To think that some left-wing supporters are just so NASTY

[cathf]

This is based on posts I have read on here and a couple of very vocal left-wing friends I have on facebook.
I have truly never read a Conservative supporter personally attacking Labour in the same way.
I find it astonishing and if I am honest, a bit childish.
Recent examples include a website pulling Teresa May's living room apart and costing out every single thing in it, to a chorus of comments along the lines of how can she sleep at night when children are hungry and she has a £25 candle.
Every time the subject is raised on here, there is a long thread of hysterical comments about how nasty the Tories are. Yes, Tory supporters state their case and answer back, but they seem to be able to do it in a more restrained, mature manner than outraged Labour screamers.
There seems to be a lot of personal bile aimed at Teresa May, which I am at a loss to understand - just what has she done that is so terrible?
She is pushing through Brexit, but that was what the country voted for. Is she supposed to go against the country's wishes?
All of Labour's policies look very lovely, but none have any substance at all. My friend recently stated on Facebook she was supporting Jeremy Corbyn because he wanted peace not war. And? How is he going to implement that then? It reminds me of the 1980s T-shirts stating War is Stupid. Lots of nice words, but to implementation strategies.
It amazes me that supposedly intelligent people seem to be so brainwashed by this nonsense and think that flinging mud is an appopriate way to behave.
Is it just me?

yes, but that is quite new (and in Thatcher's time there was no Scottish parliament of course!)

Oh well, I stand corrected. bet you weren't in Glasgow though !

I think Ruth D is a good face for the Scottish Tories.

Not just you at all OP - that's why labour is in the state it's in.

'How dare you want to redistribute wealth, care for society's most vulnerable and force big businesses to pay their fair share of taxes. You, you, you.... loony'

Indeed. Honestly, this is said so much I now take it as a compliment, if this is the best insult/criticism that can be brought up in relation to the left, then I wear it with pride

I also think Mrs May is trying to squash Indyref 2.

YANBU
The most vitriolic posts that I've seen on social media recently and during Brexit were from Labour supporters. The most vocal I know are fairly well off with rather idealistic views and an inability to consider anything else or anyone else's point of view. Simply hating Tories for being Tories seems to be their common theme.

I'm not loyal either way and would prefer to to the manifestos of all parties before making a decision. Health and education are in dire straits and I've never seen so many homeless people and people with mental health issues in the city where I live since the Tories came to power. Having said that I think TM is a strong leader and the only one I can see being capable of negotiating with the EU. Confused

Nope edinburgh. The estate I grew up on really showed the good and bad of the labour years actually. A lot of work was done on it physically - although in fairness the regeneration started in the Major years - with the worst tower blocks coming down, new housing association properties built, shiny new library, that kind of thing. Benefits changes meant that people had more money to live on and that showed. Community action groups got crazy amounts of money for development workers.
But...the local shit high school stayed just as unutterably shit. The employment rate didn't seem to get better - although a fair number of people went from dole to disability benefits, included my own family.
It kind of seemed to me that for most people their actual situation, and their children's prospects, didn't really change much at all.
Not saying it is any better now btw.

Ruth Davidson is my local msp actually. I didn't vote for her - or anyone, I was unexpectedly away for work - but she seems decent. I can understand why she took votes from labour, they're an utter mess up here.

Yeah we hate the tories for being tories, and not because they attack the vulnerable and promote racism sexism and xenophobia

Having said that I think TM is a strong leader and the only one I can see being capable of negotiating with the EU. Confused confused

I don't see that, tbh. From what I can see TM is prepared to throw the economy under a bus to make sure we get 'hard brexit'.

I'd rather not have someone so rigid and fanatical in charge of brexit.

Though otoh I don't see Corbyn as being strong enough or having the support he'd need from his own party to pull off a better deal.

We're fucked whoever wins, really.

I'm waiting to hear what the Lib Dems have to say before I decide my vote.

