shocked my best friend voted Reform

@calimali you said: "But being liberal does not mean that it I think it's ok to support a party that has openly racist policies."

Which of Reform's policies are openly racist?

My oldest friends watch GB news and think it's impartial.

I am finding this with my dad. He honestly doesn’t see how it is warping his version of reality. He thinks the BBC is “woke” and lying to us.

I’m not a UK national and I can understand why people might have decided to vote reform, so I think it’s stupid to dismiss someone immediately. The worst thing we can do is to alienate people because they have different opinions and fears. This is the very thing that breeds division and extremism.

I am a left wing liberal. I could not be friends with someone who votes for Reform.

This is not a contradiction. I believe that people have the right to an opinion and I know that will not always be the same as mine. But being liberal does not mean that it I think it's ok to support a party that has openly racist policies.

Being liberal does not mean any or all behaviour or views are ok. I cannot 'tolerate' the behaviour of thugs of the last few days who have been rioting and looting using terrible tragedy to justify their behavior. I cannot 'tolerate' the things that Trump does and says.

Your friend can vote for who she wants - it's a democracy and that is her choice. It would be my choice to step back from this friendship.

@MouseBoat who are the silent majority you refer to?

The example I gave was friend who was a Trumpster and a Brexiter, despite doing no damage as she’s American and couldn’t vote. I just grabbed at a revolting extreme

Listen to yourself though. Holding yourself up as the moral compass.

Trump didn’t do too badly as a president. He’s odious, but no more than Biden, for whom YouTube had to be cleared of the thousands of videos of him sniffing children’s hair and getting handsy with them in plain sight.
As for Brexit - that was the same situation as this latest election. The silent majority were told over and over again that they were racist idiots - did they learn from that? Clearly not.

This

But @clearmoon if you have the morals you espouse, tell her you are disgusted with her and find her views abhorrent, that in your opinion she is a thick, ignorant racist, and you don't want to have her in your life. I mean, you're not going to be two faced and come on here and whip up a furore and have her called all these named and still be friends to her face? That's not a good example of the wonderful left is it?

My friend and I are on completely different ends of the scale when it comes to politics. It doesn't stop us being friends. We don't really discuss it, but when we do were always respectful.

But how you feel is how you feel. It's completely your choice.

Did you even ask her why she voted Reform before assuming racism?

I nearly voted Reform because they're the only party advocating for a complete remodelling of the health service, and I agree that the French model, which they want to reproduce, works much better. I also think that they're the only truly low tax party. And that instead of talking about building more houses and infrastructure, the problem could be solved at root levels if migration was kept at net levels. I am the grandchild of immigrants. I didn't vote for them because I disagree with its stance on Ukraine, but none of my reasons for nearly voting for them were racist. So why do so manu assume all Reform voters are racist?

Would be a deal breaker for me. I can't be friendly with someone who's ok with a party that uses racist dog-whistles to get votes.

Absolutely this!!
"How dare you have your own thoughts and views!! This is not acceptable, the only acceptable vote is left like mine, as we are so tolerant and accepting of all!!"

I wouldn't drop a friend just because I didn't agree with their politics (or religious beliefs).

I’m starting to see that the left is a problem in this country.
The tribalism and sanctimoniousness that is actively shutting down discussions - can’t talk about immigration because it’s racist - is pushing people to the right.

Farage seized an opportunity to highlight certain issues (immigration, gender ideology) that the then government and lack of opposition pussy footed around about and couldn’t/wouldn’t make clear statements about, even though it’s been bloody obvious for years that these are things people are worried about. Maybe Farage is a dangerous opportunist, but his path has been made clear by the incompetency of politicians and by the sneering holier than though attitude of the left.

I’ve been a lefty all my life but can no longer bring myself to vote Labour. I spoiled my vote this time. I fully understand why so many have felt forced to vote for Reform.

The continued posts like this, the purity spirals, the insults flung at anyone who doesn’t vote how you want them to, is not going to win friends and influence people. It’s part of the reason 14% of voters chose reform, and if you carry on it’ll be even more next election.

This thread is liberal left all over. Scream about tolerance yet utterly intolerant of any views other than their own

This is turning into a general politics discussion. OP was shocked about her best friend. Not a random person at work that she chats about the weather with in the kitchen.

When that happens I think you’re also a bit disappointed with yourself - for guessing wrong, or not having had the powerful arguments to change their mind, or a feeling of helplessness.

Depends on the topic and how important it is for you.

To PP who thought I’d equated Reform with paedo. I didn’t mention Reform. The example I gave was friend who was a Trumpster and a Brexiter, despite doing no damage as she’s American and couldn’t vote. I just grabbed at a revolting extreme and that’s what came to mind because of stuff in the news yesterday.

I don't live in the UK and I find this concept really odd. I know a lot of people who are racist and whilst there are white people, including white British people amongst them, the majority are non-white. A lot of racism is driven by a lack of exposure/fear of people different to you.

Note I say 'know' - doesn't mean I'm friends with these people. I've ended friendships over this.

I have only just joined this site but, reading this thread, I now have an insight into the mindset of the people on here. It's typical of so many people who don't bother to think things through properly.
This country is in a mess because of incompetent politicians who put their own interests before that of the country. At the last election, we all had a difficult choice to make. The Conservatives were useless and had to be removed from office. Labour were not a popular alternative. Voting Reform was a protest vote by many people. It was very unlikely that Reform would win, so voting for them was a way of showing dissatisfaction with the established parties.

This thread just confirms my view that the Left (not all) are the most bigoted, narrow-minded and intolerant of the lot. They can't even bear to have friends who have different opinions. And they don't even want to hear their reasoning for why they vote the way they do. They hate diversity of opinion.

Also, no one is actually explaining why they think Reform is racist. Fine if you sincerely think this, but it would be nice to see at least one person explain exactly which policies are xenophobic. (And if you're going to resort to the personalities and sympathies of the leaders and many of its voters, then I certainly hope you didn't vote for Labour which has one of the most racist recent histories of all the parties, and many of whose most radical voters are the worst in terms of anti-Semitism). I don't think Labour is a racist party, but that's because I judge parties by their policies and not the people who align themselves with them, or the unfortunate views of some of those who lead it.

why? Do you understand that one's life experiences make us who we are or do you think that most people are incapable of independent thought and look to social media and the papers on important issues of the day to instruct us what we should thinking?
Maybe some people have had different life experiences and are using these to direct where they feel they should vote.

I don't care who people vote for.

I like Reform's agricultural policies, I'm very worried about food security. I'm worried that farmers are incentivised to turn over their land to rewilding or cover it in solar panels, they are incentivised to not grow food this concerns me a lot.

I spoiled this year, because I don't believe they will deliver on that, but if I did I'd consider voting for them.

Unfortunately I would never see her in the same way again. It would probably end the friendship for me.

Why assume non white people can’t be racist?

I feel the same way over my Labour supporting friends. Don't discuss politics with friends unless you can truly handle different political persuasions - it's just not worth it!

Nick Griffin's wife is a nurse. How does one reconcile caring and racism?