General Chat

I've been interested in politics since I was a teenager ....................... Mum and Dad would talk about politicians and politics, but never disclosed how they voted.

I do remember them from being under the age of 10 .............. walking up the street, arm in arm, to go and vote ................... that was one's duty and responsibility


I've exercised my right to vote since reaching the age of 21, in England and Canada, which are the 2 countries where we have had the legal right to vote.

We've also lived for extended periods, ie for 9 - 12 months, in the US, Australia and New Zealand, and all 3 countries have had elections while we have been there .........................

............ both OH and I have attempted to understand the political system, and where the parties lie on the spectrum from right to left.


I think we both found the US the most difficult to understand!

I suppose I was quite lucky.
Dad's stepfather was Tory agent in the New Forest. Mum's mum was treasurer of the Chapel (Southampton) Labour Party.
Dad was a socialist, mum, conservative.
My parents didn't discuss politics, but we children weren't discouraged. Sunday lunchtime discussions got quite heated, but each was allowed their say, and no-one was 'wrong'. I remember being quite embarrassed when the Pill came about - I was the youngest - and various views flew across the table.

This continued within our families when we siblings married and had children, so I would say our children are very politically aware - and our grandchildren are now joining in!

My eldest's first 'proper' word (after mama, dada etc) was 'Order, Order' - in a Welsh accent! 'Yesterday in Parliament' was on whilst she was eating breakfast, and Lord Tonypandy was the speaker.

Family holidays are great fun, but scary for outsiders. We all sing from the same hymn sheet, but will disagree over small things, and discuss the faults of the opposition at great length - and quite loudly. Ex boyfriends have been terrified - believing we will come to blows - we never have - the pen is mightier than the sword

:-D :-D

Many years ago I watched a couple being interviewed on television and was asked who they would be voting for ........ their answer was the Conservatives .... when asked by the interviewer their reasons ... their answer was' because we are home owners now' :-S

The mind boggles ..... :-|

True wealth is being of good character. And a good character is an immeasurable wealth.

As soon as I find a political candidate of good character without speeding points, I will be delighted to vote him/her.

I was quite lucky with my "political" education. Our enlightened MP at that time formed a provisional Youth Parliament and 6th formers were invited to meetings explaining what politics was about.

This was just before the voting age was lowered to 18 and was designed to interest young people in politics and the parliamentary system. Members of all leading parties were invited to talk to us about their beliefs and the history of their parties.

Those of us who were interested were taken to The Houses of Parliament to see a debate and for tea on the terrace. MPs from all parties were around and greeted us and sat and chatted to us.

Thus began a lifelong interest in politics.

Sadly, I feel a lot of people are not very well educated about the parties or what they stand for.

Or vote the same way their parents used to.

Sadly, politically, they are no better educated.

Many are happy to vote as the papers tell them to.

I used to be quite active in local and national politics, that was when I was a bit younger, these days I still follow most of the important political issues quite closely.

To try and understand what our politicians are actually up to, you have to decipher all the spin, take a peek behind the mirrors that are obscured with different coloured smoke, and keep an eye on the direction the kites are flying as the direction changes depending on what political news item is the issue of the day.

One thing that often emerges once you manage to do that, is that many politicians must think, that the majority of ordinary working class people in this country who are eligible to vote, are no more educated than they were in the days when working class people could not read and used a "X" to sign their name.

I didn't follow politics at school.Don't think anyone did much back then except for the history lessons and i scooted out of school as soon as I could .

So my interest in politics comes solely from having the sort of family who were interested in pretty much everything ....including history, and how politics affects so much more than the rate of taxes. ( eg political history in Ireland, issues re land and respect for other nationalities, the legacy of WW2 etc).

I watch, i read...but most of all i think, 'what does this politician mean by....? ....and if i don't know I try and find out from 'independent sources' ( I admit a lot of the economics on a grand scale I don't quite grasp, but i do know how many beans make 5 lol).

Dan has not studied politics except to hear me rant at the telly from time to time, but he does follow the news etc and he does have a good grasp of commerce, so has perhaps due to his age slightly more interest than me in the economic side of politics...andhe knows the views of the various parties ( and mine lol) .

My interest these days is more along the lines of what is 'compassionate'. I freely admit to be swayed FOR a party by their anti hunting stance ( compassion for animals is a given to me for having compassion to people) , in the same way however good their other policies might be I can't vote for a party that thinks chopping down forests and culling badgers is OK.

There are various threads on here about political matters but it does occur to me that, while we do have democracy in this country, we are not equipped to use it properly.

My OH spends more time watching the political section of the news on television than I do and he reads the political sections of newspapers. He knows who he ministers of things are.

The other day I mentioned that something sounded a bit right wing and he confessed that he didn't really know what that meant so I had to explain.

Everybody over eighteen, unless they are mad, has the right to vote but unless things have been rectified a little, only those who take a particular path at the level of further or higher education have any idea what the political parties represent.

Isn't this a bit of a con?