Ilike actually Scotland's anti-Tory stance is a relatively recent phenomenon and the Tories got a decent haul of seats throughout Scotland in all three of Thatcher's elections as Prime Minister in the 70s and 80s (see charts below). The poll tax protests came after her third election, where she had held quite a few seats, so it's unlikely that she picked on Scotland because she knew she'd never win here (she was actually doing quite well here). The drop in support seems to have come about because of the poll tax rather than the other way round.

I also think the almost rabid hatred of Tories from certain quarters up here is slightly ridiculous. As statistically suggests, they have good and bad policies like any other party - they aren't intrinsically evil. I think the resurgence of the Tories shows that people really don't hate them that much in general.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1979
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1983
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1987

There are plenty of champagne socialist digs etc

It's a bit like asking why feminists are so angry- we feel like we are fighting for our lives. When the tory government attack disabled people and children and they are dying as a result then we don't feel like being nice. Being nice feels like a luxury we don't have.

Its just you - any mediated feed on a social network will be your own personal echo chamber unless you actively add in people you disagree with.

Scotland was traditionally a conservative (small c is deliberate) voting country until they adopted the New Right ideology in the 1970's.

Thatcher used North Sea oil cash to fund a restructuring of GB from manufacturing to service and finance. In doing this she destroyed many parts of Scotland, N England and Wales. This also led to the finance sector becoming more centralised in London and Edinburgh which is why the country is now so unbalanced.

The Glasgow Effect is a phenomenon that means that people living in Glasgow will live shorter lives compared to similar cities in England. Although no one is 100% sure why this is, there is lots of evidence that points to Thatcher. It's no surprise her death was celebrated here when she escrowed the lives of many here and didn't get the luxury of the life span she did.

Escrowed should be shortened

yes, I am aware the Tories had a stronger foothold in the 70s and some of the 80s but I also remember when they had no seats at all - and the SNP had very few. And the Tory seats were in distinct areas. Thatcher is very much to blame for the demise of Scottish conservatism.

I don't want to hijack this thread with a debate about Scotland, though.

But I must add there has never ever been any love for conservatism - or specifically Thatcherism - in Glasgow (or of you are going to be pedantic, working class Glasgow)

That's not rabid. It's based on old fashioned socialism.

The left think they right disagree with them because they are evil, the right think the left disagree with them because they are stupid. If you think your opponent is evil rather than stupid, you will treat them worse. This is why the left are nastier.

That's probably not a bad summary firesuit!

Social media makes it much easier to make dogs at people because it's somewhat anonymous. My Corbyn supporting friends post stuff on fb about Tory lite traitors and disloyalty, they know I'm a blairite, wed'd never talk about it in person because it would be too awkward.

On the whole though, call me what you like online, it's easier to shrug off than when it's face to face nastiness.

Make dogs at people? Ha! I've been told many times that Glasgow is the good bit of Scotland - Edinburgh is shite. Often from Scots not living in Scotland...

katronfon

I agree actually. I don't think making personal attacks against either side is helpful.

I don't believe Tory voters are evil. The people they vote for are, the policies they vote for are, on the whole, selfish and insidious. The voters themselves, not so much.

I don't understand them. It baffles me that anyone could support them but plenty do and no, they're not all evil, nor are all left voters stupid.

NoLottery. I couldn't possibly comment!

your personal life is not going to change many, if anybody's, mind. Obviously it's a pressing issue to you! But to the electorate as a whole it isn't

The problem is, policies impact on the lives of ordinary people. And so yes, it is a pressing issue for more than just one voter. And more than one voter starts adding up to a significant portion of the electorate. If you are a politician, why would you ignore significant groups in society? If we don't tell our personal stories, then people who have been fortunate not to have had a negative experience of austerity are never going to get it, are they?

Sadly, it is clear people like you pink can't even take the time to 'listen' to people who may have something significant to say. Easier to presume we're a bit stupid and to blame for any negativity that comes our way, eh?