One more on UK politics

[liv]

So, the election is tomorrow. I am still not one hundred percent decided, and anyway I do actually have a bit of a thing about ballot secrecy even though it's not very fashionable in the internet age. Many thanks to everyone who commented helpfully on my what's so bad about the Tories? post. I really enjoyed some intense political discussion that managed to stay friendly and intelligent and did not degenerate into name-calling.

Anyway, here's where I am: Reasons to vote Lib Dem

• I agree with many of their policies nationally.
• It would be good to break (or at least protest against) the regular pendulum swing between the two major parties, both of whom are entrenched and arrogant and not particularly inspiring.
• The absolute number of LD votes is going to be a major political issue after this election, even if that number doesn't translate to seats.
• The LibDem PPC answered my email with sensible statement about the threat of the BNP and about the party's priorities for coalition (they are working with non-racist independents locally).

Reasons against Lib Dem

• I am still very much afraid that voting for a minority party will help the BNP defeat Labour here, especially since Labour have suffered a nasty split due to incompetent meddling by the central party.
• Although they may well do well nationally I can't see Stoke going Lib Dem, realistically.
• I really really dislike their economic policy.
• I am also a bit unsure about their opposition to civil servants and the public sector.

Reasons to vote Conservative

• I still think they present the best challenge to Labour on issues that are important to me around civil liberties, the justice system and personal privacy.
• I really really don't want another Labour term of complacent perpetual majority.
• I really like the Conservative PPC; she's young, Asian, female and has a progressive background (she defected from the Lib Dems, actually), and I agree with her on almost every issue, eg anti-war and pro gay rights.
• Talking of which, she answered my email sensibly and personally with good ideas about what the work programme I am nervous about will actually involve (admittedly she lost marks for SPAG).

Reasons against Conservative

• There are too many racist and homophobic people in the party.
• I am much more pro-Europe than the Conservative party.
• I am very concerned about their policies and attitudes on disabilities.
• I think there are valid concerns about how good they will actually be on environmental issues, though their manifesto looks sensible.
• It's vastly unlikely that the Conservatives will actually win in an urban West Midlands seat.

Reasons to vote Labour

• May be the only way to stop the evil BNP from winning, at least in the local council if not in the parliamentary election.

Reasons against Labour

• I disagree with practically all their policies.
• I think they have done a terrible job of running the country for the past thirteen years.
• I am still absolutely incandescently furious about the illegal and devastating Iraq war. Even though that isn't on most people's political radar any more, people are still dying.
• I am also angry about university tuition fees and attacks on personal liberty and privacy and constitutional protections against a power grab by the PM.
• The party is rotten with the lowest level of personal, financial corruption.
• I don't want to vote for some party apparatchik with no local connections, because Labour have gambled my personal safety and that of other ethnic minority residents of Stoke by parachuting an outsider into a supposedly safe seat where there is a major BNP challenge.

I can't vote independent cos lots of the independents here are BNP or similar racists in disguise and I'm not confident enough that I can pick out he good independents from the evil ones. I am leaning towards Lib Dem, but I am going to spend one more night sleeping on it and see how I feel in the morning. Feel free to argue with me if you think it would help to sway me; I genuinely am undecided, so it could be a good use of your time.