to ask if you've unfriended people because of politics?

[IceGreenTea]

For example, you have friends who strongly support a leader you cannot stand?

Do you think, if they think what he's doing is ok, then they're not the kind of people you think they are.

[CactusFred]

My sil defriended dh over Brexit as he was v vocal about thinking leavers were twats and she and bil both voted to leave.

They then didn't turn up at Christmas.

I was v pleased about this as they are both twats and not just cos of Brexit.

[TiggyD]

A couple of Britain Fisters, one person who had "That's so gay" post, and some extreme left wingers "All brexiters are racists".

Not guilty about getting rid of any of them.

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

I unfriended SIL for a few Britain First lite memes. About a year later she noticed and sent another request so now I just unfollow the sites she shares. Both BIL and SIL share bigoted rubbish, I would never ever want to split up with DP, I would be heartbroken but the only upside would be that I would never have to see them again.

[Oysterbabe]

I deleted a few people over Brexit.

[KC225]

I unfriended a few people over Brexit.

I didn't vote, as in 2014 I moved to Sweden. My children and I still hold British passports, my money and family are still in the UK. I was eligible to vote but I felt uncomfortable voting when I was residing abroad.

I unfriended remains, I was shocked at the smug, condescending vitriol. I unfriended my friends DH (I was a bridesmaid at their wedding) when he posted about the elderly voting for Brexit when their time was up and they were being selfish.

I didn't have to unfriend anyone on the other side as no one I knew posted anything I found contentious but I would have done.

[60sname]

Bibbety we both know that people hold very strong and entrenched views on both sides of what is an extremely long-running conflict. It so happens that the people I know on Facebook who post on this are on the one side

[unflinchingasaphotograph]

I have found Brexit awkward both socially and professionally, as most of my contemporaries assumed that I voted to stay, as they did. This was presented as it sometimes is on here as the only moral way to vote. It meant any discussion about the referendum meant I had to disqualify myself from the assumption that I voted to remain and therefore open myself up to potentially hostile questioning. I didn't lose any friends over it, but I did defriend some erstwhile colleagues who I had previously got on very well with.

[AskBasil]

I've never unfriended anyone because of politics.

But I have lost a massive amount of respect for some people.

[JustDanceAddict]

Only on FB with Trump supporters - I defriended a couple of US acquaintances who extolled his virtues.

[bottledatsource]

Yes. Brexiters have gone, Britain First supporters the same

[MyCatsHateMLMtoo]

I stopped being friends with someone I had previously respected after watching them (from another car nearby) open their car door and throw out all their McDonalds rubbish on the floor then drive off . If they had got out and done a dump next to the car i wouldn't have been more disgusted. There was a bin within twenty feet of their car. Fucking disgusting, lazy twat.

Politics? I don't talk about politics with friends, its all shoes and handbags .

[OnionKnight]

I've unfollowed several friends and some family members on Facebook, my father in law included.

We used to get on really well but now his views are becoming more and more obvious I'm starting to feel awkward.

[gabsdot]

I unfriended a guy I grew up with. He was raised by a single mother in a poor part of Dublin. Council house, benefits etc.
He moved to the states and became a red necked republican. I finally unfriended him when he posted a rant about food stamps and how people who get them are spongers and lazy.
He sure forgot where he came from.

[LumelaMme]

I tend to scroll past politics on FB: it's a shit forum for considered discussion, on the whole. I don't unfriend anyone (or I haven't yet) because I don't want FB to be an echo chamber.

[GruochMacAlpin]

I'm quite happy to have friends with different political views on my fb deed as long as they are polite and sensible.

I defriended one virulent "No" voter after the Indy Ref because he had filled my feed with vile posts mostly about how stupid and uneducated "Yes" voters were. He also turned out to be a UKIP supporter (fairly rare in Scotland) so I didn't feel he was any great loss.

Most of my friends and family hold opposing political views to me, I have no problem with that as long as it is civil and not offensive.

I did also drop two members of DH's family for Britain First and BNP racist posts.

