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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How can I learn about politics?

3 replies

Confused1977 · 02/06/2019 22:05

AIBU to think about doing GCSE politics as a 40 year old?

I'm interested in politics, but to be honest I find it all really confusing. I always vote, because I feel that's really important for democracy....and especially as a woman, I know women in history have fought and sacrificed so we can have our vote. But half the time I have no idea what I'm voting for.

I really care about social issues. I come from a very working class, and 'deprived' background, and never really learned about politics at school/growing up. I experienced a lot of trauma in my childhood/teenage years....and then as an adult. I've fought through my adult life to get myself an education and am now qualified to post graduate level in a respectable profession.

It's always been a bit of a struggle and recently the shit hit the fan, and I've pretty much lost everything...job, home, car, mental health etc. Despite my best efforts to make something of myself ive ended up in the welfare system. And oh my god it is complicated! I have suffered and reached crisis point. I was left pretty much destitute by universal credit. I managed to appeal to my local council for crisis help. And they did help me. At least I have an education and can read and write and negotiate with people .....but people who don't have these skills must suffer so much.

I really wish I understood politics, who to vote for, how to raise issues and campaign about things. I try to read newspapers but I just don't have the background knowledge to understand what they are going on about!!

Would doing GCSE politics at my local college be a good place to start?

OP posts:
lottiegarbanzo · 02/06/2019 22:12

Probably would. Might as well give it a go really. You'd learn something, it might be interesting. Whether it would cover what you want to know, I've no idea but it would surely give you some basis for further reading that would make more sense.

Also, you could look up your local WEA and see if they do any good courses.

And, the Open University does a set of short, free modules - can't remember the name but it's all sorts of stuff you can learn for fun, in bite-sized chunks.

Didntwanttochangemyname · 03/06/2019 13:22

Start listening to radio 4 for a start, it's invaluable when learning who the key players are etc. And start reading Private Eye. Both of these things will help you understand how we are where we are.

UnicornBrexit · 03/06/2019 13:33

www.simplepolitics.co.uk/ - I use the FB site

www.parliament.uk/education/

fullfact.org/

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