Everyone at work voting Reform

[WinkyTinky]

People can vote for whichever party they want to vote for, but I feel pretty disheartened at the amount of Reform voters I work with. They think it's funny, and that Farage has all the answers for them. They don't try to hide their racism, and even seem proud of it. I know they are trying to wind me up, but I just try to keep quiet in the corner as I know they all see me as a woke leftie. Having been excited to see the back of the Tories for at least a good few years, I'm just feeling deflated at the views of people I spend most of my time with. They're even talking about Kylian Mbappe's stance on the French elections now, with the usual "stick to the football" comment. Not sure what I want from this thread, just expressing my worries.

It must be your work place. I’d be pretty depressed in that environment.

I used to be a teacher. Everyone voted Labour. Real sense of unity during elections.

How depressing, OP. How’s that Brexit funny vote working for them?

I do feel depressed @ArseInTheCoOpWindow Mostly I get on really well with them, but underneath this is who they are and I can't help but not like it. I'd love a sense of unity at election time but I don't get that at work or at home. I must be doing something wrong!

@RosaRoja Yep, they're still happy with their Brexit votes.... I am in the first-announced Brexit City, so it's not surprising really.

It's your workplace or your area. I'm in the NHS and you can imagine how we skew, but that doesn't mean everyone is the same. We are all entitled to our beliefs and our conscience and to vote accordingly. So head down, hang in there, maybe look for a job somewhere less racist and it'll all be o er on Friday morning.

I think workplaces can reach a critical mass and then it seems like everyone has the same opinions.

I used to be a TA and I'm sure lots of the staff at my school would have asserted that everyone in the staffroom voted Labour. They didn't, but some of the Labour voters were very vocal and derogatory about people [in general] who didn't share their politics, so if you were a Conservative you'd keep quiet or only speak to others you suspected were sympathetic.

Sounds like you've got the Reform version of that. It's unpleasant feeling like an outsider at work, sorry I don't have any solutions other than just trying to ignore them. Hopefully it'll quieten down after the election.

They are all wasting their votes! To keep Labour from a supermajority, they need to vote Tory.

Haha I work for a union and we are all pretty excited about Thursday for the same reason, there’s a real buzz at the moment!
op I agree everyone is entitled to vote whichever way they want but working with a load of Reform voters would rub me up the completely wrong way.

I could have written this Op. You have my sympathies. I've discovered over the past few days a fair few people I know will vote reform - mainly people I have a working relationship with (but some are parents of my friends). I really want to distance myself from all of them. I'm horrified. Over the past couple of weeks I've bitten my tongue so many times. Trying to be neutral is bloody hard.

I'm excited for those of you who are working in politically supportive environments though! You've cheered me up a bit!

Maybe they feel the same way about you when you announce who you're voting for.

I feel the same when people gleefully announce they're voting for Labour.

@TheFTrain I thought I might get some criticism on this thread tbh! But am glad to find some solidarity here. Yes, I try to bite my tongue too. I cracked the other day and asked one of my colleagues who I do get on well with if he had really thought about what Reform represent, and told him a few stories about what had happened to friends of mine directly after the referendum. I don't think it'll make any difference.

I didn't generally used to tell work colleagues how I voted

@Anewone5 I haven't announced anything, gleefully or otherwise. But for the record I will be voting Labour, not in red flag waving fervour, but just in the hope that they bring some change and don't cock it all up.

Part of being a grown up is the ability to tolerate a view that is opposite to your own without having a breakdown

What is it exactly that offends you so much about Reform?

Which of their policies makes you angry?

Where to start….

What sector and where in the country do you work? I work in the public sector and I haven't heard anyone say they are voting Tory or Reform. Most voting Labour. A few Green or Lib dem. I was speaking to a friend who works in the city and she said no one was openly talking of voting Tory or Reform.

Maybe they are winding you up if you proclaimed you were a Labour voter, I probably would.

I get what you are saying brexit is bloody awful
But no party is going to overturn it

But they all know Reform won't win
Your workplace they know it's an excuse to go with something bolshy that won't need justifying.
Plus if you aren't keen on the left you only have the them, Conservatives and possibly an independent. Everyone knows the Conservatives need to be in opposition so there's no much choice.

Why are you discussing it? No one talks about politics in my office.

I don't think you can care about this op. They are free to do what they wish. We live in a democracy.

Have they a chance of winning in your area? If not, then just try to ignore it, and hopefully everyone will stop talking about it at the end of the week.

You say they seem proud of their racism.

If they are making racist comments, you need to take that HR.
If HR are part of the problem, then you need to leave. It’s one thing disagreeing with their politics, a whole other to say racist things in the workplace. This doesn’t sound right at all. Where in the UK are you?

Funnily enough most of my NHS nursing colleagues voted leave or abstained. The docs voted remain. I think there’s a message in that 😉 (I was a remainer too btw)…

People are allowed different views to you.

I work in the NHS, but out of London/urban areas and quite a few colleagues are Reform. I am a lifelong Labour voter, but voting communist this election because of Labours disdain for women/but in to gender ideology.

I still manage to go about my work day and work with these colleagues without having a breakdown!

People can choose to vote however they want. What concerns me is that everyone is telling everyone else who is voting for who!
What's the point of having ballot boxes and all the secrecy if everyone knows?! It's a complete joke.
I personally don't want to see either of the main parties in, they're both as bad as each other; all promises until they get in, hot air and excuses when they do!
When it comes to elections, people have very short memories about which parties screwed this country over!