To ask what people have against Labour?

[TheSmallestOneWasMadeline]

I have come across lots of people who, even while admitting that the Conservatives are far from ideal, seem to scrunch their nose up and say 'but, ew, Labour' when talking about politics.

I have to admit I dont understand what it is that people think is so terrible about them and nobody ever cares to elaborate! I always vote for them as I think their principles align pretty closely with my own even if I don't agree with absolutely e everything they stand for.

Could someone please explain what people think is so terrible about them that they would do a worse job at running the country than the Conservatives have done?

As a former Tory voter I used to get so much hate from Labour supporters and some of their senior policians. "Tory Scum" was often shouted and Angela Rayner said Tory voter were homophibic and racist etc etc. I voted Labour in the last election as my local Tory candidate had a poor voting record on gay rights and the Lib Deb candidate was rubbish.

I like Sir Keir - one of the few decent politicians around just now, I think. But, although I've voted Labour in the past (not consistently), I wouldn't call my self a Labour voter.

I would be hard pushed to name anyone on either side of the HoC at the moment who I would trust or be able to respect. I think, in the days of Jeremy Corbyn, many people just didn't like him or the people around him. Jeremy Corbyn was a strange man - with some very worrying influences - eg anti-semitic lobbyists. It may not be his fault that his brother is a climate-change denier and anti-vaxxer, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. There was definitely a feeling that he was prey to some 'dark forces'. And he had zero charisma or personal presence - couldn't imagine him dealing with foreign leaders very effectively.

I would have answered your question until recently that people tend to think that Labour won't manage the economy properly but...ahem...the current lot seem like a complete disaster.

I'm NOT convinced by any party - I agree/disagree with aspects of both Tory/Labour policies but I would say this: I think sometimes the left wing of the Labour party give the impression that they think it's all about wealth redistribution. As the Tories used to constantly say - you've GOT to create that wealth first, and it's no good pretending otherwise. So we need to encourage and reward initiative, hard work and enterprise through the tax system. Disclaimer: I'm not advocating the extreme changes which have taken place over the last week, though!)

Your question was about why people don't like Labour, and I'm just trying to answer that. This word 'socialism' - it's much misunderstood, I think. If the Labour Party were truly socialist, that's pretty radical and I don't think many people would support them. If they are social democrats (I think that's more accurate), then fine - not so scary. Make no mistake, socialism proper would mean the forcible confiscation of property etc, and that's never going to be a popular idea. But I'm not saying the modern Labour Party is truly socialist, than goodness.

I support the NHS, BBC and welfare state (limited though). I wish railways and utilities hadn't been nationalised (although I'm old enough to remember how appalling the old British Rail was!!!). But I'm not one of those people who gets wound up because some people are much richer than me - of course life is unfair and unequal, and it was in the Soviet Union and any communist country too.

A lot of people on the "left" are absolutely toxic and very unpleasant. Some of that rubs off on the Labour party. Perhaps unfairly but they really should do more to distance themselves from the extremists.

I don’t like the personal insults that they feel able to dish out. I get that you have a difference of option, but find they can descend into personal insults quickly and they think their ‘caring politics’ gives them a license to make personal attacks.

Politically I feel if you work for something you should be able to keep as much of it as possible and that if the government or government institutions are spending tax payer money it should be properly and rigorously accounted for. I spent years working in the public sector and saw so much waste- I don’t like the feeling that institutions like the NHS are above scrutiny. Yes on and individual level doctors and nurses do incredible work- but I don’t think questioning where money goes means you hate the institution- I just want it better.

Part of the problem is that people of the left hold their politicians to a higher standard and that too often gets to the point of unrealistically high - like they must be morally faultless and have absolutely no views the voter disagrees with, or even ever had any views the voter disagrees with or been friendly with someone who has them.

I likely will vote for them at next election, though I don't agree with everything - mainly I think they are still trying too hard to impress Daily Mail readers they will never win over by buying into the 'benefits scrounger' narrative and being too shy of raising tax. I honestly don't know why they don't run with raising taxes on the mega rich and huge corporations and saying that money will be ringfenced for NHS, ending child poverty because then you can quite easily ask the Tories and others why those million/billionaires and megacorps need the money more than the NHS and children in poverty?

Yes, there are some horrid people in Labour too, as any party, but it's still not a reason not to vote for them. I'm Jewish and I'm quite sure next election the Tories will, in our area, be knocking themselves out to make any connection between Labour's candidate and Corbyn, and pointing out 'But Corbyn was the Labour leader' but I don't necessarily believe there are any more antisemites in Labour than any other party.

