mess

 

[Sorrel]

We had three votes where I was:
* PCC
* West Sussex Council
* Referendum on the local plan

Which I think is the most number of things I've had the chance to vote on at once. The polling station was moderately busy at lunchtime.

 

[Since1982]

Voted today in an attempt to kick the Tories out of Burgess Hill given the monumental shambles they have made of the town centre redevelopment including opposing the Town Councils attempts to replace the arts venue given away to developers and subsequently demolished.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

I see your point but by participating in the process, even if it is only to spoil my ballot paper, I'm implicitly supporting that the process is a valid one.

For those that either are not interested fair enough or to those i can't be bothered to make the effort,then ask for a postal vote it's free. I am not asking you to vote for anyone party or anyone more like respect those who paid the ultimate price so you can vote.

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

We had three votes where I was:
* PCC
* West Sussex Council
* Referendum on the local plan

Which I think is the most number of things I've had the chance to vote on at once. The polling station was moderately busy at lunchtime.

Same!!

Where abouts are you?!

 

[portlock seagull]

Just binned my postal vote. Never got round to doing and simply haven’t time to tonight. Plus I’m completely down on life and have no faith in humanity never mind politicians and their pledges to ‘make a difference’. If I can have one last decent holiday and a few weeks care free of stress before I go then that would honestly do me.

 

[Eeyore]

PCC Election. Waste of time and money. I still vote though. This time I write in large letters across the ballot paper 'Jackie Weaver'.

 

[Sorrel]

Same!!

Where abouts are you?!

Billingshurst...

 

[lawros left foot]

I had no idea who to vote for today, up to the point I wasn’t going to for the first time ever. Then a Labour local council candidate knocked on my door and asked me if I’d voted.
I explained that, with Labours treatment of Corbyn and his supporters, and being left of centre ( of the Labour Party) I didn’t feel I could honestly lend my vote to anyone, I wasn’t going to bother. She said she knew how I felt, she felt the same, but it would be her I was voting for, the Torys had targeted my constituency as they didn’t like her stirring up trouble for them, and they wanted her out.
This election I have, for the first time ever, had a Tory knock on my door, and about 10 Tory pamphlets through the letterbox, so anecdotally, I think she may have been telling the truth.
I did end up going and voting for her, I hope she gets in.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Just binned my postal vote. Never got round to doing and simply haven’t time to tonight. Plus I’m completely down on life and have no faith in humanity never mind politicians and their pledges to ‘make a difference’. If I can have one last decent holiday and a few weeks care free of stress before I go then that would honestly do me.

Is it anything in particular that’s getting you down or life in general? It’s easy to let negative thoughts take over but please try and find something to look forward to.
Is there anyone you can talk to?

 

[GT49er]

PCC Election. Waste of time and money. I still vote though. This time I write in large letters across the ballot paper 'Jackie Weaver'.

Totally agree - on my ballot paper I wrote, 'Don't want one or need one.'

 

[Leekbrookgull]

I had no idea who to vote for today, up to the point I wasn’t going to for the first time ever. Then a Labour local council candidate knocked on my door and asked me if I’d voted.
I explained that, with Labours treatment of Corbyn and his supporters, and being left of centre ( of the Labour Party) I didn’t feel I could honestly lend my vote to anyone, I wasn’t going to bother. She said she knew how I felt, she felt the same, but it would be her I was voting for, the Torys had targeted my constituency as they didn’t like her stirring up trouble for them, and they wanted her out.
This election I have, for the first time ever, had a Tory knock on my door, and about 10 Tory pamphlets through the letterbox, so anecdotally, I think she may have been telling the truth.
I did end up going and voting for her, I hope she gets in.

Let us know. Please.

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

Voted. In my mind, you can't moan about stuff if you don't.

 

[Machiavelli]

Only got Police Commissioner in our ward today, so I'll have to trek all the way down there in order to write 'This is ridiculous waste of money' over my ballot form and then trek all the way back

I may moan, but I appreciate what people have done to give me the right to do that

I wrote: 'This is an affront to the demos' on mine.
I'll be interested in seeing how turnout is recorded for the PCC

 

[zefarelly]

Just binned my postal vote. Never got round to doing and simply haven’t time to tonight. Plus I’m completely down on life and have no faith in humanity never mind politicians and their pledges to ‘make a difference’. If I can have one last decent holiday and a few weeks care free of stress before I go then that would honestly do me.

I've not been far off your thinking at several points this last few weeks/months . . . . The strange thing is, I went to vote and bumped into neighbours and (not close) friends, both ways, little things perked me up. I doubt my situation in recent years is anything like yours, but this year particularly has been hardest so far, I've struggled. An improvement in the weather would be something!

FWLIW I think a holiday is a quick fix with a comedown, like a drug. Life and lifestyle is far more important, Hopefully you find something positive soon.

I did vote, and bizarrely 3 times, ticking 4 boxes, including 3 parties. Proud to say no blue anywhere.

 

[Questions]

Labour deserve everything they're about to get. Between 10 - 17% behind the Tories in the polls. They betrayed the British public over Brexit and have abandoned their traditional working class voters with their woke, anti British policies. Starmer is as useless as his predecessor. We need an opposition Party but Labour are not up to the job. They are unelectable. Hartlepool will go blue & the Tories will win more council seats. Locally we have council elections in Patcham & Hollingbury. The current council is not fit & proper - I hope residents here will make the right choices.

You talk some sh..it at times

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

With the by election in Hartlepool, I've just been explaining the story behind their nickname the monkey hangers to one of my daughters who was asking about what was going on.

Did it actually happen?
Was it really a monkey?
Was it a "powder monkey"

Who knows?

Great story for the people of Hartlepool - makes me smile and remember days of our battles in the lower leagues.

 

[Bodian]

Voted for the chap down the road who I bump into nearly every day when out for a stroll. Great bloke, great ideas. That's what local elections are about. Never spoilt a ballot before, but wrote something like 'waste of time, pointless job' on the PCC paper.

Conversely, father-in-law only went specifically to vote for PCC. But then he's a mason, so they're probably mates, and all looking after each other.....

 

[jackalbion]

I had no idea who to vote for today, up to the point I wasn’t going to for the first time ever. Then a Labour local council candidate knocked on my door and asked me if I’d voted.
I explained that, with Labours treatment of Corbyn and his supporters, and being left of centre ( of the Labour Party) I didn’t feel I could honestly lend my vote to anyone, I wasn’t going to bother. She said she knew how I felt, she felt the same, but it would be her I was voting for, the Torys had targeted my constituency as they didn’t like her stirring up trouble for them, and they wanted her out.
This election I have, for the first time ever, had a Tory knock on my door, and about 10 Tory pamphlets through the letterbox, so anecdotally, I think she may have been telling the truth.
I did end up going and voting for her, I hope she gets in.

This is exactly how I feel, there are good people in the party, but I feel far too many these days, just see politics as a game of which faction wins. I don’t care if it’s Corbyn or whoever, what I want, and this is from the depth of my heart, is for people’s lives to improve. At university in Huddersfield I volunteered in food banks and I saw the desperate situation many are in. Starmer’s Labour won’t improve that, they won’t change anything, it’s sad, there’s just no one for these people.