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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to explode!

40 replies

Outofstrategies · 03/05/2016 13:48

If another person says to me that they are not 'political' and that they aren't really bothered enough to find out about the referendum because they are 'not interested in that kind of thing' and that 'I don't like any politians so I don't vote' Or its best that I don't vote because I'm not sure and that way I won't effect the outcome!

I WILL EXPLODE!

It's your future people!

OP posts:

OnlyLovers · 03/05/2016 14:58

YANBU. I've a horrible feeling we're going to sleepwalk to the result of this referendum because of the sheer number of people who won't bother turning out.

Fpmd1710 · 03/05/2016 14:58

I am totally with you. What gets me more is that the people who claim not to be interested/bothered and don't vote are often the very first lot of people to pipe up when they aren't happy about changes affecting them. For example I asked my cousins if they had decided which way they were going to vote recently and the conversation had me shaking my head:
Cousin 1: vote for what? Prime minister? Oh I'd just let Toby Blair carry on doing what he's doing
Cousin 2: he's not PM anymore it's that fat Gordon Ramsey bloke
Mutual Friend: neither of them have been PM for years, it's the black guy now

It took me a few moments to realise my friend meant Barack Obama. These are the very same people who have complained about the way they will be affected when switched over to Universal Credits and also over the bedroom tax, I just block them out now because I get so pissed at their ignorance and end up yelling that if they don't vote then they don't get the right to complain about how the vote affects them.

OnlyLovers · 03/05/2016 14:59

Kitty, I'm with you!

LurkingHusband · 03/05/2016 14:59

Well, that's what their husbands told them ....

So you are happy to accept women campaigning to get the vote off their own backs but not that other women could campaign against it? That they must surely be influenced by their husbands? How insulting!

Er, it was (proving once again the internet doesn't "do" nuance) a joke. Or rather, it was a joke to me, and (hopefully) some others ...

Bogeyface · 03/05/2016 15:01

Apologies. I do get it as a joke, but I have seen similar comments meant perfectly seriously so I jumped to the wrong conclusion!

herecomethepotatoes · 03/05/2016 15:08

@LurkingHusband

Ah. I thought they were insulting our friends across the Channel.

MardleBum · 03/05/2016 15:10

It is down to plain old apathy or a sense of disenfranchisement for many, but I do think some people try to be engaged, they want to be engaged, but are so confused and overwhelmed by the arguments on all sides and maybe feel they have little understanding of what much of it actually means. They are nervous about nailing their colours to the mast and contributing to what might turn out to be a disastrous outcome in the long term.

I think those people are inclined to think it's better not to vote at all, than to vote for policies they either don't understand or don't have complete conviction in. I think they figure that it's best left to the people who do have some sort of conviction or a better understanding, because in the end it doesn't matter whether 100% or 30% of people vote. It's how they vote and where they live that sways the result, not how many voters there are overall.

I think in the case of Brexit this will be even more apparent than it is in general elections. Even many engaged people just don't know what to do for the best and will probably go into the ballot box still very much undecided.

shovetheholly · 03/05/2016 15:15

I really believe in being political, but I am deeply disenchanted with parliamentary politics. I think meaningful change very rarely starts in parliament - and a lot of the campaigns that have achieved really radical ends have been those that have worked largely outside its structures (with the eventual aim of achieving changes to them).

I believe that we have a very narrow spectrum of options to choose from, none of which really reflect my views. I have always voted to this point, but am increasingly questioning whether I'm actually just legitimating a neoliberal, elitist capitalist system in doing so.

Rezolution123 · 03/05/2016 15:28

Well said Shove theholly. I too have always voted all my adult life and have reached the stage where I am so disillusioned by politicians that I do not want to vote for any of them as they are not worthy of my vote. Frequently they do not carry out their election promises and if they get into Parliament they will only think about the electorate towards the next GE. Most politicians seem to have their eye to the main chance and want what is best for themselves and "blow everyone else" Rant over.
As to the EU voting, this is a much more serious matter. If we just ignore it and stay at home, then we have only ourselves to blame when it goes haywire. Time we all acted like adults, I reckon.
Just imagine if there had been a Referendum in 1939 on whether to go into World War 2. How would that have gone, do you think?.

Original poster

Outofstrategies · 03/05/2016 17:33

I think this thread has proved my point amply!

I am not telling people how to vote or to tell me about it. I just wish they would think about it and go and vote on June 23rd.

According to the polls at the moment. It's about 50:50 with the majority of younger people are expected to be in favour of staying and the majority of older people in favour of leaving.

However the older people are far more likely to vote so it is likely the decision will be made by the minority. Many of whom will not be too worried about researching the ins and outs of it either just going on 'emotion' or what they read in their papers of choice.

It's really unfortunate that there is no easy go to information source for this referendum and all the politicians seem to be using for their own personal agendas. This is making it hard for all of us to make a choice - it's not clear cut but I just wish people would realise that it's not a matter of party politics, and thwt they need to try their best to do what's right for them.

Complacency is what's driving me mad.

OP posts:

MardleBum · 03/05/2016 18:43

Ah. I see. So you are getting all irate at young people not voting, not because of some deeply held principle that voting is a civic duty and a hard fought right that should not be taken for granted, but actually because of a fear that your team will lose unless you can get the young apathetics on board. Because you think that the young apathetics are most likely to cheer for your team, could they actually be bothered to cheer for anybody.

I'd love to know if you'd be on MN wanting to explode with frustration over all those young people who can't be bothered to get off their arses and vote, if the polls showed they were thought to be leaning the opposite way to you?

wheresthel1ght · 03/05/2016 20:32

My views are my business and I have no intention of discussing it.

If someone was persistently asking me about it I would probably tell them I wasn't voting just to get them to bugger off

Viviennemary · 08/05/2016 15:13

I've spoken to a couple of people who weren't voting because they didn't know enough about it. And one person rolled their eyes when I said I was voting out. Just go with what you think and let others make up their own minds even if that's to decide not to vote.

Bogeyface · 08/05/2016 15:32

am not telling people how to vote or to tell me about it. I just wish they would think about it and go and vote on June 23rd.

It's really unfortunate that there is no easy go to information source for this referendum and all the politicians seem to be using for their own personal agendas

Many people WANT to vote but the fact that there is no clear cut information upon which to base a decision is what will stop a lot of them.

Complacency is what's driving me mad.

Either they are complacent or they are not voting because there isnt enough information, which is it?

OptimisticSix · 08/05/2016 15:56

I'm not voting bexause I can see the potential pros and cons of staying and leaving and it feels like a wash to me. Mr parents are passionate one way and trying to get me and DH to vote their way but honestly I am just in the middle on this one and I'm not going to vote for something I don't believe in just to vote. Its my right to vote or not as I see fit.

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