[nuttyknitter]

Not just on FB. One long term friend liked or reposted lots of racist crap in the run up to the referendum. I texted her to tell her exactly why the friendship had run its course.

[Ghfst]

No, I've learnt to live with it. People think it's fair game if you're a Tory. I've just learnt to let it wash over me, I work in a very left wing environment so I just keep quiet and let them debate as they wish.

[Gooseygoosey12345]

If you can't be friends with people who have different views than you then you'd end up very lonely. It's a bit close-minded and immature tbh. You don't have to agree on everything, it just doesn't work like that.

[Gabilan]

I've unfriended people if they post things which are racist, sexist or homophobic. I'm exposed to enough of that elsewhere so I don't need it on my FB feed.

There are some people I would have unfriended over things they've said but I'm related to them so I just unfollowed instead. There are some friends I know through my hobby whose political views are opposed to mine. Generally we don't talk politics. On the whole I feel they are nice, kind people but I think they're not particularly analytical when it comes to dealing with media. They don't really think through or question what they're being told or why.

I don't know any Trump or Farage supporters but I wouldn't tolerate them if I did.

[llangennith]

No but I have to stop myself from responding to comments on social media.

[oklumberjack]

I haven't unfriended anyone but I never talk abut politics now, even though I love politics and spend a lot of my time listening to pmqs, interviews, commentators etc.

I have a good friend who thinks Jeremy Corbyn is some kind of second coming. On fb, when she was singing his praises pretty hard last year I just commented that I could never vote for him. She went insanely mental and actual didn't talk to me in real life for months.
It ended when I bought her a JC colouring book for her birthday and she sort of forgave me.

I also had a couple of fb friends (or friends) asking me to quantify every single point, feeling, opinion about why exactly I don't like JC and got abusive at my answers.

Now I don't tell anyone what I think. I keep my cards very close to my chest.

[delilahbucket]

One over brexit, one over harping on about how green peace were going to save our country and the Tories were somehow responsible for our recent power cut (everything was a political conspiracy) and have unfollowed several for spouting racist crap along the lines of BNP etc.

[PandoraMole]

I've had to unfollow my mum and two cousins over the last couple of years I couldn't bear to keep seeing their pro UKIP/Brexit bollocks on a daily basis. I couldn't bring myself to defriend them as well, they're family, and politics aside we get on (well I do with my cousins!) and don't see each other in person very often.

I've also in followed someone today who keeps posting pro life 'abortion is murder' articles. She's a close colleague and newish fb friend which is unfortunate as we get on well but it's really made me question how much I want to engage with her going forward.

[wendigo]

If I was really friends with that person and their friendship meant a lot to me, then I don't think I would or could. Some of my FB friends have done this- I think it seems a bit petty to me to unfriend on the basis of a political post I disagreed with. I would like to think I am friends with someone because I enjoy their company, and that they add something positive to my life. Having said that, I would struggle not to confront a friend about their views if they supported BNP or National Front or something extrememly racist like that. I do think, however (and I realise I may risk a flaming here) my belief of what constitutes racism is quite narrow. I don't consider not wanting to be part of EU or wanting controls on immigration/refugees racist, as many people support Farage because they are concerned about limited resources in an economically struggling small island like the UK. Some Brexiters may be racist but not all of them voted leave because they hate foreigners.

It does depend on motive. Many peopl emindlessly post things not having read them. I am Pro-Life, but I confronted someone who posted a FB post about aborted babies crying in heaven as many people who have had abortions could be triggered by that and I think it was an extremely insensitive way of expressing Pro-Life views. Others are entitled to their opinions but it is ok to call people out for dickish behaviour. If I KNEW a friend of mine was posting things like that just to upset people or try to force their views, I would probably defriend because someone who does that is toxic to be around, BUT, if someone really is ignorant or arrogant politically then no, I wouldn't defriend unless the cause was extremely racist, sexist etc. I do realise that others may feel differently and that is ok. I just am the sort of person I hate dumping people because I tend to need my friends and hate letting them go

[UterusUterusGhali]

I've been tempted but I don't want to live in an echo chamber.

I do engage them sometimes. Sometimes they block me. Meh.