Politics survey, feel free to ignore if it isn't your thing

Just an FYI - if you support the lockdown, you’re not socially liberal, no matter how much you think you are.

 

Definitely. Anyone who begins their day with a coconut latte and ends it with a pretentious double dry hopped IPA-Saison hybrid before recycling the packaging is clearly well on the way to becoming a dangerously subversive member of the 5th column.

 

I'm not really consistent in any of my views, so I put Central for both, but I don't think this accurately describes me.

I believe in active government and investment in infrastructure. There is no reason work on HS3 shouldn't already have started, the government should have stumped up the money to get on with it, for example. The government should create jobs by doing things like HS3 that will have long term benefits for the nation. I see the benefit and eventual necessity of UBI, and I think that it probably needs to start sooner than later for housing costs which are going to become impossible to manage down the line (the government should be building more houses).

At the same time, I don't agree with the idea of taxing individuals or businesses at a high level. I think Rishi got the budget wrong in raising the corporation tax above the global average. I would however support targeted taxes at Facebook, Amazon as they definitely don't pay their fair share.

Socially I always thought myself quite liberal. Pro-choice, pro gay marriage, pro controlled immigration. Lately though I find myself being pushed more towards the right because of the new strain of identity politics that seems to be everywhere. I disagree with Owen Jones on pretty much everything. I would be described as a TERF as I agree with JK Rowling. By and large I agree with the statement that there is no such thing as society. I believe that we are a collection of individuals with no real responsibility to each other, the same way that we perhaps feel that we have no responsibility for the people of America. Covid has both confirmed that view and made me reassess it. I believe in tough prison sentences and that primarily justice should be about punishment, with reducing recidivism a secondary target.

 

I have always considered myself to be economically right wing but not rabidly so, more centre right. I believe in conservative principles but also believe in social investment in the right areas and a strong social safety net.

I do believe that in general, individuals will always spend more more wisely then government but social investment is a necessity.

e.g. HS2 is a catastrophic white elephant that would be far better spent on bringing the rest of the network up to the same standard as the links to the capital we already have. But, even as an ardent free marketeer, one area that is desperate for public investment at the moment is the rapid charging network for electric vehicles along the major motorway and trunk road network. Its building nicely in local areas but on the M-way network, leaving it to the private sector is failing society and our push to move to EVs because the reality is that the cost of putting in the infrastructure at scale is not economically viable.

I am a strong believer in the lowest taxation levels possible for individuals and business overall but acknowledge that such public investment has to be funded. High levels of taxation are very disincentivisng both for individuals and business and Rishi has made a mistake putting corporation tax up to 25%. Its a dilemma I am glad is not mine because covid has to be paid for but post brexit we need to make this one of the best places in the world for businesses to invest. What I would favour is a digital tax to make the system fairer because the big on line players are basically getting away with raping the country.

Socially, I feel quite centrist. I am pro pretty much everything, but the modern trend to discourage debate and opinion, fuelled by social media, angers and concerns me in equal measure.

This is an interesting debate though because for too many people, politics is seen as being black and white. Everything left is good, everything right is bad, or vice versa. Life is never that binary.

 

I think you’ve hit the nail firmly on the head with true Labour there. Agree, modern day Society has to be a fusion of ideologies without the so-called poorer/lower echelons of Society bearing the brunt of any negatives/ fall- out from that. The divided Society is a truly wonderful thing for the Tories and the right of politics.

 

‘. No such thing as Society’ this term what is it really, apart from the obvious ‘I’m alright Jack attitude. Surely if you want people to be responsible for their actions as individuals or collectively then that is in itself being part of society. You mention a ‘ left-leaning politician but no mention of the absolute elitism and incompetence of this current Govt. If you are ‘ pushed’ to the right of politics in today’s political right-wing climate, then WTF

 

Can't agree with that. The wholesale destruction of rapidly disappearing countryside for the sake of small scale economic gains. The money would be far better spent improving the existing rail network and public transport in general. HS3 and HS2 are simply white elephants.

 

Would prefer it if this thread didn't turn into the usual slanging match that political threads generally become on here. It is an interesting subject and it would benefit the thread generally, and therefore be more interesting, if people could air their views without fear of being shot.

 

But it would serve the few and be paid for by the many. Tory win, win, win

 

We’re talking about where we stand politically, I’m simply talking about a comment To clarify what is meant by that comment at the same time stating what meaning I take from that comment. I’m astounded that anyone can be pushed to the right by actions of the current political climate and Govt actions/inactions.

 

Good analogy.