To think my niece doesn’t really get a say on how good or bad she thinks the budget is

[Dennien]

I’m a single mum, I work full time, I have 3 children and I just about get by.
My niece is 26, she makes almost 100k (got lucky, was in the right rooms either the right people), and inherited 500k from her paternal grandparents.
She doesn’t have uni debt, she doesn’t have childcare costs. She happily pays £500 a month for a fancy London gym, lives in a flat share with her best friend etc.
Today she told me she didn’t think the budget went far enough etc. that Labour are useless and so on. She is a Lib Dem/Tory voter and very against reform too.

AIBU to say that young people in a privileged position shouldn’t really get to comment as they aren’t facing the same difficulties others are.

Well, the taxes of people like her pay for everyone else.

And why should only people struggling financially have a say? That's not how democracy works.

why? are you assuming that nieces father is ops brother and this the wicked niece who dares to work hard, earn high and have opinions has somehow gazumped op from her rightful claim? pretty sure she'd have mentioned that.

In a free society, anyone can have an opinion and express it. There is no corresponding obligation on anyone to listen.

Is no one else completely thrown by the fact there's a such thing as a gym costing £500 a month?!?! Here was me thinking £40 a month was a lot 😂😭

Are you going to comment on her being a Net Contributor and you not? Do you think some would think that gives her more right to comment than you / others supported by her tax?

In that case if she's on that kind of money, at that age, in a creative industry she's not just lucky she's incredibly talented and hard working. Too many people her age would sadly be on a quarter of her salary.

You literally put her down when get called out say you appreciate her and are proud when in reality it just seems you are bitter. She got there because she has the talent to do so and she is still there because she has the talent to stay in this apparent incredibly niche job that she has. She is doing incredible and what a lucky but extremely demanding physically and mentally job she has that she must work hard to be part of and not just swan around like you suggest.

Opinions are like arseholes everybody has one!

Why did you have three kids if you can’t afford them?

im guessing you’re relying on state money that’s been paid in taxes? From people like your niece?

I'm not sure you really understand how democracy works.

Everyone gets a say so you are ridiculous to say that she shouldn’t.

Imagine being someone that thinks others should just be quiet because you don’t like their opinion. 😬

I’m guessing it’ll be related to her dance training in some way. Specialised settings can be very expensive.

You sound envious. You don’t earn 100k from “being in the right rooms”.

Is she wrong? My mate has just done a free two week training boot camp to work on HS2 and will be making around £50k driving 60 ton dump trucks. He got made redundant in his 50s a month ago and has no experience whatsoever. There are loads of people who could do this.

She is correct.

Maybe that informed her view. I grew up as part of a low income family - part of the “underclass”. And I saw first hand most of the “struggling” families around me were that way due to poor lifestyle choices.

Including my own.

And how can she be from a “low income family” with a 500k inheritance?

Her paternal grandparents, only had one child, her dad, he passed away several years ago. Then they both passed within 9 months of each other 2 year ago, she was the only person who could inherit, they had a property and 2 life insurance plans.

She grew up mostly with my sister, brief stint in care but this was not my sisters fault. Her dad despite being from a fairly middle class family was not a good nor hard working man. Her grandparents didn’t live local and weren’t close to her dad so didn’t provide financial or any kind of support.

And she has pulled herself up from all that, and you think she has no right to an opinion and sneer at her hard work and call it luck?
You should be ashamed.

Could not disagree with her more, but she gets a say - just like everyone else. Sounds like she had a difficult childhood, but it's a shame she hasn't developed a bit more empathy or imagination.

And you've shown yourself so very willing to listen to other perspectives...

How utterly silly. Of course she ‘gets a say’. That’s what living in a democracy where you get to vote enables. You only want people who hold the same beliefs and have the same experiences as you to vote and get a say in how the country is run🙄. Do you realise how you sound and come across?

Also, who cares what her job is or how she got it? It has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Nor does the fact that she likely pays more tax than you do!

Everyone gets a say plus growing up in poverty does not a socialist make.

@JHound Same here, grew up with it all, managed to get away from it.

No one forced you to have 3 kids. You’ve got a massive chip on your shoulder

If you can't be carefree and have plenty of disposable income at 26 then when can you? She's enjoying it whilst she can. Can't believe you'd be so petty as to be envious of (I assume) a much younger woman just because she doesn't have the responsibilities you have-by choice!

So why on earth do you think you may have more right you made your choices and she made hers I presume she is not bitter and gets on with her own life?