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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the tide may be turning...

447 replies

Goldenhandshake · 24/04/2017 09:09

Apparently under twenty fives have been registering to vote in high numbers, assuming because lots of Tory policies have hit this age group negatively. AIBU to feel optimistic that they will turn out to vote and possibly prove the poll predictions wrong?

Any under 25's here who have registered with this intention?

OP posts:
pamplemoussed · 24/04/2017 11:56

Having 4 more bank holidays isn't a bad thing!

perhaps would be ok if spaced out, but no. He's not thought this through. We will have 2 in March, just before Easter, one in April, just after Easter ( so 3 EXTRA on top of Easter, in the space of about 6-7 weeks) and one at end of November (which would be nice for a bit of Christmas shopping, cake making, dusting down decs out of the attic, I'll admit..)

lostatsea1 · 24/04/2017 11:57

I have a degree in politics, work in a political organisation and am a political activist and have not voted for many years - because like Sylvia Pankhurst herself I choose to abstain when there is no option available I agree with.

But me and all my previous non-voting friends will be voting this time as Corbyn - whilst not perfect - is the closest we have to a decent politician for decades.

Most of Jeremy Corbyns policies - with the exception of his nuclear policies - were the policies held by the vast majority of politicians tory and labour in the 40's, 50's and 60's - they were valid electable policies then and gave us the period when we had never had it so good and the era's people always seem to hark back to.

They all believed in building a society that was more equal and treated everyone fairly.

As for the Nukes question...If Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand...........and so on are happy without Nukes can someone explain why we need to be spending money on them? If they truly are the only deterrent stopping us from being nuked how come all these other countries seem to be OK?

But another part of me wants the Tories to win - because we are in serious deep s**t with Brexit and I want the Tories to take the full blame for this for generations to come.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 24/04/2017 11:59

It's great that more people are registering to vote, I hope they follow through and vote for whomever they think best represents them.

Unfortunately the majority of Labour voters I know are so disenchanted by the current state of the party that they're voting Tory this time, I'm shocked because some of them have previously been so, so anti Tory but this time feel it's best.

Devorak · 24/04/2017 11:59

Yes, I'm sure it has nothing to do with those Tory policies that are killing the disabled, punishing the poor for being born poor and selling off bits of the NHS to their rich buddies. Nah, just a fashion statement.

Yep. Just a fashion statement. In the same way I had a Che Guevara t-shirt at uni in the, well, a while ago (ahem).

The Conservatives haven't killed anyone, disabled or otherwise. Labour are responsible for the demise of the NHS (if that's what you were getting at although you're a little young to remember the start of PFI).

@BurnTheBlackSuit

Yep, definitely everyone else's fault he's a failed opposition leader. The "evil BBC" Hmm What do they say about bad workmen?

@pumpkinpilot

I think tactical voting when organised en masse goes against the principle of 1 man 1 vote, something my uncle was killed protesting for. I think a single person doing so is okay but when nasty women with an axe to grind (Gina Miller) take other peoples' money to do so on a large scale is cheating the system. I think vote swapping websites go against the idea of democracy. We have secret ballots for a reason.

I'm very open to arguments that oppose my beliefs. I've spoilt my ballot twice, voted for Labour once and an Independent once. I don't vote blindly and I find it worrying that some "anyone but Tory" voters do. It's important to read and think and understand as opposed to be sucked in by your peer group or confirmation bias of the media you decide to read/ listen / watch.

The Tories are a safe pair of hands. From safely 'winning' (you know what I mean) two world wars, defending the Falklands, saving us from bankruptcy after the load from the IMF, a flourishing economy now with the rest of the EU treading water at best. They are a safe pair of hands and keep the country afloat when necessary because they make tough decisions when others fuck the NHS (Labour's PFI) or promise bank holidays.

In what way does increasing the amount of bank holidays we have in the UK (to bring us in to line with most of Europe) equate to promising a unicorn.

