[Politics] How have you political views changed during your life?

[pastafarian]

As I said, no Libertarian believes there would ever be a Libertarian utopia created.

True, yet some find this difficult to understand and try to conflate and regulate libertarian thinking with mainstream politics and put it in a box with labels

There's little to fear in a true Libertarians ideology because they won't want to bring in laws or policies that impinge on your freedoms or your choice of how to wish your life.

Some people hate people having freedom, especially freedoms of speech.....see SJW and university campuses

 

[ManOfSussex]

I was solidly Tory until the financial crash on 2008. Since then it's been a steady drift to the left encompassing votes for the LibDems, Labour and Greens depending on the election and candidates available. Odd to have a political conversion occur squarely in middle age.

I was very much 'left' in my teens and then drifted to the 'centre right' in my 20s. It was working in financial services through 2007-2009 though and seeing the madness of it first hand is partly what led to my conversion back to 'centre left'/'left' now as well.

 

[pastafarian]

I was very much 'left' in my teens and then drifted to the 'centre right' in my 20s. It was working in financial services through 2007-2009 though and seeing the madness of it first hand is partly what led to my conversion back to 'centre left'/'left' now as well.

You are a self confessed "class warrior" and you consider yourself centre left ?

im tagging in [MENTION=33253]JC Footy Genius[/MENTION] just for the bantz, he will love this

 

[ManOfSussex]

You are a self confessed "class warrior" and you consider yourself centre left ?

im tagging in [MENTION=33253]JC Footy Genius[/MENTION] just for the bantz, he will love this

Overall my political views cover the centre left/left ground.

In regards to the 'class warrior' thing - it's more a general rule of thumb that I don't like public school numpties as they're idiots - Thank you for replying to my post and proving my point.

 

[colinz]

Just taken this test. I sit on the Left with Gandhi but slightly more Libertarian.

https://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2?ec=-6.63&soc=-5.38

 

[Weststander]

The politicians from Corbyn to Cable to May and those underneath do have a social conscience, we can disagree on the formula for getting there but i believe they are all genuine in their wish to make thinks better,unfortunately we have been framed by the media to pick up on every single mistake and make widespread judgements on personality.

Its a shame when all the voter wants is honesty, action and results no matter who is charge

Grea post.

The vast majority of national level policians, both individually for their constituents and for their parties, want to make society a better place. The major divergence in views being the economic mix of private : public sector and level of taxation to get there.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I am slightly left of centre, and have voted Labour, Tory and LibDem at different elections over the last 50 years.
I tend to vote according to the candidate and policies of their party at the time. Sometimes because they are the least of three evils.
I will never waste my vote, although I did once write across a paper for a local council election, None of the above are fit to serve. I knew each of the 3 candidates personally.

 

[Baldseagull]

Blair's labour was more right than the Lib/Con coalition. I think I have moved to the left a little but not as far as the two main parties have shifted along the scale in my lifetime.

 

[Weststander]

I am slightly left of centre, and have voted Labour, Tory and LibDem at different elections over the last 50 years.
I tend to vote according to the candidate and policies of their party at the time. Sometimes because they are the least of three evils.
I will never waste my vote, although I did once write across a paper for a local council election, None of the above are fit to serve. I knew each of the 3 candidates personally.

The same here. I've voted across the parties, including Green. I weigh up the candidates specific views, the national need at the time and the chances of them getting elected.

I've no time for the cerebrally challenged hatful "I always vote Labour, cos the Tories are scum", or likewise the other extreme. Those people won't take the blinkers off to really have a look at individual candidates, their views and to really think about different economic models, etc.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think you’d probably find that your views are in line with those of both the centre-left and center-right.
Taxation on the rich should never be extreme (the problem is they use loopholes to avoid paying what they should). And welfare should be seen as a way to support and not a lifestyle choice (which some do choose and I accept others are unfortunate to get trapped).

I think the vast majority all aspire to the same, but maybe it’s the indoctination to a certain view which poisons a healthy debate. The views like “Tories are racist scum” or “Labour are scrounges” which in reality is wrong on both sides.

Yep. I think where I stay on the left side of centre is in how tax revenues are spent. I want them on public services, a lot more into the NHS, a lot less on the military or unnecessary incentives for business

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I voted Tory in the first election I was able to vote in but over the years I have turned into a socialist democrat and Internationalist; currently the Labour Party are the party closest to my political beliefs.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Things taxes should never be spent on. Interventionist Wars and the Arts.

