To wonder where the normal people are?

I think it's partly because the US has pretty much crushed and downgraded its public service broadcaster, and the population gets its news from biased and interested sources such as Fox News. Some of these news channels are owned by people not unlike Donald Trump!

And social media, yes - definitely.

I think it's made the US population more dumb, to be honest, and I think things may have reached a tipping point. Trump has changed America in the way a bad teacher ruins a class - he's given the green light to much behaviour which wouldn't have happened (or at least been tolerated) 15 years ago.

We need to learn from what's happened there.

Can you say why?

That's not a very helpful comment as it stands.

You’ll always meet the extremes at those things, normal people usually avoid

So tired of these posts

It's social media, and honestly, it's Americans.

Sorry, I know there are plenty of nice, reasonable, normal Americans, but I don't think it can be denied that they have always been more dramatic than us. And since there are so many of them, they completely dominate social media, and left wing spaces online, riling everyone up with their dramatised ways and opinions.

Everyone, the left and the right, have completely lost their minds.

Horrible though it is to witness, I'm interested in an analytical way about the big change in our political life in the UK. These are the suggestions other people have made to try to explain the general lowering of the tone:

• poorer educational standards over the last 40 years
• social media, social media and social media (surely a major culprit) making everyone cruder, ruder and bolder
• the box-ticking approach to choosing MPs, rather than pure merit

I'm old and I was at university in the early 80s. I definitely remember a change in the air at that time. I was in a pretty militant left-wing English Dept at at redbrick - by that, I mean that at least 2 of the lecturers boasted about chucking kerb stones at the police on a march in the city centre.

We were in a seminar (about 8 people) with a trendy lecturer, discussing a piece of literature. A student made a comment which made her say 'I sincerely hope youi're not advocating the death penalty!'

Actually, he wasn't, by any means! She had really overthought his comment. But I was really unnerved by the way she glared at him (and you could see her 'marking his card' for the future!). I was too shocked to say anything at the time, but I thought about it afterwards and (although I've always been anti-death penalty, FWIW), I thought - well, it's a valid opinion - he's allowed to support the death penalty - it's not illegal to have that opinion!!!

Looking back it seemed like a change in the intellectual climate - you HAD to have the 'right' (that is, the left) views if you were to be taken seriously and certainly to get anywhere in the academic world!!

Anyone remember Ricky Jones the Labour councillor who called for the Southport protesters to have their throats cut. Remember what happened to him? Nothing.

That's what I was meaning about Angela Rayner (not saying SHE has said anything as bad as this, though, just to be clear) - some people just are not the required calibre to be politicians. They're rabble-rousers, irresponsible, hot-headed and crude in their thoughts and words - and such people are frankly dangerous.

We need better.

Agree as well. I live in such a politically divided area. People are either painting St George’s flags on roundabouts or flying the Palestine flag. I find both groups to be aggressive, judgmental and prejudice. It’s so hard to meet normal people who care about the issues that affect people day to day.

I agree with you and I aren't sure of my political leanings anymore. I feel fairly centre in between left and right. And I aren't a racist or fascist. My point is, I can see key points on both sides. I guess a lot of people don't like fence sitters, some have the stance of if you're not completely with us then you're against us which I find absolutely ridiculous and lacks critical thinking.

But to me, regardless of your political leaning, I think it's absolutely abhorrent to rejoice on someone's death. The things said about an Ann Widdecombe, the basis was she was an old lady. She had views that I don't necessarily agree with but she never physically hurt anyone. People are allowed to have their views!

I agree with you, I’m quite centrist I suppose - some right and some left wing views, but everything is so extreme now. There seems to be very little place for moderate political views any more. I had attributed a large part of it to social media and the black and white nature of how issues are presented when in reality there are shades of grey to almost everything.

Ooh sorry…Kemi isn’t PM…yet! But she’s the party leader.

I’m not a paid-up Conservative (or Labour supporter, gotr that matter…bit of a floater!😣) but it’s funny, isn’t it, that the Tories have had 3 female PMs and 2 BAME PMs, yet they are often stereotyped as racist and sexist by the Left?

A cynic might think they don’t trust the electorate - or at least their cor supporters- to vote for these categories. I. Not agreeing with this - I have more respect for voters - but I do wonder sometimes if the Labour Party think that way.

We're the silent majority who don't believe people can change sex, don't want puberty blockers used on children, are concerned about illegal immigration and the growth of Islam in the UK.

However, we don't want anyone murdered or intimidated and would never vote Reform.

We really care about the NHS, education, social care, unemployment of young people, housing, transport. Palestine is a foreign country and we care more about our own country. That's human nature.

I used to be solidly leftwing but no more. It’s clear the left is now the home of ‘othering’ people, intolerance and violent rhetoric, if not actual violence, against those they politically disagree with. Nor are they the home of evidence based opinions.

I never thought I’d say it, but I see the Conservatives as the political home of tolerance and evidence based policy nowadays.

I too have been appalled at left identified people, those who claim to be feminists no less, expressing anger at those who are upset at an an elderly woman being beaten to death by a young man. How did the left come to this? Maybe they were always like this and I never noticed.

Thank you, you've encapsulated wonderfully what I wanted to say.

Most people are normal and don't announce their views. People are polite and will either remain quiet while someone is spouting off or they will nod, as if to agree, to appease the talker, but there is a silent majority who do not like the extreme views. It will show at voting time.

The police/government/justice system seem to operate a two tier system as well which emboldens some.

Anyone remember Ricky Jones the Labour councillor who called for the Southport protesters to have their throats cut. Remember what happened to him? Nothing.

'Normal' people usually just get on with living their lives and are not interested in being all over social media all the time or creating controversy for attention and publicity.

The silent, decent majority is out there living normal lives and don't hold extreme views (left or right) or promote violence.

Sure, but I think we’re talking about extremism and intolerance here.

This thread has made me think back over my experience at work and elsewhere. I’ve always worked in education - not exclusively in schools, but also in museums and similar settings. The dominant - sometimes actually bullying - ethos was left wing, so my experience of political people is of the left rather than the right. I acknowledge that if I’d worked in other contexts - say the trading floor of the Stock Exchange - I might be moaning about brash right wingers.

But in my work contexts, if you weren’t overtly left wing - boy, you’d better be brave or else keep your mouth shut! And it should never be like that, should it? It did put me off staying in school teaching and I know other teachers who’d had enough of the preaching and disapproval from left wing colleagues who were frankly intolerant. I’m not exactly a Tory, though I have voted for all 3 main parties over the years, but the intolerance and bias wore me down.

What is normal, though?

Who decides what it is?

Surely, normal is different for everyone?

Yeah, you're unlikely to find any Burkean Conservatives at a spoken word night.

That’s why I don’t like Rayner. I’ve been accused of snobbery by my left wing friends for disliking her but it’s definitely not that. It’s because I get vibes of someone who stereotypes people and uses labels and insults to shut opponents down and whose politics are very much based on resentment.

I just don’t think she’s of a high enough calibre personally to hold high office - unlike some of the working class Labour politicians of the past. Even dear old Denis Skinner, The Beast of Bolsover, wasn’t small- minded and spiteful.

Angela Rayner called a Tory MP ‘Tory scum’ in the House of Commons a few years ago. It was under her breath but clearly audible. It was immediately reported to the Speaker but she was never made to return to the House to apologise.

I feel like this was a dangerous moment for civility in our politics. Most parliamentarians are civil , even friendly, towards each other despite their differences.

We cannot allow extremism or hatred to enter the mainstream.