If you aspire to be like many European countries then you need to give your head a wobble. France is fucked (recent elections and economy). Germany is nervous (election coming, economy, political unrest) and smaller countries are crossing their fingers that they don't become the next Greece.

I likened it to a unicorn because it is a fucking idiotic thing to focus on and shows how desperately out of touch Corbyn is. As well as his forgetting that people have smart phones when he was caught out with the lying about seats on a train debacle. Politicians lie or bend the truth. I get that. For me, the worrying part of trainseatgate was his lack of understanding of this century.

Brexit is important. Bank holidays can take a backseat. A fish rots from the head and Corbyn is where the rot's beginning.

I am not saying that extra days would break the country. I'm saying that Corbyn is an idiot if he thinks that this is what should be being discussed.

If we are so poor as a country how can we afford brexit, over £70 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy and trident?

We are net contributors to the EU so you have a flawed argument with regard to Brexit. Brexit, in the world we live in, is a sad necessity. What do you know about MAD?

Also under the tories the national deficit has risen despite brutal cuts and the pound is in a terrible place.

I think you have the deficit and the national debt confused here. The Tories have been correcting the deficit (the difference between annual revenue and spend), it currently stands at about £63bn to £70bn from the high of £160bn in 2010. link

The national debt has not been reduced (or paid down) because in an environment of deficit, you are still borrowing your shortfall. These borrowing requirements add to the overall national debt that, as a result, increases.

I have been less patronising than you. I didn't suggest anyone "go and read about" (even you not understanding deficit and debt) and can you give me a single fact about which I was wrong?

@53rdWay

We already have PR systems in three out of the four U.K. countries. Seems to work okay?

Yes, they're flourishing! Sorry. Sarcasm is wrong. They have high unemployment, low GDP and need the 4th UK country to support them financially.

Sorry, long post with a coffee break and walk to the post office inbetween!

ILikeBeansWithKetchup · 24/04/2017 12:00

The 4 Bank Holidays think is a bit bizarre! has he not thought of the knock on effect on school terms??

Students have to be taught a certain number of days and then there are training days on top. This will royally mess that up since, at the moment, nearly all the bank holidays (think it's just the one coming up that's the exception) fall within normal holiday times!

Confused
DaveTheDesigner · 24/04/2017 12:01

pumpkinpilot - You just proved she didn't say it lol

RortyCrankle · 24/04/2017 12:03

Well I suppose you can dream. Meanwhile, back in the real world, the Conservatives will win the GE and take us out of the EU.

ILikeBeansWithKetchup · 24/04/2017 12:06

On another note, I am - and always have been - confused by people who have voted both Tory and Labour in their lives. To me, they represent such opposites...

I am bewildered by a world where there are people who don't know what they are and who don't feel defined by, drawn to - or represented by a party or the ideologies it represents at its core.

That genuinely puzzles me. But I am sure it shouldn't.

I have only ever once deserted my party - that was in a local election where I was attempting tactical voting.

I am so cross at the moment because if I lived 1/2 mile up the rod I would be in one of the UK's most marginal constituencies and I feel my vote would really really count. My MP (hideous person that she is) has one of the largest majorities in parliament. I must admit, I can see why people don't bother to vote round here.

Even if all the 18 - 25 year olds here suddenly decided to vote, we would have to assume they would all vote for one and the same party ( and not the sitting MP's) to unseat her. That is clearly not going to happen.

ILikeBeansWithKetchup · 24/04/2017 12:09

Gosh Devorak, did you really just say the Conservative party won the world wars?? Goodness.

And whilst they may have 'won' the Falklands, if you chose to see it that way, 'they' also started it...

Churchill was, of course, summarily voted out of office in 1945. My grandmother never forgave 'the working classes'.

LightastheBreeze · 24/04/2017 12:11

The 4 extra bank holidays could end up coming out of holiday entitlement, now it is 20 day + 8 BH, they could change it to 16 + 12 BH. I prefer to choose when I take my holidays

DS is under 25 and has always voted Tory.

