Thursday, May 03, 2012

How will Woking vote ?

Well here's a turn up for the books, the local faithful Lib Dem "Winning here" poster site is sporting a Labour poster. The coalition has clearly been a bit too much for at least one  Woking former Lib Dem voter.


I wonder how wide spread their problem is ?

Each party has it problems in Woking this time round.

There have been warnings in the press on electoral fraud, and I hear that (all) parties have been called by the returning officer to be warned on the subject.

Labour have lost all their councillors in Woking and will be looking to claw some ground back, and perhaps even get to the balance of power position.

The Conservatives are looking to extend their recent period in overall control, and on paper should have a good chance especially given the 0% town council tax rise ( but the unhelpful Surrey (also under Conservative control) large rise completely blows this out of the water ), however that's before you factor in the disillusionment with the modernising Cameron Conservatives. Woking has strong Christian and Muslim voting constituencies and Cameron's attack on marriage is going down like a bucket of cold sick here. Apparently it looks like it will be hard to get the vote out, and even if they do can they be sure that X isn't going in the UKIP box in the privacy of the ballot booth ?

The Lib Dems have the problem of being in coalition nationally, but relying on squeezing the Labour vote as the party of the left locally. Their tactics have been to be more positive this year, trying to take credit for things that have happened, rather than the usual range of Tory phobic attacks. How will that work ? Is the vote squeeze over ? ( I know some people who think there are more Labour supporters in Woking tactically voting Lib Dem than Lib Dem supporters, so there could be a dramatic unwinding. However the record shows that where the Lib Dems have high voting support it holds up - regardless of the national picture. )

For UKIP the aim will be to carry on the steady increase in local votes, potentially altering outcomes which will at least put the other parties under pressure.

What will today bring in Woking ? About the only thing I can predict confidently now is rain !

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