Full disclosure: Myself and a great number of the members are strong Labour supporters, so this message and any replies may contain political bias, but I’ll try to keep it relatively factual.
In case somehow you’ve missed it, tomorrow (Thursday, 8th June 2017) is polling day.
This is one of the most important general elections of a lifetime, the government we all choose tomorrow will lead us through Brexit for better or worse, setting the tone for the negotiations. Even more importantly back at home we’re at a critical turning point in the areas of education, human rights, health and social care.
Why should I vote?
Anyone who says politics doesn’t affect them, or their vote doesn’t count, that all the parties are the same is lying to themselves or being lazy, we have perhaps the broadest choice of positions in a generation, a proper left wing Labour party, and a right wing Conservative party on the ballot paper with vastly different offerings, there is no excuse not to vote if you are eligible.
Who should I vote for?
If you aren’t quite sure yet who to vote for tomorrow, or even if you are, I implore you to ignore the newspaper rhetoric about the personalities, the mud-slinging, and vote for policies you agree with and that affect you, this website helps you compare policies you agree with without the names of the parties biasing your opinion, and often leads to surprising outcomes.
https://voteforpolicies.org.uk
It’s also worth looking at who your local MPs are as they may have personal biases or records that you are for/against, you can see the candidates here:
Income Tax
There has been a lot of talk this election about increases to tax which has led to a lot of confusion about which part will cost you more in tax, for better or worse. Generally speaking none of the parties are asking for a huge increase in tax anyway, however you can use this calculator to see how the proposed GE2017 income tax changes will affect you.
School funding calculator
There’s also been a lot of talk about how funding will affect schools in the UK, this calculator allows you to see how funding to your child’s school will be affected by different party policies.
This is especially important in London where some of the cuts would be devastating for schools.
How do I vote?
If you have registered to vote you should have received a polling card, but you don’t need to take this to the polling station, just head down to the polling station on the card, or look up your station (keep reading)…
Where do I vote?
You have to vote at the correct polling station, it’s on your card, but you can use this site and/or your council web pages:
When can I vote?
You can vote from 07:00 to 22:00. Remember as long as you are in the polling station or a queue outside you have a legal right to be able to cast your ballot, but not a second later so don’t be late, 15 hours is a big window to cast your vote.
I already know this, what can I do next?
If you are already voting, and you know what to do, you can still help out:
- Go help your local party secretary for a couple of hours make sure people get out and vote.
- Call your family and friends and get them up off the sofa and vote.
- Remind your colleagues to vote at lunch time or when they get home.
Which ever party you support voter apathy is the biggest problem.
