Does Politics Interest You, Bore You, Or Otherwise?
Does Politics Interest You, Bore You, Or Otherwise?
Author
Discussion

Al Gorithum

Original Poster:

4,966 posts

231 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Time to fess up, I haven't voted in the last 2 GE's because none of the parties are worthy of my vote. They all a bunch of incompetent crooks IMO.

I'm totally bored by politicians and their lies, but remain interested in certain topics such as Trump because of the industrial scale corruption and attacks on democracy. Similarly but less so with Boris.

How about you?

Bacon Is Proof

5,740 posts

254 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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I also refuse to give my mandate to any of the shower.
I did come out of voting retirement for the referendum.

Unknown_User

7,150 posts

115 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Politics shouldn't bore you and folk should take an interest IMO.

The problem with not voting means you are allowing the ruling cabal to do whatever they choose (to a degree). You don't have to vote for the 2, 3 or 4 main party's offerings, if more people voted for their local Independent or single issue candidate, it wouldn't take long before the main political Party's took more notice of the electorate. The English with the dire tory/Labour choice is utterly depressing and doesn't work well at all IMO.

Jimmy No Hands

5,065 posts

179 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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In honesty, I think I started paying the most attention post-Brexit. As a youngster, I never took much of an interest and probably couldn't name more than one party. As you age and the result can possibly affect you directly, it's natural to take more of an interest. That being said, like you, I can only vote for something I can get behind, and lately, that hasn't been much.

Fatboy

8,257 posts

295 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Unknown_User said:
Politics shouldn't bore you and folk should take an interest IMO.

The problem with not voting means you are allowing the ruling cabal to do whatever they choose (to a degree). You don't have to vote for the 2, 3 or 4 main party's offerings, if more people voted for their local Independent or single issue candidate, it wouldn't take long before the main political Party's took more notice of the electorate. The English with the dire tory/Labour choice is utterly depressing and doesn't work well at all IMO.
I have voted in every election, but fortunately my local incumbent MP has done well for the area, and seems one of the better ones ...

Agree with the quoted, just like to add that If all else fails, a spoiled ballot at least sends a slight message that you didn't think any of them were worth voting for...

I'd like to see a 'none of the above' or 'reopen nominations' as an option on every ballot, at least a formally record of the number of voters saying 'none of you are any good' might help drive change...

Guybrush

4,364 posts

229 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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There is such significant influence from outside (above?) government, that many issues are dealt with in the same way no matter what flavour of government is in power. A few variables which are adjusted by different flavours of government are very important (like taxation, inheritance), however, those over which we have no control and where dissenting voices are censored the most, ie climate, immigration and currently the virus, appear to be controlled from 'elsewhere'. So rapidly losing interest in politics as so many appear to be utterly insincere.

TheGreatDane

363 posts

93 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Never been interested before but since Brexit & Covid I became highly engaged.

After a few months of PMQ's and realising it's all a joke to them I'm back to my original interest levels.


Muppet007

450 posts

68 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Unknown_User said:
Politics shouldn't bore you and folk should take an interest IMO.

The problem with not voting means you are allowing the ruling cabal to do whatever they choose (to a degree). You don't have to vote for the 2, 3 or 4 main party's offerings, if more people voted for their local Independent or single issue candidate, it wouldn't take long before the main political Party's took more notice of the electorate. The English with the dire tory/Labour choice is utterly depressing and doesn't work well at all IMO.
It should not, your right but it does. I've voted once in my life time, probs never will again.

