First in an occasional series - time-limited by necessity - of matters to consider whilst deciding how to vote in the UK General Election expected in December 2019.
Voting is not compulsory in the Uk. This means that you have every right to sit on your hands and not express a preference.
But why would you? Surely you must have a preference, or a basket of preferences, priorities and demands.
You're not actually doing anybody any favours by voting for them, even though the winning candidates may well benefit from personal growth and realise ambitions from being elected.
Your vote is yours to exercise as you see fit, you owe nothing to nobody. Don't feel like you're betraying your parents, or don't feel duty bound to suffragettes and others who fought for Universal Suffrage. But do remember that Universal Suffrage is something we take for granted.
Yet it's only existed for 91 years. Until 1928, women had to be over 30, and be property owners in order to qualify as voters. The property qualification for men over 21 was abolished in 1919.
You do have the choice to abstain from voting, but if you do so on the basis that no candidate or party is good enough for me, your decision isn't any different in outcome from people who couldn't be bothered or had died since registering. Some people abstain because of unplanned illnesses or work commitments make it impossible, or because they are registered at more than one address (eg students) but may only vote once. Statistically, no difference is made.
