How do you identify politically, and what does that mean for you?

Genuinely curious - what's the difference between being a "sex realist" & gender critical?

@IDontHateRainbows I find the Times is better but I could never vote for a party which had Rees Mogg in it and a few others! I feel the same about the Labour left. Plus far too many of them are incompetent. It’s politics over sensible well thought out policies. It’s not appealing and no party has longer term policies because they fear a wipe out if big issues are tackled. So we lurch onwards with poor leadership and poor policies. The future looks even more bleak. Rhetoric and policies of self harm?

Well the current labour government have made me swing a few steps to the right. I'd rather read the telegraph than the guardian these days put it that way.

It is. I knew about it as DS is doing Politics A Level. His teacher got the class to do it at the start of year 12, then at the end of year 12 and again halfway through yr 13 to see if their views had changed! ( most of the class had!)

It's quite an interesting exercise though, isn't it?

There's probably no one party for me either (another reason why I support proportional representation). But I will never waste a vote - & as I abhor Reform with a passion & the current Tories almost as much, my vote will be used to keep them out as much as anything else.

I thought some of the questions on that were weird, but it got b=me correct- Left Libertarian. So I was right- there are no current parties that represent my views!

I'm over there in the left but tolerate a bit of centre.

In general elections I vote for the current MP, because they're excellent and do lots for our constituency. They're LibDem and I'm not averse to the LibDems generally. In local elections I vote Green. Neither are a perfect fit but are good enough.

I almost considered voting Labour for the first time when Jeremy Corbyn was leader, since he was the only leader imo for a long time with what I would call real Labour values. However, the Labour candidate lived outside the constituency and that's an absolute no no for me.

Politically homeless. The craziness of reform and the greens is what happens when the centre left and right cant get their shit together for decades. The Tories and Labour are to blame. I think the majority are are centre left or right, there is just no representation.

The Greens are the new left of Labour. I’m politically homeless and won’t vote in any election. Centre politics has gone and we have left or right factions trying to take over - not what I want but we have a poorly educated electorate.

Left & green, & becoming even more so as I get older. Did the Political Compass test a while ago &, to my delight, landed right on top of Caroline Lucas. (This isn't my result - just an example of the chart pulled from the internet.)

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

Very much to the left but, as much as I'd like to see a more radical politics than Starmer's Labour, I do think we have a real productivity crisis and are on the verge of a demographic crisis (e.g., aging population) and I don't think there's a current, radical plan that seems credible.

Push comes to shove, I'd take Starmer's attempts to plug a few of the holes in the sinking ship to keep it buoyant until a viable alternative presents itself.

And I do think that there is a significant problem with antisemitism on the left in the UK, which also puts me off the likes of Corbyn and the Greens.

Ive voted conservative all my life until recently. I have always been very much to the right, anti immigration, anti green and anti woke. I believe in low taxes, a small state and people taking responsibility for themselves and not relying on handouts. I now feel politically homeless because the conservatives are way out of the tunning. I do quite like Kemi Badenoch. However we have moved away from a two party state and I feel politically homeless at present.

Right of centre, with an absolute loathing of Reform. A lot of my personal politics was formed by the absolute horror that was the later half of the 70s. A father who worked all hours to give his family the best life he could, worn down by the appalling tax regime at the time leaving him virtually suicidal. "Tax the rich till the pips squeak" said Dennis Healy, unfortunately his definition of rich left a lot to be desired. By an anomaly caused by being employed in a partnership rather than a limited company my late father was paying tax at 97-8% on earned income. Imagine that for a moment.
I will happily be voting Tory up here in Scotland, luckily for me the tactical vote to try and get rid of the dreadful Swinney is a Tory vote in this constituency. It won't work, he will cling on like the useless limpet that he is but a girl can dream! I am pretty liberal in my outlook, pro abortion, pro people in the greatest need being properly looked after, pro NHS though I'd like to see some major reorganisation and efficiency, always been pro gay marriage, equal rights for all. I am also GC though I have respect for those trans people just getting on with their lives and not shouting at everybody who isn't them. That's about it really.

Historically I am politically left of centre overall and have voted labour and Lib Dem in the past. I am a child of the Thatcher era and saw the huge damage done to my community by 1980s conservatism and subsequently the damage done to the country by the austerity years. In terms of overall beliefs (not all of which are coherent with a left leaning stance):

I believe that the first responsibility of a government is defence of the realm and ensuring we have armed forces/defence investment capable of delivering that.