Roderick Spode

3,725 posts

72 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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Growing up in Northern Ireland it was hard not to be influenced by tribal politics. I'd like to think of myself as a pragmatic centrist rejecting the extremes. Moved to Scotland in 2000 in the early days of devolution and the establishment of the Holyrood experiment, even then I felt this was a layer of government that was simply not required, but through the 2000s and the Blair administration, I paid only scant heed to what was going on. Voted as per my civic duty, but with no real passion or interest. Then the SNP won control of Holyrood in 2011, and all that changed. Salmond began banging the drum for an independence referendum to break up the UK, and almost unbelievably "Call me Dave" granted it. From then on I became very much involved in the circus of Scottish politics, and remain so now.

williamp

20,121 posts

296 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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It fascinates me and frustrates me in equal measure. The relationship with the press is also a very interesting dynamic

rxe

6,700 posts

126 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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The current politics drives me potty - it’s all amateur points scoring and positioning. No, Kier Starmer wouldn’t have done a better job of the energy issues today than Boris, it’s a clusterfk, if anyone had been able to see it coming they would have made out like bandits. And, no, no one would have spent serious money on gas storage a few years ago. Anyone claiming that they would is lying.

Another aspect is an inability to answer the sodding question. “Do you believe in X” is a yes or no answer. Instead we get a load of waffle, and that is part of the problem - none of them actually believe in anything. Boris wittering on about “green” while doing precisely the opposite in real terms is another take on it. Green = we should fly less. Actual = “its great that we can fly to America again”. Which is it ?

LukeBrown66

4,479 posts

69 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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I take a passing interest, but have no affiliation, I can be a red about some things and a blue about others, something political parties seem very unaware of, that most people are not one or the other, hence the disinterest.

I do know one thing, I do not trust ANY of them, and do not believe a single word they say.

FunkyNige

9,728 posts

298 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
quotequote all
TheGreatDane said:
Never been interested before but since Brexit & Covid I became highly engaged.

After a few months of PMQ's and realising it's all a joke to them I'm back to my original interest levels.
Similar story here, to me it was watching the political media in the Covid briefings that cemented my indifference.
To me politics is like the weather - it can be good, bad, something inbetween but I can't really do anything about it and getting angry at it is like getting angry that it's raining. I just need to put a jacket on and get on with life.

BoRED S2upid

20,982 posts

263 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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It would interest me more if there was a third option. Trump was interesting I think he engaged more people into politics than any politician for a long time.

Jawls

785 posts

74 months

Thursday 23rd September 2021
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I love it. Have always loved it. Studied it as part of my degree years ago, continued to take an active interest after graduation.

Following politics has basically become a hobby.

Though have to say, the tribalism since 2016 puts me off. Politics has become like football, my team right or wrong. That’s boring.

mikeiow

7,890 posts

153 months

Friday 24th September 2021
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Jawls said:
I love it. Have always loved it. Studied it as part of my degree years ago, continued to take an active interest after graduation.

Following politics has basically become a hobby.

Though have to say, the tribalism since 2016 puts me off. Politics has become like football, my team right or wrong. That’s boring.
Did you move into it as a career, or was the degree enough to put you off?
I find it hard to trust or believe any politician, which is a sorry state of affairs….

Terminator X

19,598 posts

227 months

Friday 24th September 2021
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Manifesto's should be contract documents imho as otherwise they get voted in then just do what they want. Completely pointless.

We will not raise taxes followed by tax rises etc.

TX.

Esceptico

8,897 posts

132 months

Friday 24th September 2021
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Depends where you live. Most places in the U.K. you can’t influence who becomes an MP as lots of safe seats.

Ivan stewart

2,792 posts

59 months

Friday 24th September 2021
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Yes I’ve always taken an interest in politics and I’m looking forward to the next GE and not voting for Labour , lib not democratic ,or conningservtives ,

It looks like Cloustons SDP or Tice’s Reform for me. I’m not prepared to waste my vote on the least worst option anymore, we have paid a very high price to keep labour out , pragmatism is out of the window I’m going to vote with my heart this time !!




Edited by Ivan stewart on Friday 24th September 07:28

hyphen

26,262 posts

113 months

Friday 24th September 2021
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You have no choice but to take an interest. As the government makes the laws and spends the money.

And their behaviour is swayed by public opinion.