What Is Your Vote Worth In Bristol South?
By Hannah2009 | Thursday, April 22, 2010, 14:23
The political spotlight is trained firmly on Bristol today as ‘round two’ of the televised leaders' debate will take place just over the river from us in Bedminster this evening. But as the leaders prepare to try to win our votes, the efforts of Nick Clegg and David Cameron are likely to be wasted on the people of the greater Bedminster area, who live in the Bristol South constituency.
Nick Clegg’s performance at the first debate has turned this election into a three-horse race. The BBC’s Nick Robinson has said that last week’s debate had produced the biggest shift in opinion ever recorded by pollsters during an election – the question is, will that make any difference here?
While I always knew that if I were to vote for any candidate other than Labour’s Dawn Primarolo, I might as well post my ballot paper in the drain outside the polling station as in the ballot box inside, I thought – perhaps naively – that my vote was worth at least one vote: ‘one person, one vote’.
Apparently not, or so the New Economics Foundation says.
The Foundation, which campaigns against the ‘first past the post system’, says the only voters with any real power to choose the government are those living in marginal constituencies. In some ultra safe constituencies the value of each individual’s vote falls to almost zero.
According to its Voter Power Index, living in ultra safe Bristol South means that my vote is worth the equivalent of just a measly 0.063. The average UK voter has four times more voting power than I do.
Whichever candidate I do decide to support, thinking my vote will make such little difference to the outcome here isn’t much of incentive to go along to the polling station on May 6!
Comments
You are right Mrs_W209, and if you don't vote you do not have the right to complain.
By Susie710 at 20:47 on 28/04/10
ReportI'm going to vote anyway. I suppose you never know what might happen!
By Mrs_W2009 at 11:52 on 28/04/10
ReportI can understand how people feel when they live in areas where their vote seems to be of little value and they feel their concerns go unheard. Going by gut instict is often the best we can do. For me I look at the history of the parties and how they have performed, for some people of course it is tribal.
Brown and his party have brought us to this past over thirteen years, we have had stealth taxes and pension robbery etc. Why then should I trust him to get us out of this mess especially as there is little else to rob. We also have a local MP that we hardly see hide or hair of, untiil she wants our votes, not a good advert.
Clegg's history is as a Lobbyist , we all know they have the gift of the gab, especially at trying to sale us something. Euro MP for five years, Home Affairs spokesperson for a year before becoming party leader. Not a lot of experience there.
Cameron has worked for various members of the Party, sometime in finance and has also been leader of the Oppostion for five years changing the party along the way, so he does have some experience. The Conservatives in the past have not been afraid to take on the problems of this country and make some very difficult decisions that are not popular. That is what gives me confidence that they will be prepared to make decisions that are good for the Country however unpopular
By Susie710 at 21:33 on 23/04/10
ReportYou have a point. Ideally it should be about the policies but the problem is if people don't trust their politicians to keep election promises then all you have to go on is gut instinct, who do I like the most?
By Oakwood11 at 12:24 on 23/04/10
ReportWhy does everybody have to like their politicians? I just want them to balance the books for England, not take anymore tax from hardworking people for previous mistakes and let me and my neighbours take care of society by being repsonsible pepole. I don't want to know or like my MP. I want him do a job and be the best qualified to do it. Nice Guy Clegg doesn't wash with me, he's false. Gordon Brown is a 'robbing so in so' who I don't want holding the purse strings for even a minute longer so my choice is David Cameron just based on the fact he is qualified and capable of being Prime Minster and I then can get on with being me!
By tardisineu at 09:06 on 23/04/10
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