like turkeys voting for Christmas

• like turkeys voting for an early Christmas

Because turkey is a food commonly eaten at Christmas, turkeys voting for (an early) Christmas would be hastening their own death. First recorded in 1977 by British Liberal politician David Penhaligon.[1]

like turkeys voting for Christmas

1. (simile, Britain, humorous, of an action) Self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the person performing the action.
   • 1998, Philip Allmendinger, Huw Thomas, Urban Planning and the British New Right, page 247,

     Many of the responses to proposals, particularly regarding deregulation, were unsupported: it would have been like turkeys voting for Christmas in some respects.

   • 2001, Trevor Kitching, Purchasing Scams and How to Avoid Them, page 90,

     Bear in mind, however, that for some purchasing people, deciding to use an agent is a little like turkeys voting for Christmas.

   • 2002, Frances Gardiner, Mary O′Dowd, The Women′s Movement and Women Politicians in the Republic of Ireland, 1980-2000: Introduction, Seamus Deane, Andrew Carpenter, Jonathan Williams (editors), The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, Volume 5: Irish Women′s Writing and Traditions, page 233,

     The anti-divorce rallying cry of Fine Gael′s Alice Glenn, ‘Women voting for divorce is like turkeys voting for Christmas’, captured the sense of fear felt by many at the economic consequences of divorce for women.