Since someone mentioned graphs in the hustings videos, there are some useful graphs here for anyone who wants to vote tactically in May…
(My favourite graphs are still the ones from Adam, which show how many people didn’t vote!)
Oof - not sure i like this tactical voting thing (but then, I never really have been a fan!).
That website encourages you to tactically vote against a Conservatives who actually have no power locally anyway. This tactical vote would errantly give more power to the existing ruling party (Lib Dems). Don’t get me wrong i understand peoples reasons for voting against conservatives nationally in a general election, but in a local election it doesn’t make much sense when you consider there is only 1 conservative on the council. (See what he had to say here: https://hustings.eastleigh.online/hustings/fair-oak-and-horton-heath-2024-05-02/28/).
I know what you mean, I have mixed feelings about tactical voting. Fortunately it’s very simple to get rid of,— just reform the voting system! (As far as I know the Greens and Lib Dems support electoral reform and, to their credit, the local Labour party supports PR even if the national Labour party is still ignoring its members.)
I would personally prefer more independent councillors and/or a better mix of parties. Massive majorities aren’t healthy. Unfortunately tactical voting sites are blunt instruments and in this case are focused on the bigger picture:— the Conservatives have the most power of all locally because our MP is a member of the Conservative government.
For better or worse (it’s worse obviously) the local election results will influence what happens in a general election, possibly even how long we have to wait for the general election.
Steve’s hustings video did make me chuckle when he was talking about not just turning up and voting the way you’re told. Paul Holmes was similarly independently minded in his hustings, and has ended up being a government whip 