View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
  2. The Staggers
23 May 2017updated 09 Sep 2021 5:16pm

Why I'm spoiling my ballot on 8 June 2017

A paid-up Conservative party member and anti-apathy campaigner is not impressed with the options on offer. 

By Matt Gillow

Theresa May has lost my vote – and no other political leader will win it over.

Mainstream British politics has deserted the liberal centre-right. Jeremy Corbyn has produced the most left-wing manifesto in the last thirty years (but at least he has a vision.) Tim Farron’s Liberal Democrats have a couple of good policies – a regulated cannabis market and a push on Freedom of Information transparency, to name a few (but please drop the Brexit nonsense.) Ukip and the Greens are barely worth mentioning – as previous pledges merge into the major parties manifestos, it is arguable that they have done their job. Theresa May, almost single-handedly, if you believe reports that her cabinet widely disapprove of her policies, has produced the most left-wing Tory manifesto, arguably ever. It reeks of Edward Heath’s collectivism. It panders to a dangerous sense of nationalism, of Orwellian big government, of protectionism and toying with markets. It ignores hard-nosed pragmatism for rhetoric – immigration brings £25bn into the British economy, legalising cannabis would break up gangs and prioritise health and safety of users.

So, where is the opposition? It seems that, with Brexit, British politicians have decided that the best way to go is backwards. Where is the radical vision for freer markets (see: Dan Hannan) and freer people? Britain should be looking forward to being a world leader in technology and innovation; preparing ourselves for the Digital Age; going out into the world. Why, when Brexit was built from classical liberal ideas of sovereignty, democracy and freedom, has Theresa May decided this is the time to leave them behind? Britons, with our love of liberty, don’t believe, as May does, that coffee is a psychoactive substance which must be exempted from her sweeping drug laws – or that the internet is so dangerous that we need constant surveillance.

I’ll tell you: there is none. It’s why, on 8 June 2017, despite being a paying member of the Conservative party and an anti-apathy campaigner, I’ll be spoiling my ballot.

Let’s be clear – going “none of the above” is never a cop out. People don’t die for the right to vote for us all to blindly tick a name we don’t believe in. It’s certainly true that the only wasted vote is one cast without conviction. In spoiling the ballot, you are making it clear that you are disillusioned – rather than not voting at all and giving politics an excuse to ignore you.

Select and enter your email address The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Matt Gillow is the founder and managing director of Talk Politics

Content from our partners
The promise of prevention
How Labour hopes to make the UK a leader in green energy
Is now the time to rethink health and care for older people? With Age UK

Select and enter your email address The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU