How would you feel if your 16 year old DS wanted to become a 'young conservative'

[BigSandyBalls2015]

That is all!
Opinions please.

I'd have to re educate him and if this didn't work i'd be helping him find a flat.
Couldn't have a conservative under my roof after what they stand for.
Never met a nice conservative yet, including an extended family member.

@SusanTheGentle

I think that one of my quotations was unfair ("wishing I had aborted him 17 years before") but none of the others required context given that this is a chat forum and usual academic rigour is relatively relaxed.

My opinions were about numerous, clumped-together opinions and the tone of the thread in general as opposed to directly insulting an individual.

Do you not see the difference?

You clearly have no issue with direct insults, questioning intellectual ability or the wish that children absolutely agree with their parent's ideology. Good luck!

@gillybeanz

You'd kick a family member out of your house for voting differently to you?

Yes, the Tories are nasty!

Eh, it's no different to picking a sports team, so I'd do the same if they picked Labour - play devils advocate and test their beliefs from every angle.

I'd worry if they became a banker, CEO or journalist though. That's where real power lies and principles can have an impact.

Over the moon. I am a Thatcherite as I was aged 17 at university by the way.

Only the Conservatives can properly look after the economy and the poor in the UK which is one reason Labour did not win the last election and hopefully won't win the next.

I'd be quite proud.

I'm at the absolute opposite end of the political spectrum myself. The reason I'd feel proud though would be that (hopefully) they were thinking for themselves, not indoctrinated by my political opinions and were taking an interest in politics. I would absolutely despair at their views though. Tories just seem so, so selfish.

It seems a bunch of 16 year olds are a lot more tolerant of each other's views than many grown adults here

I'd agree with that. Throwing your child out of your home. Seriously!

Oh and I'd keep a good eye on their social media accounts for any racist posts.

Oh and I'd keep a good eye on their social media accounts for any racist posts.

Shouldn't you do that whichever party they support?

Seek school is still open, teachers are still there and any parent who cannot arrange supervision for their child can have their child go to 'homework club' in school. I fail to see how the school is saving money by booting the kids out early on a Monday afternoon. They no longer close for training days, instead the pupils make up their lost Monday afternoon on those days. School is open for the same number of days, on the same site, with the same staffing levels.

How is this not propaganda, when there's no money being saved but children are being sent home with a political message?

A failure as a parent to bring up a child, who who become a caring and compassionate young person/adult.

"Couldn't have a conservative under my roof..."

I hope you've put a sign on your front door, just in case?

"Never met a nice conservative yet.."

Great to see that tolerance and open-mindedness are thriving today on MN. What hope is there for our 16 year olds if adults hold these attitudes?

Increasingly school is still open for the same amount of time through the year; the pupils make up the Monday afternoon by not having time off on teacher training days (teachers train on a Monday afternoon now). So, from what I can gather, students don't lose any teaching time as it's made up by not having teacher training days off, and teachers don't lose any training (debatable) as they train on a Monday afternoon.

Not sure how the rearrangement of the curriculum warrants a political message being sent home parroted as if learned by rote.

Dh and I have completely different political views so I wouldn't assume ds would feel the same as I do. Overall I'd feel proud he felt passionate about something.

I'd be extremely relieved that he hadn't got involved with anything to do with Jeremy Corbin or momentum. If he had joined them I would have to seriously question where we had gone wrong

A failure as a parent to bring up a child, who who become a caring and compassionate young person/adult.

I find it amazing that people seriously think that all Tories are uncompassionate and uncaring and Labour supporters are all lovely compassionate people.

Some of the most heartless people I've ever met were fully paid up members of the Labour Party!

So any kid of social media age would need a massive pair of balls to admit to voting anything other than the corbynista party line

Hayesking I think there are still big local variations, despite the power of social media. My DD16 got a lot of flack, even from friends, for saying she supported Labour during the last election, but we live in a safe Tory seat.

It's shocking that a teacher would allow your DD to be called a 'racist bitch' in class, but maybe that's more a sign of the social media age - I've stopped following almost all news and political pages on FB because I just found the level of personal abuse in the comments underneath too depressing.

@topicOfTheDay

I disagree: you cannot quote people out of context and expect to have people respect your position, even on a chat forum. Quoting out of context and misinterpreting other people's statements and positions weakens your position.

Earlier in the thread people were being got at for having knee jerk reactions and not engaging in nuanced debates. I'm engaging in a nuanced debate and trying to do so in good faith. It's not academic - political party policies affect real people's real lives, which is why I'm worried about political extremists on both sides. Because let me repeat again: I am a centrist. I don't think children should agree with their parents. I do care about people's ability to reason correctly which is why I point out faulty reasoning and comprehension when I see it.

The Young Conservatives held some strange views on Apartheid didn't they?

Only the Conservatives can properly look after the economy and the poor

Only if by "look after", you mean kill.

I would laugh because he would clearly be joking.

Piglet that wasn't what I posted or believe.
Obviously there are horrible people who vote Labour. Again some Tory voters are nice enough people just naive, deceived by propaganda etc.
To join the young conservative though you must have read through the policies given them enough thought to actively agree and promote them.
Many disabled people have died or had they dignity taken away. Children and low income families are struggling fir the very basics like food and a roof over their heads.
The above as a direct result of Tory policies like the bedroom tax, changes to esa, dla and tax credits. The introduction of Universal credit.
To stand up as a young conservative and say yes I am with you, that takes a certain mindset that my dc would never possess.

Pleased he has an interest in politics, but a little disappointed at the same time and ready for a debate!

Not in my DNephew’s case, he’s 17 years old and insufferable at the moment. A massive fan of Nigel Farage (he used to be UKIP).

At least he’s interested in politics, I suppose. (Although I’d personally rather he was an avid supporter of a football team.)