I believe that the quality of a country is to be seen in how it treats its most vulnerable (even/especially those who we might not think deserve it)

I believe individuals should take responsibility for themselves and their families and that no one owes you a living. But equally we have a responsibility to recognise that it is not an even playing field and we need to work towards evening it out and providing support so that people can attain the luxury of being self sufficient.

i believe we need to invest in future technologies and make our country an attractive place to obtain international investment in order to develop capacity and expertise in things such as AI, green energy, biotechnology, sciences and specialist manufacturing.

I believe our arts and entertainment sectors are some of our most important exports and need active support.

I believe in investing in support for children and families in the early years pays massive dividends in future years and that scrapping Sure Start was an act of vandalism by the coalition government.

I believe in a public healthcare and education system free at the point of delivery.

Most critically though I am a gender critical feminist and this informs how I understand and interpret the world around me. Those of you that have suggested that it is a case of just one issue (GC feminism) weighted against all other issues and therefore it should be a case of voting for what gives you most of what you want misunderstand that it is not a separate issue. It is embedded in everything, it weights all the other issues. I cannot and will not vote for a party that has such utter contempt for 50% of the population that they will not even recognise or acknowledge the basic science of our existence. Who will twist themselves in semantic knots rather than say a woman is an adult human female and who think the fetishist requirements of a tiny minority outweigh the right of women and girls to be safe. Who lack the courage and moral fibre to stand up to bullies.

I am fortunate that the local elections offer me the choice of a very good residents association. If a GE were to happen tomorrow I might actually be in the unthinkable situation of voting conservative because to labour and Lib Dem’s are a bunch of self serving cowards.

Right of centre really impressed by Badenoch she’s the only leader that speaks sense. Polanski is a dangerous force cosying up to Islamist doctrine Starmer is a total disgrace Ed Davy dreadful Zia Yusuf is a great orator and speaks sense.

Always been a leftie but I can bear Starmer and Labours current position.

I’d never vote Tory or Reform, have voted Green in the last 2 general elections because I know and like the candidate as she’s a great local councillor… however Polanski is just awful and they seem to have lost their way as it’s all about trans women and free immigration rather than the environment.

Basically I’m homeless.

I would like

• A complete ban on foreign investment when it comes to housing. Foreign landlords have bought up my area.

• Removal of failed asylum seekers/refugees as soon as the application is denied

• Adult social care taking back into council ownership and running, including children’s social care.

• complete overhaul of council tax, it’s crippling people.

• Massive investment into people with SEN

• Carers to be paid a heck of a lot more than they are now.

•Ban BTL mortgages

That’s a far more succinct way of summing up my waffle - yes 😂

When the single issue is so significant it assumes equal weight to the greater good of everything else, it can leave you feeling somewhat adrift.

Thanks for that.

So it's really a case of single issue against the greater good (or otherwise) then.

I see this phrase used mainly by left-leaning GC women.

While I accept that no single party will ever tick every box, the conflict between women’s rights and trans rights is very significant. Traditionally, the left wing parties would have been where you’d find women’s rights being fought for, but many women feel as if their rights, safety, and dignity have been sacrificed. As if there’s no care at all for women’s rights in the left wing sphere.

Thats such a huge and fundamental issue with far-reaching consequences, it’s hard to view it as just one box that doesn’t align. Women’s specific issues and challenges run across so many different areas and underpin so many different policies - so if a party won’t correctly identify what a woman is, everything is affected.

So that rules out any party with non-GC views - essentially all of the parties on the left. But if you are fundamentally left-wing, you’re not going to even come close with aligning with parties on the right, even though they may be saying all the right things about women’s rights.

So where does that leave the left-leaning GC woman? For many of us, women’s rights aren’t a side issue but the parties that would have stood with us have changed their stance to prioritise trans rights at the expense of women’s rights. There’s an enormous compromise to be made somewhere - huge. That’s where the description of being politically homeless comes in because it’s a straight choice between either binning off women’s rights or sacrificing your other primary moral values. Neither of those are insignificant which is why so many women feel as if there’s no party that speaks for them.