 

[Superphil]

As a kid I was going to change the world and was most definitely on the left. As I realised I wasn’t going to be as impactful as I thought I would be I got my head down and worked hard, enjoyed the fruits of my efforts and voted Tory after the end of Thatcher (I never voted for Thatchers government). Then along came Tony Blair, and I just didn’t like him from from the start, so continued to vote against Labour, by the time Gordon Brown came along and the alternative was David Cameron I switched to Lib Dems, But after that debacle of a coalition I went full circle and now vote Labour. It’s a bit of a wasted vote out here in a nailed on Conservative stronghold but I could never vote for them again.

Whatever people think, if we want real change, the only way that will happen is when We vote for a different way. Tories aren’t that, Blairites weren’t that, Corbyn might just be what we need to make meaniful and effective change from the sewer that is the Westminster status quo. I know I’ll be worse off under him, but many, many more people will be better off, and that’s what I want to see.

Change, try it, you might like it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As a kid I was going to change the world and was most definitely on the left. As I realised I wasn’t going to be as impactful as I thought I would be I got my head down and worked hard, enjoyed the fruits of my efforts and voted Tory after the end of Thatcher (I never voted for Thatchers government). Then along came Tony Blair, and I just didn’t like him from from the start, so continued to vote against Labour, by the time Gordon Brown came along and the alternative was David Cameron I switched to Lib Dems, But after that debacle of a coalition I went full circle and now vote Labour. It’s a bit of a wasted vote out here in a nailed on Conservative stronghold but I could never vote for them again.

Whatever people think, if we want real change, the only way that will happen is when We vote for a different way. Tories aren’t that, Blairites weren’t that, Corbyn might just be what we need to make meaniful and effective change from the sewer that is the Westminster status quo. I know I’ll be worse off under him, but many, many more people will be better off, and that’s what I want to see.

Change, try it, you might like it.

I think it depends what you mean by worse off. I’m financially much worse off here due to higher taxation but feel I am much better off in other areas; on balance I prefer this.

 

[Jackthelad]

I've always been a mx between left wing Corbyn style Labour (so old school socialism) mixed with UKIP because I agree with their views against mass immigration/free movement of people and their anti-EU stance, so I find hard to find a party to vote for! I've voted for Lib Dems in the past (mainly for tactical reasons) to get the Tories out, but will never vote Lib Dem now ever. I voted Ukip awhile back and Labour last time out as I liked their manifesto. I guess a lot of working class voters are the same boat as me as far as politics goes if they happen to be anti-Tory there no real party to vote for as UKIP are a mess and Labour is still riddled with neo-liberal snakes.

 

[Superphil]

I think it depends what you mean by worse off. I’m financially much worse off here due to higher taxation but feel I am much better off in other areas; on balance I prefer this.

That’s pretty much exactly what I meant, you worded it better.

 

[alfredmizen]

I was solidly Tory until the financial crash on 2008. Since then it's been a steady drift to the left encompassing votes for the LibDems, Labour and Greens depending on the election and candidates available. Odd to have a political conversion occur squarely in middle age.

what did the tories have to do with the crash in 2008?

 

[jimhigham]

what did the tories have to do with the crash in 2008?

Nothing at all, as they weren't in government. However, as my later comment added, my drift to the left wasn't rooted in party politics. It's been more an awareness of issues around inequality. Now, ten years later, I've no faith that the Tories are the party to address the increasing disparity between those at the top and the most vulnerable in our society.

Politics. It's nothing if not personal.

 

[ManOfSussex]

I voted Tory in the first election I was able to vote in but over the years I have turned into a socialist democrat and Internationalist; currently the Labour Party are the party closest to my political beliefs.

If I recall correctly, I'm more-or-less 10 years younger than you, so 1997 was the first time I voted in anything. I first voted Tory though in the 2001 General Election in Bexhill & Battle, as UKIP and this guy called Farage, was standing and claimed he actually could win, as well as repeatedly saying, backed by the outgoing Tory MP of Charles Wardle among others, that the new Tory candidate of Greg Barker was a 'highly inappropriate' choice, without elaborating as to why. It was in 2006 that Greg Barker came out as being gay and left his wife for a male Irish interior designer. It ultimately didn't bother me one way or the other, but it's genuinely the one time I'm really pleased I voted Tory though.

 

[Baldseagull]

There are some good politicians in all the parties. Unfortunately there are far more crap ones in all the parties. In general there are fewer extremists in the liberals than the other two, I think a fair few Tories and Labour guys would stand as liberals if they thought they had an equal chance of getting elected. This is one of the problems of our system, no point standing as a liberal in many places, no point standing as a conservative, or labour in others.