what's so bad about being a Tory?

[hatwoman]

let's be clear. I'm a leftie. But I'm also a liberal. and I'm actually quite shocked by the number of people who've put being a Tory/voting Tory on their list of ways their dcs could rebel. I think there are some awful Tories. But I also think there are some awful lefties. I think there are Tories who have very different values and desires for our society to mine. But I also think there are Tories who have very similar values and desires for our society - (some are perhaps a bit misguided about how to implement them) - and similarly there are lefties who have different values to me. I also think that certain political labels are so fluid as to be misleading at best (eg Tory and Labour - as opposed to conservative and lefty) and that declaring a party as party non-grata (along the I could never vote Tory and I would hate it if my child did lines) is naive and dogmatic. I could never vote for a party that was racist and I will always choose not to vote for a party if I don't believe their social/educational/economic policy will be good for our country and the wider world. But I will never say I will never vote for a particular party. I know the thread about dcs and rebelling is meant to be light-hearted but are people really quite so dogmatic about their politics?

You are probably right Edam.This is a big hunting/shooting area,so Labour are not popular at all.
I remember my parents when we were little,dreading a Labour government getting in because my mum & dad reckoned that they would nationalise the land & we would loose everything.So I guess they were always the bogeymen to me.I'm trying to keep an open mind as I get older though.

I tend to vote conservative because I prefer the ideal of having less "government", both in terms of regulation and in terms of publicly funded services. The challenge of course is to ensure that you can do this without disenfranchising parts of the community - typically those who are most reliant on external help to achieve a decent standard of living for themselves and for susequent generations.

I am greatly saddened by the huge amount of additional public spending - I'm not convinced thst life has improved proportionally for many people.

In answer the to OP: nothing.

My parents are the US equivalent of Tories.

They're decent, good folks.

My grandparents came from a Welsh mining village so I think that's pretty self explanatory

My mum and dad split up in my teens and I hated hearing about how single mothers were the scourge of society when she was working so hard to make a life for my brother and I (while my tory voting policeman father re-married and dropped his first family)

My mum is a lesbian and I remember Clause 28 as well

Also, all the RL tories I know are tw@ts

edam: "It's the 'devil take the hindmost' sneering attitude of the Tory party of the last, what, 200 years, that does it for me. I know some Tories socially and they are just people like everyone else. But the core values of the party are hateful. Blaming people for being poor as if it's some sort of moral failing rather than admitting the party's policies are designed to keep the commoners firmly in their place."

hear, hear

Yeah, I'm foreign, so I don't know, but I do get a sense of 'if you're poor it's all your own goddamned fault'.

Costs alot for bin bags and oranges!

Previous to Blair and since women won the right to vote, women have always been more likely to vote conservative than men.

I've always found that a fascinating fact.

Thank you Molesworth!

I have always been a Labour supporter, but I don't have anything against Tory voters. I think everything goes in cycles, and maybe after years of public sector largesse, some trimming down is needed.

Besides, Labour have been "the best Tory govt we have ever had" as someone said. I have become very cyncical with the introduction of tuition fees and spiralling house prices. Surely these are Tory aims?

For me though there will always be something offputting about the fact that 6 out of 10 Tory MPs went to public school. How can a party to govern the masses be composed of such a narrow social class?

Er, how many labour MNetters have children in private school?!?!?! Not to mention Labour ministers as well!

I'm sorry, but when it comes down to it, everyone puts their own first - plenty of people on MN have said something along the lines of 'I won't sacrifice my own children for my principles' and very often when it comes to choosing schools, socialism seems to go out the window.

To me, right wing politics represents the idea that everybody is out for themselves and people need to be motivated by money (George Bush politics - give the rich tax cuts to motivate the poor to be rich), and the left represents the idea that we all need to pull together, and that there are more important things than money. However, looking at the current political parties, I find it difficult to tell them apart.

I was going to get into this debate but I think some of you should really read this article!

I'm with Maggiesmama and Madame Platypus. No matter how wishy washy, or disappointing Labour might be at times over particular issues, I could never vote Conservative as their fundamental core sympathys are totally at odds with my own.

No government is going to be perfect, they are going to make decisions that are unpopular and make mistakes.

On an aside, those of you who like the conservatives because of low taxes - how do you think that doesn't just help the individual? Where are they going to cut spending to finance these taxes? The war? Defence? Hardly, it'll be the overstretched NHS, it'll be benefits it'll be clawed back from the people who can afford it least.

At the end of the day I don't trust politicians, but I trust labour more than I trust the conservatives.

rofl JT!!! you're so bloody talented!

that should have been was not going to get into the debate

Like Lact8, I live in the south wales valleys, so I suppose I would never vote for the torys.
Saying that, i don't think much of any party at the moment!

Agree with serenity. Easy to say "Small govt, low taxes, efficient nhs without all the beauracracy, no spin, no celeb a**e licking to look cool, less tax/red tape burden on small businesses, less league driven education system.." But how will the resultant revenue gap be funded? Or are you not bothered about there being less fund available for those in need?

ScareyCaligulaCorday I think that is the same grop of women who buy the Daily Mail,I think it is a from of abstract self flagellation.

I would be disapointed if dd vited Tory, it would just go againats everyting I have tried to instill into her about what a good citizen is about. I see socialism and conservatism as the battle between those who place the needs of the whole community and the most vulnerable in our society against those who believe in individualism and self interest.

Gobbledispook we don't all choose to put our children first and society second especially when it comes to education, many if not most of us use that state sector and for a number of us that has been a choice that we agonised over.

Everyone should vote for their favourite prej udice. Only politicians talk about policies and principles, everyone else knows that all they are interested in at heart.....is power

My prejudice is effective,efficient public services available to all. Can't see any political party delivering this, can you?

I promised myself I wouldn't ....

but the more I read on this thread the more I am sooooooooooooo glad I am not a socialist - some of your prejudices are staggering.