To consider ending a friendship over differing political beliefs?

I think the culture wars have created really deep divisions which didn’t seem as strong before. I used to rub along with people of all sorts of beliefs and now I find it impossible because the arguments are so fierce and without nuance these days so you never really debate but end up fighting. I can’t stand being torn to shreds for my ideas because it makes me want to retaliate in kind, which is essentially futile.

Politics bleeds into other things. Two of my closes friends would vote the opposite to me but regarding core values we are mostly aligned.

Someone whose political beliefs included letting refugee boats sink, agreeing with the Rwanda policy then no, I couldn’t be friends with someone like that.

I have friends I don't agree with on everything, but I would struggle with someone whose core values were offensive to me. I lost a friend over Brexit, we tried to keep it going and find common ground but it wasn't possible. He was a passionate socialist when I met him. He gradually turned into a racist, xenophobic conspiracy theorist and I was flinching every time I saw him regurgitating crap from Breitbart and Nigel Farage. I still write and ask him how he's doing every so often, but the easy companionship is gone.

It depends on what the political difference is. I'd struggle if the beliefs effectively meant dehumanising or removing rights from a group or category of people (e.g. racism/sexism/homophobia etc).
As someone else said I respect other peoples political views when they're reasoned and make sense to them, but there's no logical way to support any of the above without holding some fundamental principles that I would judge as completely unacceptable.

YABU

It’s acceptable for someone to have different political beliefs than you. They may have done different research to you, be impacted by different policies, plus it’s tricky for everyone in terms of knowing what to believe, as let’s face it, a lot of what the different parties promise is bollocks.

I actually parted ways with a close friend who was a labour voter and was utterly shocked that I was planning to vote tory (this about 7 years ago) as if I was acting like a badly-behaved child. I was able to explain my rationale, and actually debunk some of her reasonings, but I would never inflict my political views on anyone else like that. It’s also worth noting that people can also change their political views.

Tbh I have had more issues with religious differences than political differences.

I'm another for whom it depends, and it all comes down to values. Is it the political opinion you disagree with, or is the values that underpin them that you can't reconcile?

I disagree politically with loads of my friends, from
housing policy and VAT on school fees through to immigration policy (for context, I'm an immigrant); however none lf my friends have underlying value systems that disgust me.

I suppose it depends what sort of friend and what sort of views. I'm on the left, but I have friends who are conservative. But I don't think I could remain friends with anyone who would vote for the current Tory party. I couldn't be friends with a MRA, a racist or an anti Semite.

Yes I would. Anyone with any socialist or far left or even just left wing views would not make for a compatible relationship as far as I'm concerned.

Depends what it is really. And also how much they go on about it.

It depends whether you and they are dogmatic or wish to change each others minds or not. If you can respect a different point of view then it should be fine

Lots of really good points already made so I won't repeat them. Personally I think it's really healthy to have friends with different views and opinions. Agreeing to disagree is a much better way for me.
If a friend, whose opinion I would generally value has a totally different take on an issue to me I would be curious as to why. One of my best friends was pro Brexit (and did lose friends over it) but her reasons were actually sound and I couldn't disagree with them. I could still hold the view that I would prefer to vote differently without us falling out over it. We had a mature conversation with lots of listening and agreed each other had valid points. No falling out happened and then we talked about other stuff.

No two people have the exact same political beliefs. There are nuances and variations even between staunch followers of particular ideologies.
Find what you have in common rather than focussing on your differences. Unless the difference is too big for you.

For me it would depend on what those beliefs were.

it depends on the political view.... I have to be totally honest, I couldn't be real friends with someone who is a trump or brexit supporters for example... I could certainly be civil.... and have a polite discussion about our different views, and wouldn't want to socialise and spend my chill time with them...

different religions are not an issue, really enjoy having friends of different religious and cultural backgrounds mainly because of the extensive eating opportunities.... but not if they still go on about how brexit is amazing and trump is wonderful

I think it depends. 'I am voting brexit because I believe each country should be responsible for its own economy and free to make its own trade deals' or 'I vote tory because I get to keep more of my salary' I'd disagree with opinion and logic but wouldn't affect my opinion.

'I am voting brexit because foreigners are awful' or 'I vote tory because its peoples own fault they are poor and they deserve to rot' , then no I couldn't be friends with someone with those beliefs

My partner and I have completely opposite political views. Sometimes I do think whether it is possible to maintain a relationship in the long term with someone with such strong views but somehow we manage. We do have a lot of discussions, quite heated at times. But we had a very different upbringing, values and life experiences so it is to be expected. The only thing I dislike is when he makes comments about things he knows nothing about based on echo chamber content on social media. I just try to encourage him to look at historical context and do a bit of reading around the subject. I think it is healthy to disagree and I wouldn't end a friendship or relationship over this. And people do change their minds even about things you would assume were ingrained. Like one of my previously openly homophobic friends who is absolutely horrified that she ever held these views.

Depends what they are. If someone supports the Nazis/ Britain First/ ISIS, I would certainly not wish to continue friendship with them. If they voted Tory, I would disagree with them but it wouldn't prevent me from being their friend.

Me too but its their followers who are the sheep! sad times but it looks like we might escape their clutches in the next few of years! lets hope scotland is not bankrupt before that happens!

It depends on how extreme they are. I have friends who have different politics but nobody who is on an extreme.

I have cut contact with one friend, several years ago now, who married someone and took on their very extreme views. They would take over every conversation talking about how wrong homosexuality was (they felt it should be illegal), that there was no reason ever to leave a marriage if you had children as a two parent family was the only solution (the final straw for me was when they severely criticised a friend for “not putting her children first” when she left a DV situation), there should be no benefits system as there’s no such thing as being too disabled to work and if you need benefits you should have your children removed. The views spouted about immigrants and asylum seekers were unrepeatable and got more extreme as time went on. It was relentless and they just became a person I didn’t want to have anything to do with.

Honestly I think you need to consider why people have those beliefs, and if you can understand how their life experiences have taken them to their views.

Eg a woman who has had absolute heartbreak over fertility/miscarriages having a pro-life approach is much more understandable than a man who just wants to control women.

One of my friends votes Tory, she's had a pretty shit start in life and through absolute hardwork and determination she has achieved her goals. She thinks if she can do it, why can't other people and people shouldn't get handouts. She's also from a very Tory, countryside area and involved with the rural community. I don't agree with her, but I can understand her approach.

For me this reasoning is really important and I would consider this before cutting a friend off.

Very true 👏

My friends and I never discuss politics , it's a route to upset

you need to take a trip up to scotland!!! different political beliefs have broken apart families and friends alike!! me and my sis have not spoken for a few years due to politics!! I and many others hate the SNP and what they have done to scotland but her hubby loves them!

I ended one long standing friendship because she met a new bloke, went on holiday, and came back spouting openly racist views. I ended a second because she had an affair, plus there was a load of shitty behaviour related to that. It made me see both of them in a completely new light.

One of my friends cut me out of her life because I voted against Scottish Independence. Said she couldn’t be friends with what she called a Westminster sheep ! 🤷‍♀️I laughed.