To be irritated that my son joined labour and not the lib dems

[PresidentPinkman]

Ds1 is 14 and has joined the Labour Party. He has actually gone to the youth conference in Bradford this weekend. I am so pleased he is politicly aware and has a great urgency to make a difference. However I am a annoyed that he hasn't joined the lib dems, as I'm a lifelong member. His reasons are that he thinks they are dyeing, which upsets me. It wouldn't be so bad if it was because their in the coalition, but to think that they are going to vanish soon makes me sad. Also while I prefer labour to the conservatives, I still don't they are a party worthy of his intelligence

[mathanxiety]

Your DS is right. They are dying. Nobody likes a junior coalition partner when the next election rolls around.

Knowing when to jump ship and back a winner is a top notch political skill.

Just be glad you're not in the US where you run the risk of having a child join the Republicans.

[PresidentPinkman]

AgentZigzag, yes his grandfather and I always get into political chats and he was often around. Then about a year or so ago he started joining in and forming opinions. Yeah he has a lot of other interests. He is very creative and loves architecture. He plays mindcraft for hours at a time and draws/designs buildings. He wants to be an architect. He does normal teenager things e.g plays gta for hours, but he isn't really a teen, he turned 14 about 2 months ago but puberty hasn't truly commenced.

[PresidentPinkman]

mathanxiety, the thought of him being a US republican just puts everything into perspective. Thanks

[innisglas]

Well, teenagers also like to show that they aren't just extension of their parents. I don't want to belittle his choices, but at that age there is a healthy need to differentiate oneself from one's parents.

[Morgause]

I have some sympathy with your son.

I joined the Labour Party at 16 and was an active member for a while. Then it got very silly. When the gang of 4 jumped ship I did as well and have been SDP then Lib Dem ever since. But Labour tactically a few times.

Both DSs are "of the left" as well. At the last election we all believed in Nick Clegg and voted Lib Dem. The Tories got in here by a tiny majority and we've felt guilty ever since. Had we known Nick would jump into bed with Dave we would all have voted Labour. We won't make that mistake again.

If the Lib Dem party is dying we all know who killed it.

[TamerB]

Glad that go have seen you are unreasonable. It always amazes me that people expect their child to think the same as them on anything..

[paxtecum]

YABU.

I have some very left wing friends who sent their DCs to the good local comp. They went to Oxbridge but deride their parents for not sending them to private schools.
Their political leanings (and jobs) are quite far to the right.

[golemmings]

My labour voting colleague is gutted that his daughter (17) has joined the lib dems so it is attracting youth members in some places.

I joined labour at 18 although I left when they took clause 4 off my membership card. I'd be thrilled if my kids developed political awareness although would struggle to financially subsidise them if they join the tories.

I made a start on their political education yesterday when I explained to dd (4) why I refused to buy baby killer chocolate from the machine at the swimming pool. What was harder was explaining why daddy would buy her rolos...

[AgathaF]

Good for him. And good for you for raising a politically aware teen.

His party of choice isn't the issue really. It's your realisation that your party of choice are not really doing it for him, or for many others for that matter. Your son is young too, and may well change the party he supports many times during his life.

You really need to question why you are still a member though. It sounds like it's as much for the social life as anything, these days. That sort of blind following (of a political party, religion or anything else) is not healthy.

[meditrina]

LibDems are quite a different party if you joined them at the start (from Labour via SDP). There's an influential "party within a party" there, and it just doesn't see itself as others see it.

[ll31]

Congrats, you've raised a politically awsre and engaged child. U should be proud

[MaryWestmacott]

Well, while the LibDems and the Labour party often have broadly similar and 'caring' policies, their ideology is different. If your son is essentially socialist (or social democratic as they are more now, the "lib" bit of libdems is Liberal, liberal ideology is very different), then the libdems, while having many policies he would agree with, arent fundementally a party that would represent his views about how society should be organised. At 14, it's going to be several years before he can vote and so the actual policies now are rather irrelivant to him, so it makes more sense to pick a party based on if their core values rather than practicalities.

[WhosLookingAfterCourtney]

Yabu

Imagine if he'd become a young conservative.

[MaryWestmacott]

BTW - it could easily be your DS thinks your basic ideology is a bit too over to the right for his liking...

[Jinsei]

Far better that he should think for himself than blindly follow tribal loyalties. You should be pleased that he is interested enough to make his own choice.

Out of interest, though, why do you think the labour party is not worthy of his intelligence but the lib dems are? I would imagine that most people who voted lib dem at the last election are feeling monumentally stupid right now!!

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

He's not a young Conservative, or even UKIP (shudder), take that as a blessing. Good for him being active and aware.

[redcaryellowcar]

isn't the entire point of a democratic society that he can freely choose?
i would be pleased he is taking an interest and encourage him to read lots about all political parties?

[grizzabellia]

I would be proud if I had a 14 year old who cared enough about politics to do this (although perhaps not if it had been the BNP or something!) I think you are being vv unreasonable!

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

Oh, come on, Labour isn’t that different from the LDs, particularly not nowadays, when all political discourse seems to have coalesced around the centre-right.

He could’ve joined the Tories, and be lecturing you over the breakfast table about how poor people just ought to try harder. Or he could’ve joined UKIP!

[Thumbwitch]

Yep, YABU. Good for him having the nouse and independence to think for himself and decide which party he wants to follow - and at 14, too! Excellent. Too many young people have zero interest in politics and then just vote randomly, or the way their parents did (which may be irrelevant now) or for the one they most like the look of on the day.

[MaryWestmacott]

It also could be he wants to be involved in a political party who have a chance of forming a government on their own. The LibDems only chance of being in government did require compromises to join up with another party - and the arguments that they should have teamed up with Labour rather missed the point it wouldn't just have been them and Labour, it would have to be a coallision of several other parties as well, all with their own interests, and even less likely that the LibDems would have significant influence. I did feel sorry for Nick Clegg in that, a coalision with Labour just didn't stack up numbers wise, he really was faced with being in Government with the Tories, or turning down the LibDems only chance of actually being a party in power, rather than just saying what they'd do in some mythical point in the future. (I also think far too many LibDems members had got used to the fact they could promise the moon on the stick without fear of having to deliver, whereas Labour and Conservative party members have got used to either toning down promises, or the fact that some of what's promised will have to go by the wayside once in power so weren't all that surprised).

[LookingThroughTheFog]

OP, my father is UKIP and expresses continual disappointment that I am not UKIP. According to him, I should support his choices, rather than exercise my own. I am currently between parties, largely as I feel betrayed by the Lib Dems. That doesn't mean that I'm not politically aware - it just means that I'm watching everything very carefully at the moment. But I sure as hell know I'm not UKIP.

I'm glad you see UABU.

My take on it is that we have to raise individuals; not mini extensions of ourselves.

[overthemill]

Of course YABU - he's politically active which goes against the trend for all ages at present so is fantastic. And he's not joined UKIP or the BNP/ENDL so you are blessed rather than cursed.

And, you stay in the libdems because you like the social activities? Really?

[WaitMonkey]

YABU. I've voted Lib Dem in the past, at local elections. Never again. I would never trust them after what Clegg has done. I still can't get over a "liberal" party joining the conservatives.

[BrandNewIggi]

Playing an 18 rated game "for hours" when 14 is something I would be far more worried about, personally. Funny that doesn't concern you, but his politics do!