To avoid all family gatherings

[GainOfFunctionTories]

Due to all DP family being vocal supporters of Reform?

I can’t cope with another minute spent with any of them. It’s the same every time - the conversation gets quickly back to how great they think Farage is etc etc. we have teenagers and I just don’t want them exposed to these kind of people. I was hoping it might calm down a bit but they all seem very political at the moment.

You need to respect their views, and if you’re up for a debate, they need to respect yours. Or bite your tongue. It’s a bit extreme to avoid family gatherings and not very fair your OH 🙂

I wouldn't go anywhere near them, much less exposed my kids to their cuntery..

If you think they're bad now, just wait until Reform get into power..You ain't seen nothing yet.

Whenever people say you shouldn't fall out over politics I find it a bit confusing. As politics is about life - how we live it and how we treat other people. It's central to who we are. If they can agree not to talk about it and you're fine looking past it, then maybe keep going to the events. But I think if they can't agree not to talk about it at events, then it's your right to protect yourself by not going. You've tried taking to them already. You're never going to change their mind. I wouldn't want my kids constantly hearing that from family members they respect either. Unless I was planning to offer the contrasting argument there and then which I can't imagine would make for a particularly nice dinner

@GainOfFunctionTories "if they need to learn about all political parties I’d rather do it in a controlled way in balanced conversations at home."

So why haven't you been doing that already? Surely there's nothing stopping you. Anyway, regardless of balanced conversation at home, they're still going to be exposed to all sorts of opinions outside the home as well as online and on the TV. It's the natural way of things and you can't (and shouldn't) stop it.

The state of some peoples ideas are concerning regarding politics at the best of times. I couldn't be bothered with the knuckle draggers either so yanbu.
Was out earlier and a thick as shit bloke was following me along the pavement shouting into his phone swearing repeatedly about Reform and how good it is, and that his '"cunty family are scumbags 'cos they support labour and Reform is fucking brilliant and Farage is fucking brillant." Pause "She a real cunty fucker and scummy too cos she thinks labour is great"
Must admit I did laugh and think what a complete twat you sound, a scumbag indeed.
What I'm getting at OP is that it could be a lot worse with your family.🤔

They sound horrific and I would also avoid them like the plague if left to my own devices but I agree with others that “shielding” your teenagers is not a good idea.

Partly because the kids have a right to make up their own minds, partly because these sorts of people are obsessed with the idea that everyone is “censoring” them. And also because exposure to their idiocy is probably the best way to inoculate your children against this sort of rhetoric.

it sounds like your MIL probably doesn’t agree so much & is just going along with what they say. The dr comment is a classic brainwashing propoganda comment from the far right.

agree with others that rather than shielding the teenagers its better to use it as teaching moment. There is so much of this being pushed on social media that your teens will unlikely be able to avoid it.

As far as exposing your teens to it, I would be having constructive conversations with them. Asking their opinions, giving them facts and steering them towards unbiased information.
Our son is now 21, we’ve never imposed any political views on him and he’s made his own decisions. He’s now very vocally (to us anyway) in the “omg, have you seen what uncle x has put on Facebook” and “uncle x is being racist again” camp.

I feel for you. I would not want to be around people like that either. The problem is, politics has shifted so far to the right that it's now really about a difference in values. People used to debate different views, but if you are faced with people that think misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, bigotry and hatred of anyone who is 'different' (cos that's what the National Front oops I mean Reform espouse), then one cannot be tolerant of their intolerance.

Reforms propaganda machine is backed by billionaires who control these puppets like Farage to get the population riled up about 'illegal immigrants ' so angry tired fucked off skint people don't look to them to blame.

YANBU.
Oh the rows I would start at every family gathering 😂😭

Because I think Reform are a more dangerous version of the conservatives, like when labs do gain of function experiments with viruses to make them more potent etc !

It was bad enough previously when we were Labour voters and DP family all voted tory. Seems we’ve all gone further left or right now

If politics is the main or only point of conversation, then even if they voted for someone else, YANBU to avoid them.

Teaching your kids to avoid all ideas contrary to your own is not a good look and doesn't teach tolerance, acceptance of other viewpoints or rational logical evaluation for themselves.
But I totally understand not wanting to have to listen to politics every bloody time you visit.

up to you but I’d hate to live in my own little bubble with people who only agree with me

Maybe.

I see Reform as a big red panic button which allows us to collectively send a signal that if responsible people don't do something about the omni-crises we face, irresponsible people will

So you don’t like their political opinions so that makes you right and them wrong? I think they would be glad if you distanced yourself

This is bollocks though isn't it.
As a pp mentioned when people support reform it goes beyond opinion and is about values.
Reform supporters don't just veer more to the right, they have completely different values to people who are not racist, homophones, misogynistic etc etc.
I know plenty of right wing Tory voters who hate reform and see them and their voters as the threat that they are.
It's not about staying in a bubble or not exposing yourself and your dc to people to different opinions.
This is not spending time with racist arseholes who force their opinions on you, laugh at your opinions, make comments about OPs DH being under the thumb because he doesn't agree with them. It's not exactly fun, I wouldn't go either.

I have close friends who have different political opinions from mine, but we manage to spend time together pleasantly by avoiding the subject.

But OP's family insist on rehashing the same political conversations every time the family gets together, so instead of family get together being warm and happy occasions, they're about divisiveness.

If my friends insisted on constantly bringing up our differences and weren't prepared to change the subject, I'd stop meeting up with them.

Ultimately it's not about the politics itself, it's about the occasions being unpleasant and no fun.

If it was political opinions I’d find it easier but it seems to just be ranting about flags and immigration or waiting times at the doctors /hospital and when we’ve tried the approach of asking about policies etc we are met with ignorance, they don’t seem to actually know or care about the real issues and are focusing on things like ‘we need our country back to how it was!’

Obviously homophones should be homophobe.
Nothing to do with different words that sound the same
My brain has turned to mush with pain, pain killers and the menopause.

Of course it's nothing to do with policy, it never is with Reformers.
I am quite happy to have a genuine debate with people with different opinions.
I've learnt so much from doing so.
Being mocked and ranted at by racists is completely different though.

I’m no fan of Reform, and I think they would be very bad for our country, but as lots of people support them you kids will get exposed to them anyway. Plus it isn’t like they are a far right party like the BNP or NF etc are/were

I would avoid them because they are idiots rather than due to any political affliations

It’s just got so bad last time as we were offered tea shortly after arriving FIL
bellowed to MIL ‘give her the new mug love! See what she makes of THAT!’ It was a Union Jack one and then it all started up