Following my recent post on reading the news with a critical eye, I've been doing some research and wanted to share what I hope will be some useful info in the run up to June 8th.
Again, I'm not here to tell you who I think you ought to vote for - this is just a collection of links to information that may help you make an informed decision about your own, very important vote.
Want to check your current MP's voting record, or that of any other sitting Member of Parliament?
Visit www.theyworkforyou.com
You can search by name, or you can enter your postcode if you don't know the name of your MP.
The site also provides transcripts of recent House of Commons debates from Hansard, the official report of proceedings in Parliament, and written answers to parliamentary questions, and details of the committee discussions taking place about proposed legislation.
General Election 2017 Manifestos
Links to the various parties' manifestos for this election are provided below in alphabetical order. Please note that they vary in format; you may need to click into different pages to read all the sections, or download a or several PDFs in order to view the full content and not just a summary. Not all parties will be fielding a candidate in every constituency.
Vote for Policies
An easy way to find out where you really stand based on party policies without the potential bias of knowing whose policies are whose:
The quiz takes just under half an hour if you want to cover all sections of policy, or you can pick and choose those sections which are more important to you. Either way, it gives you the opportunity to see the range of your own views.
Hustings
Hustings, meetings where the local candidates address potential voters and often answer questions from the public, are usually held in the run up to an election. Questions often have to be submitted in writing in advance so that the candidates can prepare their responses, although some may allow questions on the day.
I couldn't find a central, comprehensive record of all hustings as they are by nature locally organised, so you may be best searching local news or trusty Google to find yours. Be aware that as this election is relatively short notice, some may have already taken place.
Do you have links or other information you think I should add? Please message me and I'll be happy to update this post!
Post updated 30th May 2017 to include manifesto link for UKIP