The TS Exit Poll

[pluk]

So it's the big day. Where has your X gone? Would also be good to know why you have voted that way, what were your key influences and manifesto points?

I don't think we collectively are an even representation of society, or maybe we are? Let's find out.

I was hoping for votes not to be public to allow for honesty without judgement but I don't think that's possible?

And yes there are other options that might be worthy, including I'm too young and it's not fair, but maximum number of responses reached...

 

[pluk]

As for my vote...

I live in what I think is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, my vote feels worthless, but I must vote against what we have now. I don't think there's any value in tactical voting here, we will remain blue unless something miraculous happens.

I don't particularly like Starmer, but I'm not passionately against him. He just feels a bit wet and I can't see him being hugely effective.

I like what the Lib Dems stand for, their manifesto as far as I've interrogated it (which admittedly isn't too heavily), and especially like what they have to say around what I know best, the criminal justice system.

I look forward to my cross having made no discernable difference.

 

[Mick]

I voted Labour, I did toy with Lib Dem but ultimately it seems the town is either going to go red or stay blue, and I want to make sure that the incumbent Tory MP gets his marching orders.

It’s more an anyone but Conservative vote rather than an endorsement of what Labour stand for, but I back them to be the adults in the room and govern competently.

 

[John C]

My vote went to Labour this time. Reason being I want a change of government and I see them as the only credible option at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 17985]

I voted Alliance, so I chose Other, for us Others in Otherland, or as you all call it, NI.

 

[pluk]

I voted Alliance, so I chose Other, for us Others in Otherland, or as you all call it, NI.

Yeah, sorry, ran out of option slots and as I think almost everyone here is on the big island you just didn't make the cut

 

[Poisson]

I live in a Labour heartland but will be voting SDP after I get back from work. None of the major parties appealed, our Yorkshire Party candidate is now independent and I can't find his manifesto so it came down to Workers Party or SDP, and I'm going for the latter.

 

[jon81uk]

I wanted to vote Lib Dem, but polling shows although Labour likely to win the Tories could hold on to our seat, so Labour is the more sensible vote so went with them. Also our new Labour candidate is our current councillor and seems like a good person when I have dealt with him.

 

[Matt N]

I’ve just been to the polling station and cast my first ever General Election vote, and it was for Labour!

I like what Labour stands for, I like some of what Starmer has come out with, I think they’ll be a good, competent government, and they’re also by far my best shot at unseating the Tories in my seat (despite the Greens also styling themselves as “the tactical vote”)!

My mum went with me. She is a self-styled “floating voter” who’s voted Tory, Labour and Lib Dem in the past depending on what appeals to her at the time, and she whispered to me that she also went for Labour. She said that she “quite likes Starmer”, and also desperately wants to get rid of our incumbent Tory MP.

I’m really interested to see the outcome in my seat. Unlike the nationwide picture, I don’t think this seat is quite as much of a safe bet for Labour; the predictions are leaning Labour, but it does seem like there’s a not insignificant chance of the incumbent Tory holding it. This is a very safe Tory seat; our incumbent MP is Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, and he got 60% of the vote in 2019. The BBC estimated that my seat may be “the safest Tory seat in the South West”, so the Labour candidate certainly has a hill to climb!

 

[Benzin]

Went Lib Dem since the day Leeds doesn't go Labour is a day the world ends.

 

[Jonathan]

Labour for me, for a few reasons.

1. I'm a party member, so feel a sense of obligation to vote for them, though I would've voted alternatively in my constituency if that were the best option of getting the Tories out.
2. Connected to point 1, Labour are the best-placed option in Congleton to take the seat from the Tories.

 

[pluk]

Zero Conservative votes so far, or is it just noone wants admit it?

 

[Matt N]

Zero Conservative votes so far, or is it just noone wants admit it?

Seeing as the poll is an anonymous vote, you wouldn’t even need to admit it, so it appears that there are no shy Tories among us!

There are 4 Reform votes as well, so right-wing views in general are clearly being expressed in the poll.

 

[BarryZola]

The thing is, I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to vote Tory at this time. All that's left personnel wise are the absolute dregs of what existed before. Anyone with any sense has either been pushed out or left the sinking ship. Even if they purported to have any decent policies going forward, no-one would even believe them now anyway as they've proven themselves to be liars and totally corrupt.

The only people I can think of who will vote for them are old school Tories who have always voted for them no matter what and will always do so until their dying day, regardless of pretty much anything. Amazingly there are still some around and you hear one pop up on the radio occasionally and the best that they can come up with is that 'they don't trust Labour' or something like that, which obviously ignores the fact that their own party in the last 4-5 years has been the government with the least integrity of any government I can ever remember. You basically just have to be delusional or stubborn.

 

[Tom]

If you genuinely fear Labour, and many people do, voting for the Conservative Party is the logical tactical choice in many seats.

 

[delta79]

Lib dems won the seat i am in last local election from torys that held it for 200 years.
The LD MP has been very good for the seat so i voted again for them.

I see no one is admitting to voting tory.

 

[pluk]

As for my vote...

I live in what I think is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, my vote feels worthless, but I must vote against what we have now. I don't think there's any value in tactical voting here, we will remain blue unless something miraculous happens.

I don't particularly like Starmer, but I'm not passionately against him. He just feels a bit wet and I can't see him being hugely effective.

I like what the Lib Dems stand for, their manifesto as far as I've interrogated it (which admittedly isn't too heavily), and especially like what they have to say around what I know best, the criminal justice system.

I look forward to my cross having made no discernable difference.

And so it came to pass, Conservatives here lost 33% of their vote but still won the seat. Even more depressingly Reform were in second. Oh well, at least nationally they're outta here.

 

[Mick]

I’ve just been to the polling station and cast my first ever General Election vote, and it was for Labour!

I like what Labour stands for, I like some of what Starmer has come out with, I think they’ll be a good, competent government, and they’re also by far my best shot at unseating the Tories in my seat (despite the Greens also styling themselves as “the tactical vote”)!

My mum went with me. She is a self-styled “floating voter” who’s voted Tory, Labour and Lib Dem in the past depending on what appeals to her at the time, and she whispered to me that she also went for Labour. She said that she “quite likes Starmer”, and also desperately wants to get rid of our incumbent Tory MP.

I’m really interested to see the outcome in my seat. Unlike the nationwide picture, I don’t think this seat is quite as much of a safe bet for Labour; the predictions are leaning Labour, but it does seem like there’s a not insignificant chance of the incumbent Tory holding it. This is a very safe Tory seat; our incumbent MP is Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, and he got 60% of the vote in 2019. The BBC estimated that my seat may be “the safest Tory seat in the South West”, so the Labour candidate certainly has a hill to climb!

I absolutely love that your votes helped make a difference, even when it looked like a pointless effort. Always vote.

 

[pluk]

Surprising that while Conservatives got no votes here, Reform, which is like an extreme version of Conservatives, got 6.

 

[NuttySquirrel]

I actually think the left-leaning of us have a lot to thank Reform and Nigel Farage for. Even if you disagree with his policies, it is healthy to have a spread of political ideologies to choose from. The left has often been split across Labour, Lib Dem and Green, diluting the potency of their votes. Now the right has the same issue.

I think this election more than any others had highlighted the weaknesses of First Past the Post. Labour got only 35% of the vote share yet won with a landslide majority. The smaller parties are starting to shout louder and won't put up with being sidelined forever.