To use your own analogy, Twix always came covered in chocolate and you love chocolate. Suddenly there’s no chocolate on the Twix but you can get a bag of crisps that has chocolate flavouring. You don’t want crisps, you want a chocolate bar - you don’t like crisps at all. But Twix and every other chocolate bar has removed all the chocolate, but still remain sweet in every other way. You have a sweet tooth and don’t like savoury things but what you really crave is chocolate - but you can no longer find it anywhere, there’s a gaping hole in the market.

I don't really understand this term "politically homeless".

I know what it means of course, but I don't understand why a voter would describe themself as such. Because there will never really be a perfect match for what every individual wants.

To me, voting is similar to wanting a sweet to eat. What I really want is a double decker crossed with a Twix. But the shop does not sell that. But I can get a double decker or a Twix. And even if I really hate anything with nuts, and would not buy anything with nuts in, even the smallest rural newsagents/grocer is going to have something.

My Political Views

National Strategic Vision: Britain needs to pursue strategic re-industrialisation, military resurgence, technological leadership, and a sovereign presence in space. We should become a fully credible high-end strategic power with independent capabilities across military, industrial, technological, Sectors.

National Power Doctrine: UK policy should focus on expanding power in four integrated domains: military strength, advanced industrial capacity, technological sovereignty, and space power. These are not luxuries they are essential for long-term survival, relevance, and independence in a competitive world.

Defence & Military Expansion: I support sustained increases in defence spending as a permanent commitment. We need stronger naval power projection, air dominance, long-range strike capabilities, autonomous/AI-enabled systems, and world-class cyber/intelligence operations. The goal is real deterrence and strategic influence, not symbolic forces.

Defence Industrial Revival: Military power requires domestic industrial strength. I want to rebuild advanced shipbuilding, aerospace manufacturing, sovereign defence supply chains, and domestic production of critical systems. The defence sector should drive high-value jobs and innovation, reducing dangerous dependency on foreign suppliers.

Space Capability: Space is a vital 21st-century domain. The UK must develop sovereign satellite networks, launch capability, orbital infrastructure, and dual-use space technologies. This is essential for communications, intelligence, navigation, and future military/economic power.

Technological Sovereignty: We must achieve independence in critical technologies - AI, cyber (offence and defence), quantum computing, advanced aerospace, and secure infrastructure. Technological dependency equals strategic vulnerability.

Economic Re-industrialisation: The economy needs rebalancing toward high-value manufacturing, defence-linked industries, and productive sectors. I support targeted state intervention to rebuild industrial depth while maintaining wealth creation, innovation, and incentives for enterprise. Wealth must be created before it is redistributed.

Fiscal Policy & Redistribution: Long-term fiscal sustainability is essential. However, I support progressive wealth redistribution to promote fairness, provided it does not undermine growth or personal incentives.

Workers’ Rights & Utilities: Strong support for workers’ rights, fair conditions, and union roles (balanced with competitiveness). Key utilities (energy, water, rail) should be under public ownership or tight public control because they are strategic national assets.

Healthcare & Public Services: The NHS must remain free at the point of use. It needs serious reform to improve efficiency, reduce waits, and raise productivity. Education should drive real social mobility, skills, and excellence. Welfare should provide a safety net.

Housing, Infrastructure & Immigration: Fix the housing crisis through major planning reform to massively increase supply. Infrastructure must match population and economic growth. Immigration must be controlled and aligned with housing, services, and integration capacity.

Law, Order & Internal Stability: Firm justice focused on violent crime, repeat offenders, and disorder. A fast, reliable justice system is vital.

Energy & Strategic Infrastructure: Prioritise energy security, affordability, and resilience. A diversified mix (including nuclear) aligned with industrial and defence needs.

Foreign Policy: Realist and interest-based. Strengthen NATO and Five Eyes alliances. Prioritise partnerships that boost our technological and military capabilities. Avoid ideological adventures disconnected from British power and interests.

I believe the UK should pursue a long-term national strategy aimed at:

Restoring and expanding credible military power at global level
Rebuilding industrial and defence manufacturing capacity
Developing strategic autonomy within NATO and allied systems
Establishing a meaningful national space programme with dual civilian and defence applications
Becoming a high-end technological and intelligence power, not just a financial or service-based economy