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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you rather people who voted Tory or don't absolutely hate the Government just stayed silent on threads?

178 replies

ITonyah · 26/05/2020 12:59

As it seems pointless bothering on Mumsnet any more.

Personally I'm a bit sick of being called a bot because I voted Conservative.

There are a lot of threads with pained titles asking people to explain why they voted Tory/don't hate Boris Johnson etc but when it comes down to it noone is at all interested and it's just an excuse for a pile on.

YANBU - No, keep posting as I like to see both sides of an argument, I don't think you are a bot!

YABU - Yes, please just keep any Tory voting or opinions to yourself.

OP posts:
TabbyMumz · 26/05/2020 14:51

I too want to know what bot means. I hate the political threads that come up in aibu...Such as "what do we have to do to get Boris out" etc. .presuming everyone is with them on this. Also hate it when it seems they are so dogged in their approach that they dont see the wood for the trees. Threads should be mixed. I get that not everyone will agree with what you say, but why the need for so much nastiness.

GarlicSoup · 26/05/2020 14:52

Certainly not unless you want MN to be a Dictatorship.

Alsohuman · 26/05/2020 14:53

Thing is that it’s completely irrelevant whether any other party would have done better. This is the government we’ve got. Let’s judge its performance without red herrings about some hypothetical situation that can only be conjecture.

NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace · 26/05/2020 14:53

Please carry on posting.

From a floating voter (since I started voting). I vote for whichever party I think will best serve my community and country during the following five years.

DippyAvocado · 26/05/2020 15:08

No problem with people posting their views - I will debate them if I disagree. However the ones who appear on every thread that is critical of the government to defend them no matter what they do are tiresome.

It's not compulsory to offer blind support forever. I was a supporter of the Blair government until the Iraq war then I disagreed with how they handled things and didn't vote for them again. It's ok to change your mind. Or you can broadly support them but disagree with some of their actions. But the same posters appear on every thread, supporting the government whatever the issue. What DC has done is indefensible and even if you are generally a supporter of the government I can't see how you can support them in this.

However, I agree that the issue of DC goes beyond party politics. He isn't a Conservative MP. I believe he isn't even a member of the Conservative Party. Yet he is defended to the point that they clearly can't manage without him. More than anything, this issue has thrown up how much influence over the ruling of the country this unelected figure has.

FOJN · 26/05/2020 15:08

I worry we are losing are ability or willingness to engage in civil debate or to respectfully acknowledge that everyone's life experiences will shape their views and sometimes they will be radically different to our own. All to often a difference of opinion leads to the exchange of personal insults which is never helpful in either hearing or being heard.

There's a perception of a stereotypical conservative voter on MN which isn't supported by my experience IRL. Posters whose political compass points in a different direction are convinced Tory voters are bad people and should be ashamed of their political views but again that's not real life. I take the view that there is a broad consensus about the kind of society we want but very differing views about priorities or how to achieve it.

Equally it's quite lazy to suggest another party/leader couldn't do better. For better or worse we have a democratically elected conservative government lead by Boris Johnson, the electorate is within their rights to criticise or call them to account. What another party may have done in similar circumstances is irrelevant. However I am pleased KS is now leader of the Labour Party, I think the LP which provide much better opposition now which is essential for democracy.

I am politically homeless and am so disappointed with the state of UK politics I have gone to the polls and spoilt my ballot paper for the last 3 elections. I couldn't hold my nose and vote for any party as the least worst option but I do take an interest in other people's perspective.

TabbyMumz · 26/05/2020 15:19

"No problem with people posting their views - I will debate them if I disagree. However the ones who appear on every thread that is critical of the government to defend them no matter what they do are tiresome."
Surely they are only stating their view just as much as those posting against the Government do. I find that tiresome.

"It's not compulsory to offer blind support forever."

It's not compulsory to hate the Government forever either?

TabbyMumz · 26/05/2020 15:21

"I worry we are losing are ability or willingness to engage in civil debate or to respectfully acknowledge that everyone's life experiences will shape their views and sometimes they will be radically different to our own. All to often a difference of opinion leads to the exchange of personal insults which is never helpful in either hearing or being heard."

I absolutely agree. Mn sometimes turns into a sort of argumentative fb post. No need for this. It used to be a lot more respectful.

MarieQueenofScots · 26/05/2020 15:33

I absolutely agree. Mn sometimes turns into a sort of argumentative fb post. No need for this. It used to be a lot more respectful

My irony meter is off the scale.

