Thread by @jonworth

A few quick thoughts about tactical voting sites for #GeneralElection19 doing the rounds on Twitter

This is not a recommendation for either site, but
🚨 A WORD OF CAUTION 🚨

The two main sites up and running are:
tactical.vote by @votetools
getvoting.org by @BestForBritain

Let's try the sites for 2 London Remain-leaning marginals

Wimbledon (currently Tory Stephen Hammond)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimbledon…

Kensington (currently Labour @emmadentcoad)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensingto…

The @votetools site suggests Labour for both

The @BestForBritain site suggests Lib Dem for both

The outcome is due to the different methodology each site deploys - @votetools based more on the 2017 election, @BestForBritain based on polling and data from previous elections

(A small caveat here - @votetools seems to not make any use of by-election data - this is what they have for Brecon & Radnorshire. Recommendation is right, but surely a * - there was a by-election would be useful?)

Ultimately though I think there is an ethical-tactical issue here.

Emma Dent Coad *won* Kensington for Labour against the odds in 2017, defeating a pro-Brexit Tory

Stephen Hammond is *defending* Wimbledon and is a pro-Brexit Tory (albeit a pragmatic-ish one)

In Kensington do you go "OK, I better look at the numbers, ignore what Dent Coad did" or "She is a Remainer, won against the odds last time, so we back her"?

In Wimbledon it is a no brainer - look at the stats and vote Lib Dem to oust Hammond

Of course the ideal deal here would be for the Lib Dems to stand down in Kensington and for Labour to stand down in Wimbledon.

Job done.

I can dream I suppose! 😜

Anyway, the serious point here: these sorts of tactical voting sites can only take you so far.

They will no doubt improve as the General Election approaches.

But for now please approach them with utmost care!

Thread FAO Kensington residents @susiesymes1 @allyc375 who drew my attention to the (non-)views of Labour's candidate, and @quirkycase who highlighted a similar (but less marginal case) in Witney

/ends

@susiesymes1 @allyc375 @quirkycase Please folks, save *me* & *you* a bit of time and do not reply to this thread with "ah, but their methodology is better" "no their methodology is!"

The point of this thread is that there can be NO WAY to make these sites right in all cases for everyone. Whatever the methodology.

@susiesymes1 @allyc375 @quirkycase And also - because I am not a fool - I accessed both of these sites using incognito windows, and tried where possible to access their data without giving *any* of mine. The @votetools site even allows you to browse their recommendations w/o putting in even a postcode.