To be annoyed with my colleagues re their political preferences?

[Taystee]

I am probably BU but all my colleagues are going to be voting conservative next week. There's no variety at all. They all say the conservatives fixed the economy and they don't want to pay more taxes. I think they're brainwashed. Is this typical of a financial services workplace? Seems so selfish and shortsited to me.

My best friend is a great person who I love to spend time with. She is American, and one of the most fervent Republicans around, she likes guns and hunting and is fairly racist in her own way. She thinks that welfare is a bad thing full stop and that abortions should be banned.

I am British, very left wing and admittedly a bit of a Labourite (until this election,) I would gladly sign up for an abortion if I ever needed one, I think that welfare systems are the sign of a civilised society, need I go on. We are so different but guess what, we don't talk about politics because between human beings it is less important than other things, and because she's my friend I don't care what she believes about which jumped-up private-school bellend should be in power.

For what it's worth, I could even be described as Marxist at times, but I couldn't bring myself to vote Labour in this election. I think they'd make a total pig's ear of the country in government right now.

I think, in financial services, there maybe a bit of a backlash against the blame the bankers for everything reaction that appeared to come from some elements of the left. There was a structural deficit prior to the financial crisis. Financial services is the largest contributor to the economy out of all business sectors (that may not be a good thing) and yet is one of the most frequently attacked sectors. I think it can help create defensiveness.

I agree that politics and the workplace generally don't mix well.

I actually get along really well with my colleagues and think they see it as a bit of a novelty that I'm not voting Conservative. I didn't bring up the political talk, it was just being discussed in the team at the time. I said to one new grad have you heard of vote for policies and she seemed genuinely interested but hey ho I'll shut up and keep out of it!

Andrewofgg - really? You think there should be an actual ban on discussing certain topics in the workplace or simply that people should eschew those subjects that are likely to be contentious? Either way, I find that completely bizarre. Is this an English thing (genuine, non-snarky question)?

Is this an English thing

He's probably saying that if you're likely to get wound up about certain subjects it's best to steer clear of them at work.

Perhaps if you want them to be better informed, OP, you should ask them to read this explanation by a Nobel prize winning economist about why the Tories have got it completely wrong on austerity:

www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/apr/29/the-austerity-delusion

IKnow -ok, that's a lot less bizarre. Words to live by, in fact. OP, if you're calling your coworkers fascist Tory cunts, then you're probably not contributing to a positive working environment. A Tory vote is not worth a fist-fight.

uglyswan and IKnowIam - I don't want a ban (although I am public sector and we are expected to keep our politics to ourselves) but political discussion is not the purpose of any workplace and if discussion over the coffee leads to bad feelings and impedes the work of the office then to that extent it must be avoided. That's all I mean!

Calling your colleagues cunts is not a good idea, with or without political adjectives before the noun!

Andrew - bit of hyperbole there, the OP doesn't really seem the type to call anyone a cunt or start fist-fights (right, OP? Not after what happened last time ) And obviously anything that impedes work is to be avoided. But tell me, the politics ban in the public sector, is that stated overtly, say, in your contract? There's an actual ban on what topics may or may not be discussed over coffee? Or is it just an unspoken rule? What on earth do you talk about? Just work? The weather?

So typical of Labour voters. Everyone is is wrong and selfish except them. It's getting a bit wearying.

It's just the rich looking out for themselves.

I'd be surprised at anyone in the financial sector not voting Tory.

I can think of (know personally) plenty of non Tory voting people in financial services. The financial sector isn't all rich bankers who don't give a shit about anyone else.

Op, I used to work in fs as well and if you are left wing it is probably not the field for you.

There was a woman next to me, really lovely person, who helped in a soup kitchen. But like me she spent all day facilitating wholesale tax avoidance for our employer.

The amount we legitimately and legally avoided paying would have been enough to feed every homeless person in the country many times over, and I found that the contrast between being what I regarded as a morally good individual - protecting the vulnerable, being honest, those who have excelled thanks to societies help giving back more as they themselves have benefited so much - could not be reconciled with my job, which was to keep as much money away from the tax man as I legally could.

I left, I wasn't particularly well paid so it was not really a huge sacrifice

I don't think I've ever worked anywhere where everyone has shared the same political outlook.

Even amongst friends we don't agree.

Makes life interesting.

uglyswan We cannot take any active part in politics, and that is laid down in our contracts. It feeds through into an unspoken assumption that you don't talk politics in the office. In the odd moments we can spare from our work we talk about the weather, last night's idiot-box, the antics of Annie in accounts with Bill from billing at the bash when somebody left, what we are going to do when Camelot stop giving us wrong numbers, our children and grandchildren, the same sort of things as in any other workplace!

Andrew, I think that might really be a cultural thing, then. I worked in the public sector myself a couple of years ago (not in the UK) and the only things I remember talking about in our lunch breaks (apart from "How much food can ugly inhale in the space of ten minutes?") were football and politics. As Nannyogg says, it was always very interesting. And no one ever called anyone a cunt (I had my mouth full most of the time).

People should educate themselves before they vote so they truly are voting for who they want but it's up to them to use their vote how they want, to vote for who they want and for whatever reason. I hate talking politics at work, there's one colleague who thinks she needs to shout her opinion for it to be valid and gets furious if you disagree.

Not automatically the case that people in investment banking will vote conservative. I have worked in investment banks for a large chunk of my adult life and will be voting labour quite a few of my colleagues / ex colleagues who are likely to do the same. But, in any case, people should be free to vote how they like. We live in a democracy.