u/Beautibulb_Tamer

A couple points to remember today:

1. Don't get caught out by the Independent Green Voice Party on the ballot. These guys are extreme right wing. Seems simple but its easy to see Green in the name and mark a quick X. Take your time

2. Remember that Greens will have far more chance in the regional vote, as this is AMS system. As Constituency is FPTP then it favours the most votes only. Check who your strongest constituency vote is, if it is Green, then great, you can vote green on both ballots. If you are set on keeping out reform and the strongest runner is another party that you can somewhat get behind, then feel free to vote for them

As an example, Greens aren't running for constituency in my area, but they are regionally. SNP are the top party followed by Reform in my constituency race. So I voted tactically SNP/green to keep reform out of the FPTP and green for regional representation where they have a chance of gaining seats

Hope this helps even 1 person today.

As the title says, i'm in South West Scotland and mostly aligned with green, becoming a member last month too, which i've never done before with any party.

I want greens to do well, but more than that, I want Reform to stay out of any chance of the running. It looks like SNP are still the main contender in my constituency. So I am considering SNP constituency vote as its FPTP to block reform and Green for my regional vote. Its a more defensive tactic than simply Green/Green which I would prefer in an ideal world.

Is anyone else considering this? Or am I blaspheming in this sub?

I want to preface this by saying that I will be voting greens for the first time ever after a long history of being left of centre. I'm based in Scotland where Labour were the party of the left until the 2010s and then the SNP picked up the left votes as Labour continued their descent to the right.

After seeing Reform in the poll predictions it looks like we'll be firmly 2nd place at best in much of the locals. I find this disheartening. Not only because of us finishing behind them, but the fact that so many hateful and uneducated people seem to live among us. I even seen a recent Reform post circulated that threatened detention centers in Green constituencies and if feels like we arrived at an alternate reality. How on earth anyone with a sensible and rational mind can look at the USA right now and think "lets have some of that" is beyond me.

My worry is that Reform will take this local election. It will embolden the bigots, scare the undecideds or newly comverted back to Labour who will be predatorily feeding on fears that they are the only true tactical vote. My fear is that it will ultimately result in a Reform government or Labour/conservative which despite being better than reform, feels like the same loss, just a slower death to our future.

I should also say that despite all of my fears, I follow my moral code. Once it was labour, now it's Green. I will continue to support and vote green, but it does feel like a rigged game and on some days, a lost cause.

I'm trying to stay off the internet as it isn't helping, but it's difficult to see it panning out any other way. We see it time and again in politics and in other countries too. They control the media and so the narrative, the institutions prey on the fears to control both sides. I am just wondering, has anyone else been feeling the same? Do you see it differently? How are you coping/dealing with things?

I would also raise as a final point that in Hungary, they got rid of their would be dictator after 16 years in power, despite his propaganda news stations in full swing, despite everything. What pisses me off is that the most easily led among us will suffer the hardest. So it really sucks that we may all need to suffer for some people to learn a lesson the hard way for years or a generation when the rest of us can see the cliff ahead. It makes me so angry