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

Lifelong Labour voter (since 1979), of the Blair items wing (but not a Blair fan). Nolonger though. The party's stance on trans has done for me. No idea where I'll go now. The Greens are an unserious party for a serious time, and one party cannot accommodate active Islam and trans activism. Reform are self-serving and racist Emotionally, I'm a Conservative - small state, self-reliance and self-discipline, wealth creation, personal freedom, individual responsibility, anti-collectivism, personal choice - but intellectually Labour - wealth redistribution, fairness over privilege, state ownership of utilities, workers' rights, healthcare free at the point of use.

I’m centre left. For reasons already outlined in this thread.

I’d like to see some reasons on here from RW voters too - I’m genuinely interested in their thoughts.

oops, can't edit now but I meant left and centre left views were more frequent comments, not centre and centre left.

Hmmmm, even in just the time it took me to write the comment I just posted left of centre has gone up to 23% and right of centre down to 26% so maybe the poll will start to reflect the comments more🤔

At the time of writing this comment the poll is showing "left of centre" at 22%, "centre" at 20% and "right of centre" edging slightly ahead at 27%. That's not very far ahead, but what's interesting is the the majority of the people posting comments are indicating more left and left of centre views (albeit many feeling politically homeless in the current political climate) with not that many posters indicating a right of centre position. It's not particularly surprising that people with centre and centre left views are more likely to have opinions and want to make a comment rather than just vote in the poll, but it will be interesting to see if "right of centre" moves further ahead in this poll.

My shorter version : I tend to see the world as a network of competing systems governed by constraint, leverage, and institutional behaviour, where outcomes are produced less by ideology and more by the interaction of structure, incentives, and capacity.

I don’t really feel like I fit neatly into any of the usual political categories (left/right, liberal/conservative etc.), and I don’t tend to see politics in those terms when I’m thinking or talking about it.

When I look at issues, I’m much more focused on how systems actually work in practice – who has power, how institutions operate, and how decisions get made behind the scenes. I’m more interested in structures and incentives than party lines or ideology.

I suppose I approach things in quite a realist way – looking at outcomes, strategy, and the way different groups or organisations behave when they’re competing for influence or resources. I’m less driven by moral labels or identity-based positions, and more by trying to understand what is actually happening underneath the surface.

Because of that, I don’t think I comfortably sit in any one political “box”. If anything, I probably see politics more as a set of interacting systems rather than a set of fixed beliefs or sides.

Peace & Socialism

As a teen I was massively left, in my late 20s I became central, and now I’m right leaning.

The place I grew up is destroyed, I feel scared for my children. I still have left opinions, but lately I have more right leaning opinions

I'd say this is me too - and I'd describe myself as centre left.

I'm now 50 and I feel absolutely done with women's rights being ignored or screwed over, but there are so few parties who are willing to genuinely recognise women as an equal and worthy sex class.

And note the word "genuinely" - the right often co-opt women's rights as a vote-winning tactic but don't actually care any more about us than the left-wing parties who are willing to allow our rights to be violated. And of course, those on the right just want to slash benefits without actually providing any more support, which will disproportionately affect women, particularly single mothers or disabled women.

I'd say women's rights and protecting the most vulnerable in our society - the disabled, elderly, children etc - would be a hill that I would die on...but if I were faced with having to vote for Greens or Reform, I'd hold my nose and vote for the former even though they're appalling on women's rights. The Green Party and Reform are two cheeks of the same arse, especially with Hypnotits at the helm, but Reform is the worst of the two.

Here’s my wish list:

1. Net zero immigration and a promise not to buy new housing
2. Commitment to green policies - but not just tinkering around with solar panels, proper commitment to rewilding areas and population control so we can reintroduce species
3. A plan for how the heck we are going to deal with the absolute tidal wave of disabled adults we are faced with in 10-30 years
4. A much smaller welfare state with no benefits for the under 25s unless extreme circumstances
5. Closer ties with Europe and a commitment to synchronising our work and health and safety laws with them

No party can fulfil my very bipolar list!