That’s not unique to the left though, is it? You can say exactly the same about the Conservatives, or indeed the US Republicans. And any other political party on either end of the spectrum.

All political parties are somewhat uncomfortable coalitions of people with varying viewpoints. You can look at (say) Ken Clarke and Peter Bone; they’re notionally in the same party, but they probably disagree on more than they agree.

For me it's the way they have thrown women to the wolves in order to pander to the demands of TRA.

I think you should have more money if you work than if you dont.

Oh no! You fell for it!

In the UK I would say that its certainly much more in the left. The celebrations when Margaret Thatcher died and the continued hatred of her from people who were not even alive when she was in power etc.

They are seen as cloth cap wearing unionists who hate progress and making money.
Or bleeding hearts who think we should all support dossers who have kids they can't feed.
They leave country up to its eyes in debt and let's nor forget the winter of discontent.
Much rather have an elitist bunch of toffs running the country to keep all them foreigners out.

That's the general consensus

In my view they don’t encourage people to get out and earn their money , they’re big fans of social living and they even encourage it . Recently they’ve state that they want to stop repossession for tenants that are in rent arrears etc which is terrible if you’re a landlord and have a mortgage to pay .Never in a million years they won’t get my vote , I’ll vote anyone but them

*A lot of people on the "left" are absolutely toxic and very unpleasant. Some of that rubs off on the Labour party. Perhaps unfairly but they really should do more to distance themselves from the extremists.

I don’t like the personal insults that they feel able to dish out. I get that you have a difference of option, but find they can descend into personal insults quickly and they think their ‘caring politics’ gives them a license to make personal attacks.*

I hear versions of these a lot. As if people on the right don't throw around "woke snowflake" style insults at the drop of a hat, to the point of utter tedium? Or much more unpleasantly, their penchant for casually disgusting racism/homophobia that they then try to pass off as jokes - right up to our actual last prime minister having called people batty boys, piccaninnies and letterboxes in print yet still being elected.

But tell me more about how it's the left who are characterised by toxic insults.

This. And the anti-semitism. And they do not know what a woman is.

@pompei8309 So your in favour of making children & their parents homeless because the parents can't afford the rent?

I see what you mean and I agree that some of the ‘celebrating’ when Thatcher died was in extremely poor taste.

But I still think it’s a pretty even split. Extremism and the poisonous behaviours that go along with that aren’t unique to one single political ideology.

It’s a state of mind thing, arguably an overly narrowed focus or a prejudice being exercised, as opposed to a baked in ‘problem’ with one side or the other.

Strange how they can 'throw women to the wolves' when they've had no ability to change the law on anything since 2010.

Oh wait, is this another one of the 'the problems right now are the fault of the FUTURE Labour government' lines the media was feeding us last week?

What @CulturePigeon said.
I voted Labour from 1979 to 2010. Then Lib Dem.
The Corbyn gang did it for me.
However I'll be voting for them again next time, with some reservations as I am utterly appalled at this government under Truss.
Starmer has created some distance between himself and the extremists and has finally got a few capable people around him though I don't include Raynor in that.

Should paying rent be optional for people with children?

Clearly not as Labour are 33pts ahead in the polls, just 21% think as you do.

The Tories, thankfully are finished, their undeserved reputation for fiscal competence exposed for all to see.

Or as Ken Clarke (Thatchers Chancellor, so hardly a leftie) said "what truss has done is what we have seen in South American dictatorships, it never works"

Odd question to ask in the week when Labour are riding high in the polls and the Tories have plummeted. It looks as though a lot more people are going to be voting Labour. A lot of ex-Tories created by Truss and the mini-budget.

Answer the Q first, should the children be made homeless because the parents cannot afford the rent?

walkingonsunshinekat- totally, I worked 50 hrs weeks since the age of 19, why would “ john’s “ live rent free in my house while I pay the mortgage?? he’s not my responsibility

Well, aside from the likes of Rayner who feel entitled to call their political opponents “scum”, it’s the fact that they think men can be women and therefore have the right to go into women-only spaces such as loos, changing rooms, hospital wards and prisons.

All the time the Labour policy line is “trans women are women, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a hateful transphobic bigot” they aren’t getting my vote, no matter what the Tories do.

Their decimation of women rights makes them completely unelectable for me