FrenchLavender · 24/04/2017 12:11

I hope to God you are wrong. I understand that something needs to be done to help the under 25s and give them back a future and I would support most measures to do that. But if they fall for Jeremy Corbin dangling sweeties in front of them like the Child Catcher then God help us all. Negotiating Brexit is tough enough already, the thought of Brexit under a JC government makes my blood run cold.

And don't be under any illusion that JC is going to somehow magically reverse it - he won't. He doesn't especially want to be in Europe either.

Batgirlspants · 24/04/2017 12:12

Life long labour voter who cannot possibly vote for Corbyn Abbott and Thornbury and am constantly amazed anyone can. Neither will my 2 under 25s.

My 18 year old called the bank holiday bribe policy 'desperately embarrassing' and I agree with her.

They are killing the Labour Party.

haveacupoftea · 24/04/2017 12:14

Depressingly I doubt it will make a difference. We seem determined to vote in a Government who will erode our rights and force us even further into austerity to benefit themselves.

DaveTheDesigner · 24/04/2017 12:14

ILikeBeansWithKetchup _ "And whilst they may have 'won' the Falklands, if you chose to see it that way, 'they' also started it..." I think Argentina invading "started it". Or do you have an alternative fact?

wasonthelist · 24/04/2017 12:15

The Tories are a safe pair of hands. ...... defending the Falklands

No. Revisionist history. The Tories defence review (cuts) removed HMS Endurance in the face of warnings from their own side, opposition MPs and the Navy.

Over a long period of time they gave the Argentinians and everyone else the strong impression they didn't give a fuck about the Falklands. Nicholas Ridley agreed a secret deal to let them go.

Somehow Thatcher managed to act surprised and (off the backs of many dead) claim credit for getting back the Islands which had been lost almost 100% due to her crappy management. I have to doff my cap to her political ability to spin stuff.

FrenchLavender · 24/04/2017 12:20

Countries that have more bank holidays tend to have less paid annual leave entitlement contracted into full time jobs.

It's only nice to have more bank hols if you keep all your holiday entitlement, but over time that will have to change. All that will happen is that you will end up with the same amount of time off but less choice about when you can take it.

CainDinglesLeatherJacket · 24/04/2017 12:24

I'm under 25. There doesn't seem to be much consensus on what parties my age group will vote for. Some say labour, some say green, some Lib Dem etc. I can't see it making much difference against the Tories unless all under 25s pick one specific party to vote for collectively.

muffinbluffer · 24/04/2017 12:24

Sorry, haven't read all the posts but God I hope your theory is true...I cannot understand people voting for a government that has systematically targeted the sick, disabled and most vulnerable in society, who are hell bent on destroying the NHS and social support....I somehow find it more difficult to believe people would vote for this bunch of sociopaths than the fact they actually exist in the first place....ok, that's my rant for today!

chopper23 · 24/04/2017 12:25

I'm only just past 25, but have always voted Conservative and will continue to do so.

wasonthelist · 24/04/2017 12:25

A few of things on the Bank Holidays -
None of us is entitled to paid leave on BHs at present.
The 4 Saints days would presumably be observed in each relevant home nation and therefore constitute 1 day for most people.
We are, for better or worse, an economy that relies heavily on retail and leisure spending - this tends to be higher on Bank Holidays.

SquatBetty · 24/04/2017 12:26

Didn't Churchill lead a coalition government during WW2 - so not exactly just the Tories winning it for us?

muckypup73 · 24/04/2017 12:28

The Tories are very clever they are saying nothing, because they know Jeremy Corbyn will dig himself a grave.

EnjoyYourVegetables · 24/04/2017 12:29

It was a wartime coalition yes..

GoodGirlGoneWrong · 24/04/2017 12:29

I think we are fucked what ever gets elected. Tories will continue to make the poor poorer and the rich richer. Lib dems waste of time and labour well lets not even think about that. britexit will be a monumental fuck up whoever is in charge.

muckypup73 · 24/04/2017 12:30

muffinbluffer, you seriously think Jeremy Corbyn is the answer to that do you???