I'm also now a Green voter, I quit Labour when they started behaving like tories after the 2024 GE.

I'm hard left, I believe in unions, strikes, the working class, public services under public ownership not private companies bleeding them dry to pay overpaid executives. I also support the NHS, social housing, schools & social care should be under council control.

We need a vote exchange where we can swap vote pledges to maximise the effect of our votes in a first past the post system.

Voted Labour at the last GE to get the Tory out, but I would vote Lib Dem, if it wasn't a wasted vote in my constituency. A nearby constituency has a lib Dem MP. Maybe I can find a Labour Supporter in that constituency to do a deal with. I will vote Labour for you in my constituency, if you Vote Lib DEM for me in yours.

I’ve spent most of my life pretty far left (voted for Corbyn in 2019), but the way the world and this country and gone bloody nuts in the last few years I’m probably more left of centre now. Only party I can still vote for in good conscience though are Labour. They don’t represent me at all anymore, but who else is there?

1.How do you identify politically, 2.and why?

1.Dunno, probably slightly left of centre. What is "centre" nowadays? I think I'm communist at heart, but willing to work with a market economy. LibDems are closest to my values, I suppose.

2.My parents are (were) far more lefty than me (must be important influences).
They both grew up poor, my mother cared hugely about injustices. My dad grew up with social stigma and slight development problems. They both care(d) hugely about being compassionate, open-minded, tolerant, low on ego. My mother cared about fairness, my dad wanted logic. Both believed in redemption. I care about those things, too. They were/are a lot more idealistic than me.

I’m left of centre. I did a detailed “who should you vote for” test on TwitterX. Answered all the questions and the winner was Plaid Cymru. I’m in Devon lol, so that’s not happening! I think that the Welsh are lucky to have that option though.

I’m socially liberal, economically free market, supportive of the NHS, nationalised railways, nuclear power, membership of the EU (or at a minimum the Customs Union), and (more) sensible immigration policies.

If The Economist magazine were a political party, I would probably vote for them. As it is, I currently vote Lib Dem because neither of the main parties represent me, and I certainly wouldn’t vote for either of the extremes (Green, Reform, etc.)

Sadly our first past the post electoral system does not encourage politicians to be either sufficiently honest or sufficiently long-term in their approach to running the country or communicating with the electorate. I would advocate for reducing the number of MPs, increasing their salaries (but preventing second jobs / outside interests), and adopting some form of proportional electoral system. Alongside this, increased localism / devolution could make sense.

The LibDems are as near as I can find to that…

I’m left. Or as people in the US now, disparagingly and abusively say, a leftard.

Because I believe that the state has a strong role to play in managing the welfare of its people, including investment in defence, the arts and the sciences. And in creating strategies for the welfare of future generations.

I believe that the core necessities of education, health, transport infrastructure, water and energy assets should be owned, invested in and largely run by the people of this country. These should not be opportunities for private profit at the expense of public welfare.

I believe that the welfare of the weakest and most vulnerable is directly connected with the overall welfare of society.

Homeless. And in despair at the fact that no political party in the UK seems capable of putting forward anybody remotely competent or willing to take the very obvious and necessary steps that are required to start to improve things.

Left wing and a feminist, which to me is mutually exclusive, and more so as I get older, and which means none of the main parties are suitable. The greens keep being pushed as the 'left wing alternative' but I find there are as many significant limits to that as there are with the other parties.

I do also believe there is a lot of middle ground between right and left.

Liberal but not woke. I’m a sex realist but that’s about the only thing “not liberal” about me

Left, feminist by inclination but turned into a tactical voter in the next general election by Reform. I’ll hold my nose and vote Tory if I have to.

I have zero interest in whether or not sex change is possible, it’s not an issue that affects my vote.

Centre left but gender critical and strongly feminist. At this time I find myself up shit creek without a paddle, politically.