Are you a member of a political party?
Discussion
PugwasHDJ80 said:
What would be the reason for doing this?
eta- not being stroppy- genuinely interested- what benefits do you get? what can you influence? or is it just to meet like minded people?
It's an identical reason to why one might give to charity - because you think it's right and to support what they do. eta- not being stroppy- genuinely interested- what benefits do you get? what can you influence? or is it just to meet like minded people?
I also find it inconsistent to carp on and on about how bad one party is and how good another is if you won't put your hand in your pocket and give hard cash to back up what you say you believe in.
I was a young socialist when I was a kid as my bet friend's mother ran the local labour party and they needed the money cllecting for the lottery they ran. Whenever someone won and come christmas I used to get tips. Looking back now, I used to walk around rough areas of Greenwhich with 'lots' of cash in my pockets at the age of 12-14 and never felt at risk.
When I was 17 I was 6'3" and weighed 11 stone. The swinging 60s were in danger of passing me by without me participating. I joined the Blackheath ward of the young conservatives. The posh people had just started having au pair girls and they used to take them to the heady night life of the local conservative party parties. Not being 'class of the field' visually the fact that there were twice as many young women as men was of real benefit. And some of the competition made me look good.
The odd thing was that the nutty uber right who used to pontificate and preach were all but indistinguishable from the ultra left. Both talked rubbish.
Apart from those daliances I've had no interest in party politics. If I ever got the urge to throw money at political idiots I feel sure my wife would put me in a home for the morbidly confused.
When I was 17 I was 6'3" and weighed 11 stone. The swinging 60s were in danger of passing me by without me participating. I joined the Blackheath ward of the young conservatives. The posh people had just started having au pair girls and they used to take them to the heady night life of the local conservative party parties. Not being 'class of the field' visually the fact that there were twice as many young women as men was of real benefit. And some of the competition made me look good.
The odd thing was that the nutty uber right who used to pontificate and preach were all but indistinguishable from the ultra left. Both talked rubbish.
Apart from those daliances I've had no interest in party politics. If I ever got the urge to throw money at political idiots I feel sure my wife would put me in a home for the morbidly confused.
0a said:
It's an identical reason to why one might give to charity - because you think it's right and to support what they do.
I also find it inconsistent to carp on and on about how bad one party is and how good another is if you won't put your hand in your pocket and give hard cash to back up what you say you believe in.
only ever struck me that if i wanted to support a policitican i would vote for them. If i wanted to change politics i'd enter the political arena and try and get people to vote for me. I also find it inconsistent to carp on and on about how bad one party is and how good another is if you won't put your hand in your pocket and give hard cash to back up what you say you believe in.
What can you actually change/influence by being a member of a policical party?
PugwasHDJ80 said:
only ever struck me that if i wanted to support a policitican i would vote for them. If i wanted to change politics i'd enter the political arena and try and get people to vote for me.
What can you actually change/influence by being a member of a policical party?
Because by giving them money you give them the resources to further the policies they believe in.What can you actually change/influence by being a member of a policical party?
As with charity you can't justify it by a "what do I personally get from it" approach.
I don't have the time/inclination to enter politics myself at the moment, though I agree this is the way really to further change.
0a said:
Derek you do have an interesting history. Is your attitude just because no party matches your political beliefs though?
I'm a classical liberal more or less. So no hope of a party to follow there.I generally vote for MPs rather than parties. I've met and spoken with everyone that I've voted for. My current one, Simon Kirby, at least replies to emails and answers questions that were meant to be difficuolt. But all parties disagree with me on some things and I disagree with each and every one on others.
When I was a young socialist I met the local labour MP, the one for Greenwhich, and he was the most arrogant bloke I'd ever met. The woman who ran the fund raising for the ward worked very hard for the 'cause' and he cut her dead. I then was in a quandry as, much as I liked her, I could not colelct money for him. He left and took up a post i/c the railways (if memory serves). Nasty bloke.
I then became a young conservative and took up with the daughter of a very nice couple who owned a massive sports club in Blackheath. He owned a Bristol 406. With his pots of money he sat on the table with the conservative MP at the time - again name escapes - with his family and me. The MP spent the whole time talking about himself and then tried to get off with a German au pair. And failed I'm gald to say. nigh on 60 for him and around 17 for her. She was a bit special though.
Parties change over the years. There is no compairson with the tories of today with that of 10 years ago. Or that of 20 and 30 come to that, so paying money into their coffers is like a lottery. You never know what you might get.
If I had £millions then I might well bung a bit their way. You only have to look at this lot and the previous mob to know that if you put lots of money into a party, then you get much more back by the way of contracts and policy.
They are corrupt in the main. There are good, honest ones who work hard but their effort is wasted because of the ones above them. I have to say that it is like the police that way. Those who go for promotion and high up positions betray those below them.
I belonged to the Conservative party for a number of years. I resigned immediately after Teresa May's self flagellating "nasty party" speech. I now live in the USA and have contributed to the Democrats nationally and also recently in support of a local candidate who is fighting for a senate seat against a particularly slimy tea party Republican.
unrepentant said:
I belonged to the Conservative party for a number of years. I resigned immediately after Teresa May's self flagellating "nasty party" speech. I now live in the USA and have contributed to the Democrats nationally and also recently in support of a local candidate who is fighting for a senate seat against a particularly slimy tea party Republican.
I was also a Conservative party member. I stuck it out until the EU referendum vote - whipping against country and party views on such a basic issue plus the appalling apologetic response from my local MP (she is a PPS and I would have had more respect had she been honest and stated "I'm voting this way because I will be sacked otherwise") led to my exit from the Conservative party. I join almost every former (i know no current) Conservative I know in this respect - none of us are bothered if they lose the next election to Labour.
I've yet to find a political party I'd feel comfortable joining mainly because there are usually several policies/beliefs where I disagree with them. And the thought that most politicos are self-serving pains in the arse. The quick-fire reply is 'why not join and influence them'? I don't have strong answer to that because if lots of the masses did join the complexion of the parties would change a lot. The vast majority of 'ordinary' people I've met in my life have been fairly conservative (with a small 'c'), liberal (small 'l') and pragmatic yet I don't think the main parties reflect this enough. Those in charge seem to treat the grassroots with a certain amount of contempt because of course, they know best. Ho bloody ho.
Rover I think you make a great point. I'm not under the illusion that;
1. UKIP represent my views fully - but they move things in the right direction in my view, or,
2) They will ever win. What they can/will do is come ahead of the lib dems (why the Guardian can't stand them) and lose the Tories the next election. They are a way to signpost where popular political parties need to move towards in the future.
As such I will fully support them and feel this strongly enough to join.
1. UKIP represent my views fully - but they move things in the right direction in my view, or,
2) They will ever win. What they can/will do is come ahead of the lib dems (why the Guardian can't stand them) and lose the Tories the next election. They are a way to signpost where popular political parties need to move towards in the future.
As such I will fully support them and feel this strongly enough to join.
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