Have you ever changed political allegiance?

[Archie_tect]

Has a serving pope ever changed his religious affiliation?

No, but I have read they frequently have crises of faith which is much the same as Johnson with his pockets full of pro + anti Brexit speeches.

 

[Archie_tect]

I think it's fairer to say that I would choose not to vote Conservative rather than say who I would vote for, depending on the candidates and the purpose of the election. Recently, as the Conservative MP here is likely never to be unseated, unless he does something stupid, a vote for the recently weak Labour candidate would be wasted so I have voted for the impressive LD candidate, though my heart says vote Green their candidate wasn't really up to it and the results showed that too.

 

[Solocle]

Several times.

Backed the Lib Dems in 2005, which was the first general election I was aware of (I was 7). And again in 2010, but after their tuition fees sell out, went Labour.

Curiously I don't have any real objection to the current tuition fee model (I would object to the threshold lowering), but it was their complete abandonment of a key promise to my demographic, in pursuit of a self-serving change to the electoral system, which they then impotently lost.

Then Corbyn happened. Imagine my surprise when the first general election I could vote in, and my X went next to the Conservative candidate! And again in 2019.

Depending on how well Starmer cleans up the antisemitism issue, Labour could get my vote in 2024.

 

[Unkraut]

The trajectory of the Conservatives post 2015 and certainly post Johnson means I cannot imagine considering a Tory vote again. I may be becoming older and more grumpy but a party that felt Johnson was the right person would need a lot of rehabilitation to get my vote.

I used to vote Conservative - probably from upbringing - but even in the Major era was disillusioned with the way they were going, not least one scandal after another, and the blatant looking after the better off. They have always tended to do that, but it seemed to be their only purpose, and "the market" had become an idol on which they were prepared to sacrifice the poor. It lacked a social component. Perhaps we need a prophet to tell them to stop worshipping profit!

If I returned to Britain I could never vote for the current Conservative party. They seem to me to be living in a fantasy world. Not sure if I would vote at all, which is a complete change.

I still very reluctantly voted conservative here with my first vote in the recent election. They are not the same animal as the Tories in Britain, but three scandals where MP's - all conservative - used their office to make a fortune including from the pandemic, and the unpreparedness for the pandemic and other things caused by a failure to spend enough money (sound familiar?) on infrastructure was only overcome by wanting to keep a different coalition out. Voted liberal with the second vote for the same reason - and I likely have got what I wanted.

I tired of empty hot air conservative slogans of the it's time to release the potential of the <insert country of choice> economy.

The liberals and Greens have done well here in getting the young and first time vote. A need for renewal and change that the older parties aren't meeting.

 

[PK99]

I've never understood people having an allegiance to a particular political party. Political ideas yes, parties no. I vote for whichever party most closely matches o combination of my views and what I think is needed at the time of an election.

I have voted for all major parties and Independant in local elections for 35 years.