You do know A/S is possible, right? Grin

Original poster
ITonyah · 26/05/2020 15:38

What does A/S mean?

OP posts:
ThePlantsitter · 26/05/2020 15:41

It's not really Tory-ness, it's this government. Boris Johnson has lied again and again - it is proven he has lied - and yet supporters of this government refuse to engage with that fact.

The DC thing is corruption pure and simple. The cabinet considers themselves 'more equal' than others. It is horrifying that the government is not even really denying that, just expecting us to suck it up.

It's great to have healthy debate with people whose opinions differ from my own when they can back their opinions up with evidence and reasoned argument - and I expect them to want the same from me. But when defence of the government either skirts the issues of corruption and lies, simply asks us to deny the evidence of our own ears and eyes, or asks us to blindly accept we are not operating under the same rules as the elite it is maddening.

Ravenclawgirl · 26/05/2020 15:46

I voted Tory.

Quite frankly I'm delighted that Boris is standing by Dominic Cummings because i am sick to bloody death of the media thinking they can dictate who is or isn't in the cabinet.

The conservative party won the election. Not the media and not random people on twitter.

TabbyMumz · 26/05/2020 15:48

"My irony meter is off the scale.

You do know A/S is possible, right"
Dont know what you mean either....can you explain?

ThePlantsitter · 26/05/2020 15:49

Ravenclawgirl do you think the situation shouldn't be investigated by the cabinet office given there's a chance Cummings broke the law?

Brefugee · 26/05/2020 15:55

I don't have a horse in this race so this seems a good place to ask:

Tory voters, are you satisfied with Johnson as PM or would you prefer someone different? Gove maybe or Javid?

Kljnmw3459 · 26/05/2020 15:58

How about sunak?

Brefugee · 26/05/2020 16:01

@Ravenclawgirl
Quite frankly I'm delighted that Boris is standing by Dominic Cummings because i am sick to bloody death of the media thinking they can dictate who is or isn't in the cabinet.

interesting view, thanks. What do you think, however, on the apparent control that Cummings has over the PM and his cabinet and his assertion that he's pretty much the one making decisions? He's unelected and unaccountable - is that a dangerous precedent or is it ok because the PM chose him?

I'm not being goady, and you deffo don't have to answer, but i find it a really interesting view (one that i can't support because i think the press should always push the government to answer questions)

Justnot · 26/05/2020 16:09

I do wonder if any of the people standing by Boris and Dom have had to make tough decisions during the lockdown. If they did they should understand the anger, if they didn’t they should have a bit more empathy for people who are angry. That they feel neither exposes them as just being partisan Tory fools ....

Original poster
ITonyah · 26/05/2020 16:24

Tory voters, are you satisfied with Johnson as PM or would you prefer someone different? Gove maybe or Javid? I like Gove. I'm not sure he's leadership material though.

I thought the best thing about Johnson was his team.

OP posts:
Original poster
ITonyah · 26/05/2020 16:25

That they feel neither exposes them as just being partisan Tory fools ...

Now now, we'll have none of that hear. This is a reasonable thread for reasonable people 😅

OP posts:
SausageCrush · 26/05/2020 16:56

I voted Tory.
I read some of the political posts on here during Brexit and it seemed to me that 99% of MN had different political affiliations - and were very 'assertive' in their opinions! I was intimidated and never posted.
I think the current government are doing a decent enough job in a very difficult situation. I think they have made mistakes. I think the media are doing a poor job and love to stir up trouble.

RainMustFall · 26/05/2020 16:59

However the ones who appear on every thread that is critical of the government to defend them no matter what they do are tiresome.

And the ones who appear on every thread bashing the Government no matter what they do aren't?

Alsohuman · 26/05/2020 17:02

I don’t think being critical of the government is the same as bashing them. I think Sunak’s doing a sterling job, everything he’s done has been on point. The rest? Well, the best I can say is that they need to try harder.

MissConductUS · 26/05/2020 17:02

YANBU. The only worse crime on MN than being a Tory is being an American.

ThePlantsitter · 26/05/2020 17:02

Personally I would much rather support the government at a time like this. I'm somebody who would rather be told what to do by someone who has been advised by people educated in their field than act based on my own opinion. I am not a Tory but I was happy to do what Johnson's government told me to do, believing that they would act upon advice given to them. Unfortunately recent events have made me think this was the wrong course to take.