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ciphergothPlease vote tactically to keep the Tories out.
This is what I want to say to everyone before you vote tomorrow, but it's aimed especially at Liberal Democrat supporters in Lab/Con marginal seats. I'm not a Liberal Democrat but I would like you to do as well as possible tomorrow because there's an awful lot of your agenda I want heard - especially voting reform.
Looking at the betting odds, it's pretty clear that the only plausible outcomes are a hung parliament or a Tory majority; there's no chance of a Labour majority.
In the event of a hung parliament, the Liberal Democrats will likely wield many votes and have considerable power to advance their agenda, power they've never had before. In particular, there's every chance they'll finally be able to force through the voting reform we've all waited for for so long; voting reform that will mean that the party finally gets the voice that its popular support would warrant. What we're calling a Liberal Democrat "moment" could be a lasting Liberal Democrat revolution.
In the event of a Tory majority, even a slim one, exactly the opposite will happen. Just like George W Bush in 2000, they're singing a centrist song now, but will rule to their own agenda once they have power. They won't reform voting - their 10% seat cut is no reform and could unbalance things further.
There hasn't been a hung parliament for (ISTR) 35 years, so opportunities like this don't come often. Of course plugging hard at length is an important part of winning, but so is seizing opportunities to break barriers that you might not get another chance to break for a very long time. And that means voting Labour where they are the only candidate who can beat the Tory.
I'm talking here about the consequences of your vote. There's a temptation to choose your vote based on whether you'll enjoy telling people about it. I know not everyone feels this way, but to me one action is better than another if it brings about better consequences. I'm asking you to choose yours on the basis of what might actually happen as a result. We can do away with the ridiculous problem with our voting system that means I have to ask you this. But it means voting whatever way you need to vote tomorrow to prevent a Tory majority.
Guardian guide to tactical voting
This is what I want to say to everyone before you vote tomorrow, but it's aimed especially at Liberal Democrat supporters in Lab/Con marginal seats. I'm not a Liberal Democrat but I would like you to do as well as possible tomorrow because there's an awful lot of your agenda I want heard - especially voting reform.
Looking at the betting odds, it's pretty clear that the only plausible outcomes are a hung parliament or a Tory majority; there's no chance of a Labour majority.
In the event of a hung parliament, the Liberal Democrats will likely wield many votes and have considerable power to advance their agenda, power they've never had before. In particular, there's every chance they'll finally be able to force through the voting reform we've all waited for for so long; voting reform that will mean that the party finally gets the voice that its popular support would warrant. What we're calling a Liberal Democrat "moment" could be a lasting Liberal Democrat revolution.
In the event of a Tory majority, even a slim one, exactly the opposite will happen. Just like George W Bush in 2000, they're singing a centrist song now, but will rule to their own agenda once they have power. They won't reform voting - their 10% seat cut is no reform and could unbalance things further.
There hasn't been a hung parliament for (ISTR) 35 years, so opportunities like this don't come often. Of course plugging hard at length is an important part of winning, but so is seizing opportunities to break barriers that you might not get another chance to break for a very long time. And that means voting Labour where they are the only candidate who can beat the Tory.
I'm talking here about the consequences of your vote. There's a temptation to choose your vote based on whether you'll enjoy telling people about it. I know not everyone feels this way, but to me one action is better than another if it brings about better consequences. I'm asking you to choose yours on the basis of what might actually happen as a result. We can do away with the ridiculous problem with our voting system that means I have to ask you this. But it means voting whatever way you need to vote tomorrow to prevent a Tory majority.
Guardian guide to tactical voting
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no subject
Date: 2010-05-05 10:04 pm (UTC)ObDisclaimer: I'm a LibDem party member, though not an active one. I don't claim to know the party's position and I certainly don't speak for it.
It's important to bear in mind that the percentage of the vote that we get is going to be an important factor in making the argument for electoral reform. The scenario that, shortly after the first leaders' debate looked not beyond the realms of possibility, of us coming first in popular vote yet (almost inevitably) last in terms of Commons representation, were it to come to pass would be a powerful argument indeed for electoral reform. Coming second in popular vote is still not beyond the realms of possibility (although the last few days' polls certainly aren't with us there) and that would still be powerful, I think.
I think there's almost certainly a significant consituency of natural LibDem supporters who don't vote for us because they ‘know’ that we have no chance of winning; I get the impression the occasional ‘would you vote LibDem if you thought they had a real chance of winning?’ question in polls supports this hypothesis—and for that reason, too, I'm disinclined to regard any suggestion that our natural supporters should vote for another party to be constructive to the cause.
But OTOH I can't fault the logic that a Tory government would be the death of probably the best opportunity for electoral reform within our lifetimes. I'm not sure a Tory majority is particularly likely, but a workable Tory minority government, supported by the UUP, if they have any electoral success, or maybe the DUP? Yes, it's a danger.
Of course, I wish we had a voting system which didn't require us to make decisions like these. (Actually, I don't really like any of the voting systems that are plausibly on offer -- even traditional STV has too many flaws -- but it's an order of magnitude better than what we've got.)
-roy