I have gone a bit Liberal

[silentP]

Sorry that your interest peaks- maybe 'pique' was meant?!

Older= (usually) better-off and with more to lose.

Hence not so keen on egalitarianism.

 

To be honest I was going to put 'prick' but I thought that might offend.

[Hairyloon]

Have you looked at the Yorkshire Party?

[Supertramp]

I don't really fit in with any of the parties.

 

I'm very much pro-equality, be it racial, sexual or whatever. I often get called 'libtard' or whatever when on Facebook. I disagree with fox hunting. I support being in the EU. I'm very much against Trump, his moronic bans, and the whole 'right wing' propaganda against certain religions. Probably not that conservative there.

 

I also fully support the rights of businesses and individuals to make as much money as they can. I believe in harsh punishment for offenders. I'm not a big fan of benefits, and I don't support the high taxes for high earners. That's quite Conservative.

 

It's not so much a matter of becoming less or more of anything as I get older, just more aware that none of the parties tick all the boxes of the things I support.

 

 

I'm with you. Can you start a party, I'd vote for you

[Cyclone]

I don't really fit in with any of the parties.

 

I'm very much pro-equality, be it racial, sexual or whatever. I often get called 'libtard' or whatever when on Facebook. I disagree with fox hunting. I support being in the EU. I'm very much against Trump, his moronic bans, and the whole 'right wing' propaganda against certain religions. Probably not that conservative there.

 

I also fully support the rights of businesses and individuals to make as much money as they can. I believe in harsh punishment for offenders. I'm not a big fan of benefits, and I don't support the high taxes for high earners. That's quite Conservative.

 

It's not so much a matter of becoming less or more of anything as I get older, just more aware that none of the parties tick all the boxes of the things I support.

 

You're closest to LD though.

 

We just have to update you on a few things to a more rational point of view and you'll be there completely.

 

I believe in harsh punishment for offenders

Why? What purpose do you wish to achieve? If it's just to punish then you're missing the point of the justice system and if it's anything else then your desire is at odds with what you wish to achieve.

 

Why are you against benefits. If you end up out of work would you like to lose your home and end up starving on the street? Or should that only happen to the undeserving?

[max]

I like the idea of the Lib Dems having a moral compass, one that swings in completely opposite directions according to where in the country they are standing.

 

I also think that Tory tribalism is a lot more deeply rooted than Labour's given that Tory roots go back a lot longer than Labour's, perhaps there's still a lot of forelock tugging and governor knows best in Tory heartlands.

 

As to allegiances switching as you age, probably true in my case as both my parents were staunch Tories and my views on equality are becoming more entrenched the longer I live.

[unbeliever]

I get cross with pretty much all of them, but with the exception of John McDonnell I think they're generally decent folk.

A lot of them are rubbish of course and none of them are ever entirely sure whether they should lead or follow the people, but that's kind of how it's supposed to be.

 

I don't know what liberal means. I know what it should mean, but it doesn't usually mean that.

I think of myself as progressive. The liberal democrats are progressive, but rather illiberal in the literal sense. Perhaps you mean progressive.

[Cyclone]

Generally decent folk, voting to take away £35 from their disabled constituents, fiddling their expenses and setting up £25,000 a day non-executive roles for when they 'retire'...

[unbeliever]

Generally decent folk, voting to take away £35 from their disabled constituents, fiddling their expenses and setting up £25,000 a day non-executive roles for when they 'retire'...

 

Just because they can't operate 5 uzi's at the same time.

[Mister M]

I don't really fit in with any of the parties.

 

I'm very much pro-equality, be it racial, sexual or whatever. I often get called 'libtard' or whatever when on Facebook. I disagree with fox hunting. I support being in the EU. I'm very much against Trump, his moronic bans, and the whole 'right wing' propaganda against certain religions. Probably not that conservative there.

 

I also fully support the rights of businesses and individuals to make as much money as they can. I believe in harsh punishment for offenders. I'm not a big fan of benefits, and I don't support the high taxes for high earners. That's quite Conservative.

 

It's not so much a matter of becoming less or more of anything as I get older, just more aware that none of the parties tick all the boxes of the things I support.

 

That's an interesting observation, and one that is quite common. It's worth bearing in mind that:

“The majority of the £215bn (12.5% of GDP) of benefit expenditure is paid to the retired (£87bn) but the next largest chunk goes, not to the unemployed (just £8bn) but to the employed (£76bn), says James, “via supplementary payments to boost earned income, such as tax credit and housing benefit and other allowances”.

(http://moneyweek.com/merryns-blog/why-productivity-in-the-uk-is-so-low-in-work-benefits/)

 

So if Money Week is to be believed (and I have no reason to doubt their figures), quite a lot of businesses (not the unemployed) are 'making as much money as possible' via the tax and benefit system.

I think if people stood back, it doesn't matter whether you're a liberal or socialist or Tory - if the information you get is partial and doesn't represent reality, then that surely must affect which political persuasion people view themselves as.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Mister M

[area 51]

I used to be a staunch left winger and voted Labour but i was so dissapointed with Tony Blair i started to vote for the Lib Dems a few times and then drifted away from politics altogether.I am going more right wing in my old age and i am strangely impressed with Theresa May even though i have never voted tory before.Funnily enough i have always been financially better off with the Torys in charge.I admit that in the last decade i have voted for independents and ukip.I find that none of them truly reflect what i want from a party some of labours,lib dems,conservatives and ukips policies do not sit well with me,its always a compromise.I would probably vote conservative in the next general election but i wont because its a wasted vote in sheffield,they never win.I will probaby just vote tactically instead.