To be annoyed about this conference being made political

[dotandstripe]

I'm going to a professional conference the weekend after the general election (bought tickets before the election was called).

As soon as the election was called, the organisers started talking about what a shame it is and how we would all "need alcohol" and "be in need of cheering up" after the election, basically making clear they assumed everyone would be voting Labour/left and be sad about losing. They've been periodically posting anti-Tory stuff since.

Over 250 people go to this event and I'm sure we are not all Labour voters. It's a professional/industry event and for the most part I try to keep politics out of my work context (no reason to burn bridges with potential clients, after all). But now I feel like the event is going to have a political undertone and I can either pretend I vote Labour, or be honest and risk alienating people who I might work with in the future.

If I hadn't paid nearly £200 for the ticket, I probably wouldn't go at all now. I get that it's their event and they can do what they want but I feel totally unwelcome now and annoyed about it all.

Thinks that's quite unprofessional of the organisers TBH. You need to be able to work with governments of whatever type, and therefore keep your mouth shut about your personal feelings

Yes, that's a good point, I wouldn't like it if they were saying "we'll have plenty of bubbly to celebrate a Tory win!" either. I've paid a lot of money to go learn new skills and network, and would rather keep politics out of it. You just can't assume any group of 250 all votes the same.

Depends on the industry. Some are just going to be hit more by a Tory government that anything else. I work in the charity sector and we cannot be party political but there are clearly policies that we know will help our clients and others that will punish them (for being disabled).

Is the anti-Tory stuff along the lines of mock the strong and stable leadership thing that May is always doing or is about actual policies?

Entrepreneurs/designer-makers/bloggers mainly.

Odd then. You'd think that audience would be mixed enough to warrant at least a studied neutrality.

I can see that a hard Brexit is questionable for entrepreneurs, that Tories have never been positive about design/art/creativity and that bloggers tend (although by no means are exclusively) to be centre/left. But agree that it does seem weird.

I think some people are so ensconced in their social media echo-chambers that they lose track that anyone in their circle could possibly think differently...