Politics in the UK

[Colr]

No doubt we are living in uncertain times.

I found this analysis of the 2017 election interesting in the segmentation of the vote is broken down. I think we are moving somewhere new and events will kick the process on but this is a snapshot.

- Young vote Labour - we knew that
- young people turn out less than old but that's changing (higher education debts?)
- Not much difference in the Labour/Tory split based on economic group (surprise)
- better educated people vote Labour!!
- retired folk vote Tory (baby Boomers clearly didn't get much from the summer of love)
- FT readers as likely to be Labour as Tory


https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/06/13/how-britain-voted-2017-general-election/

I think that makes pretty grim reading for the Tories. If the Labour party were any good, they'd be in Government by now.

[Smartie]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

I hadn't really noticed that there hadn't been much politics going on over the past few months (since the election really).

The peace has been beautiful. There has been the odd Brexit-based murmur in the background, but it has been fantastic to have a break from constitutional politics, parties in crisis, noise and utter b******s.

And that's from someone who is fairly interested in politics.

I think I'm going to make a concerted effort to pay less attention - in recent years it has been making me angrier and angrier and I have undoubtedly been more peaceful over these past few months.

So 2017 has seen me go from angry and engaged to disillusioned, disinterested and probably a bit happier as a result.

In case anyone is interested I am 40 in October, expecting first child in February, University educated, own my own business, mostly voted SNP throughout my life, voted Yes in 2014, voted to remain in the EU, white British ethnicity and I've lived all of my life in Scotland.

Again, apologies if this wasn't really the type of contribution you were looking for..........

[lord bunberry]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

I hadn't really noticed that there hadn't been much politics going on over the past few months (since the election really).

The peace has been beautiful. There has been the odd Brexit-based murmur in the background, but it has been fantastic to have a break from constitutional politics, parties in crisis, noise and utter b******s.

And that's from someone who is fairly interested in politics.

I think I'm going to make a concerted effort to pay less attention - in recent years it has been making me angrier and angrier and I have undoubtedly been more peaceful over these past few months.

So 2017 has seen me go from angry and engaged to disillusioned, disinterested and probably a bit happier as a result.

In case anyone is interested I am 40 in October, expecting first child in February, University educated, own my own business, mostly voted SNP throughout my life, voted Yes in 2014, voted to remain in the EU, white British ethnicity and I've lived all of my life in Scotland.

Again, apologies if this wasn't really the type of contribution you were looking for..........
For me the interest is always there, but it tends to be stronger and more involved when there's something big happening. For the most part it seems to me that politicians are caught up in petty arguments inside the Westminster or Holyrood bubble. No one really cares what they're arguing about and the media seem to make huge issues out of nothing. When it gets closer to election time I start taking more interest in what they're saying and start to get more caught up in what's happening.
I think you're right to avoid it as most of it won't have any effect on your life. I realise that's a bit selfish, but it's where I am right now.

[HappyAsHellas]

I'm close to hitting 60 years, and thinking back over my life I find it difficult to work out which government has truly been good or even different. Tax wise we essentially pay about the same no matter who is in power yet we have the same concerns we had back in the 70's as in NHS, education etc. Staggering to think that not one government has got it right. I remain a left winger, but in hope, not expectation.

[snooky]

Politics in the UK is like everywhere else - self-serving, corrupt, rotten to the core.
You get the government you deserve they say. If so, why isn't Leeann the PM?

[Hibbyradge]

I feel disenfranchised from politics just now.

Brexit makes no sense, yet we're heading down that route.

The Labour Party has let me down, particularly on the EU.

The USA president is a racist, misogynist monster.

Even Independence movement has suffered a huge setback.

And there doesn't seem to be anything I/we can do about it.

I'm finding it hard to get energised about much politically. It's too depressing.

[beensaidbefore]

The way I see it, there isn't much to separate any of the main parties. A bit like the 'old firm'. 2 cheeks of the same arse which make everyone afraid of what would happen without one or the other, when in actual fact its their petty name calling and forcing folk into taking sides, which helps to gloss over the real issues that need discussed.

There should have been a cross party hit squad tasked with getting us the best brexit deal possible, whereas we are left with a situation where name calling and mistrust is rife.

[Colr]

This guy tweets a lot. Tories seem a little rattled by him but we'll see if he gets any momentum. Unless he has a backer, he won't get far.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-davis-aide-launch-new-political-party-reverse-brexit-second-referendum-james-chapman-the-a7895411.html

[High-On-Hibs]

No doubt we are living in uncertain times.

I found this analysis of the 2017 election interesting in the segmentation of the vote is broken down. I think we are moving somewhere new and events will kick the process on but this is a snapshot.

- Young vote Labour - we knew that
- young people turn out less than old but that's changing (higher education debts?)
- Not much difference in the Labour/Tory split based on economic group (surprise)
- better educated people vote Labour!!
- retired folk vote Tory (baby Boomers clearly didn't get much from the summer of love)
- FT readers as likely to be Labour as Tory


https://yougov.co.uk/news/2017/06/13/how-britain-voted-2017-general-election/

I think that makes pretty grim reading for the Tories. If the Labour party were any good, they'd be in Government by now.

So nothing is changing then? Back to the old Labour/Tory status quo. 2 parties that say different things, but follow the exact same course of action when they're in power. :yawn:

[Pete]

Lots of people saying they're disenfranchised or saying nothing's changed but it's the total opposite for me.

Ever since I've been old enough to take an interest in politics, all the parties that I could vote for either carried the same neoliberal message or took an overpowering interest in Nationalism.

For the first time, we have a real socialist alternative on the table that isn't being shouted down by the right wing media and those with vested interests. I've never been more enthusiastic about politics right now.

[Pretty Boy]

There are a various crises on the horizon that are going to shape politics for the generations to come.

A generation increasingly priced out of property ownership, a general housing crisis and a lack of adequate amenities and facilities when new homes are thrown up, the climate, the fall out from Brexit which will be felt for decades, the state pension question and many more.

I think the generation that follows the millenials will increasingly reject the neoliberal status quo built and preserved by the baby boomers. I hope the outcome of that is for the better of the many.