To have zero sympathy for this woman

[wasonthelist]

The tearful woman on BBC Question Time claims to have been a Tory voter. She's reaping what she sows.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hame-you-hardworking-mums-tearful-6643284

U2HasTheEdge well said

It is true that if Labour had done a better job of reaching out to people like her, the Tories probably wouldn't have a majority at this point. 14 of their MPs have a majority of less than 1000, 19 of less than 1500. That would take us well down to a hung Parliament even if just a few thousand people could've been convinced to stay at home in their own self interest, not even to vote for anyone else.

www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/mps-maj.htm

The flipside to that is, of course, that turkeys who were daft enough to vote for Christmas quite likely did bring the rest of us down with them. There's responsibility on both sides.

I said in an earlier post that I did feel a bit of sympathy. But I can see what others mean. She wasn't bothered about Tory cuts which were in the Manifesto but didn't think her handouts would be cut. But let's face it many people are voting for the party that's going to be best for them. Except some deluded folk. (Like my DH for one who always votes Labour.)

I feel sorry for her

I think an awful lot of people are very badly informed and incredibly naive

I think there's a perception (or was a perception) that benefits are for other people, those demonised by the press and the telly in recent years- ie those without jobs- and that tax credits are somehow not a benefit- ie they're for Respectable Working People, and hence wouldn't be cut

people swallowed that Alarm Clock Britain horseshit and now they're suffering the consequences

I very much doubt she thought, "The Tories will drive disabled people to suicide, but I don't care! I am going to vote for them anyway!"

A lot of people find politics confusing, they do their best to understand, they get mixed messages and try to make sense of it all.

Well said U2

Did she think that the promised £12bn welfare cuts wouldn't apply to her then? So it was OK when it was someone else who bore the brunt of the cuts?

I have absolutely no sympathy for her, given she was prepared to dish it out by choosing to vote as she did.

Many people vote with a 'what's in it for me?' attitude and this lady is no different. I still find it hard to have no sympathy for her though, as I do for the thousands of others who are struggling but who did not vote this Government in. She was naive in the extreme and I am usually one to ask 'who did you vote for?' when people complain. But she's genuinely quite distressed and I take no pleasure in that.

On the positive side, it'll be another vote against them in 5 years.

I think, if you want a Labour government next time, you need to bring people like her into the fold. Not alienate them.

Unless she's irredeemably stupid, she'll bring herself into the fold.

Actually though, aren't there all kinds of incentives for small business owners? £400 a week in benefits and with her own business, and she's struggling to pay rent? Something's not right there. I think she should go to the CAB or get online, and find out if there's more she's entitled to.

Perhaps she'll have to do what I've had to, get a second job.

A lot of people find politics confusing, they do their best to understand, they get mixed messages and try to make sense of it all.

Er, she understood enough to go on Question Time when it affected her. Also, according to the Daily Fail (sorry) she says herself that she is fairly clued up politically - and yet she still chose to vote for this government.

My sympathy is limited for her in a general sense but on a personal level I feel sorry for her. But I feel more sorry for my 18 yo autistic son - and she was prepared for him to be the fall guy as long as she was ok.

I didn't vote Tory (and never would) and don't I receive tax credits, but I am furious that our Prime minister has lied so blatantly about this.

Isn't that the real issue here?

You have to hand it to the Tories - they appear to advocate self-reliance and self-interest and yet they've managed to get a whole load of people to vote Conservative even though it's against their own interests - that is impressive.

Having read a bit more about her I think that this was a set up.

She's a terrible example of someone using the tax credits system.

She's got 4 children, runs a 'non profit' business from home and is said to be claiming £400 per week.

She is in no way typical of a single mum claiming tax credits and is a great reason to cut them back in many Tory voters eyes.

jubblie

That's what politicians do though, they lie.
Look what Thatcher did, she lied more than anyone.
Blair lied, they all do.
You have to read between the lines and know what that typical government stands for. i.e Tories make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
You don't need to understand much more than this.

call me cynical but I have a supicion she is a left-wing 'plant' on QT as she is now singing the praises of Jeremy (Corbyn)

If she's a leftie plant she's not very convincing.

I am sure the fail will have pictures of her nail bar and value of her home by tomorrow.

No. Can you imagine? The Daily Mail will have found out everything there is ti know about her by now. If she wasn't a struggling single mum with nail bar, they'd be gleefully shouting it from the rooftops.

I do think this is true (that people mainly vote in their own self-interest). They don't think about it much, even when it affects people they know, even family.

Sadly this is true of my father. He is semi-retired from running his own small business and has a lot of money in the bank (a lot of this from inheritance). He has one grandchild who is a young single parent on benefits (though she is going to college and trying to improve her situation) and his other grandchildren are saddled with massive student loans. Also has another adult child who has needed mental healthcare which is hard to get especially due to NHS cutbacks, and other children who have been on zero-hours contracts and struggling. He has been sympathetic and helpful, and he has certainly helped his family out a lot, financially and in other ways, but doesn't seem to see the connection between his voting habits and what happens to family members.

He is basically a good man, but wouldn't dream of not voting Tory. Has always read the Telegraph and thinks Cameron is a top bloke, apparently. Yes we have all tried to reason with him!

So she doesn't earn much and decided four children on those earnings was a good idea.

If she was working 40/50 hours a week and not meeting the bills people may have some sympathy.

The Tories always said they would reduce the welfare system. It was never unknown.

Cookie, What do you have to say about the father of her children?

If genuine, she's a victim of the 'othering' rhetoric that the Tories used to get votes. Distinguishing between 'strivers' and 'shirkers' - well, few people believe themselves to be shirkers. If you think that a large proportion of That Lot (whoever they are: asylum seekers, people on disability benefits, etc.) are on the make, then you probably believe that most of the cuts will come from the vast amounts being wasted on people who are only pretending to need it. And of course that doesn't apply to you, because you try hard, and your circumstances are genuine. It's a hard lesson to learn, when you find out that other people who voted for the same party look at you in that way. Hopefully you may even start suspecting that you were misled about That Lot as well.

I feel desperately sorry for this woman - she was lied to by Cameron, she stands to have her family's standard of living slashed, and now she is likely to be vilified in the Tory press.

I seriously hope that the press with discover some remaining shred of morality when covering this story, but I doubt it.