People Power?

[Aggers]

I would like to see every other voter, in every polling station, spoil their ballot paper with NOTA writ large across the candidates' names, but it will never happen.

To what definition of NOTA are you referring, Frank? You've lost me.

[Suff]

None of the above

[Suff]

I am not a fan of spoiled ballot papers. It just abdicates the responsibility to someone else.

Voting MRLP is a much better action than spoiling the papers and could have "highly" amusing consequences. I'd much rather see everyone vote UKIP or BNP than spoil their papers and BNP is an absolute last resort for me but a very valid protest vote.

Note that since the rise of UKIP, BNP has gone in the toilet. Which just goes to show that there was little other viable option for a protest vote. Now a much more reasonable and focused party has taken up the "National" banner, the BNP is back in the gutter where they belong.

[Workingman]

The thing about spoiled ballot papers is that they are counted and announced.

Another thing is that we might not all get a UKIP candidate. One time we got a Donkey Rescue candidate, and noble as that cause might be it really is not a vote getter.

Imagine if a seat was "won" by the number of spoiled papers but the second placed candidate became the MP. The likes of Paul Sykes or the Goldsmiths could make a legal challenge - that would stir things up.

[medsec222]

This is one of the reasons I am voting for UKIP. I am hoping it will prove to be a party that actually listens to people's concerns. We may live in a democracy but in the majority of cases for as long as I care to remember, the opinions of the general public have just been swatted to one side. They all make promises only to break them. It is any wonder that apathy sets in?

[Kaz]

So why would UKIP be any different? They all promise the moon before they get into power

[medsec222]

Because we haven't seen UKIP in action yet Kaz. It's an unknown quantity at the moment so it is worth giving UKIP a chance. I am totally disillusioned with the other three parties.

[TheOstrich]

So why would UKIP be any different? They all promise the moon before they get into power

Quite right, Kaz, but for an increasing number of people, it's a way of registering their total dissatisfaction with the existing trio of parties, coupled with the fact that they do chime in with many people's underlying sentiments on immigration and the EU. The other three parties either support immigration and the EU (Libs) or hedge their bets (Cameron's broken promises / does anyone really know Labour's policies on these yet? ).

So, there is an element of choice which we haven't really had since Labour and Conservatives contrived to "meet up in the middle" and became images of each other. Blame Blair for that.

I know you're not a Kipper , but for medsec and I, 'tis better to be a Kipper than vote for any other party that merely produces fudges and Red Herrings!

And if Farage gets into power but turns out to be little different than the others, well, at the end of the day, nothing really lost, is there?

If no Kipper stands in my consituency, Mr Toff Plebgate's, I might indeed follow WM's advice and do a NOTA, which is not a route I've gone down before ....

BTW, in the same way, "breaking the mold" was why I switched my vote to LibDem in South Somerset to elect Paddy Pantsdown back in 1983, not that that did any good in the long term - I certainly wouldn't vote for them now as I pretty much disagree with every policy they have these days. If Ukip can build a strong grassroots organisation (especially in the East of England) in the same way that the LibDems did back then in the West Country, they could become as successful as the LibDems ever were.

[Workingman]

I think a lot of people have forgotten, or do not even know, that the LibDems were created when the old Liberals joined forces with the 'Gang of Four's' Social Democrats. That was the time I started to vote for them.

Unfortunately it seems that in the last few years they have morphed back into old Liberals again, and that is partly the reason they have lost me, that and their selling out to the Tories.

[Kaz]

Same here Frank

Nope not a 'kipper' Os, far too fishy for me!