Things that you are optimistic about with the new Tory government

Well sad mollie, the pleasure I gained from going on GN has gone. The persistent left wing posters seem to think they have a monopoly on politics and that they're always right.
It's incredibly boringly repetitive and they need to get over it. Millions of Tory voters proved that Labour isn't the people's choice, and they can't all be wrong.

All it's done for me is to be wholly thankful Labour didn't get in.

Everything.

I was optimistic that there would be a pause after the election was over while the barrage of unceasing political brainwashing on the forum gave way to a spell of watching what actually happens instead of assuming the worst.

i spoke too soon. It is clearly going to keep up for the next five years.

I am optimistic that the country might not be held to ransom by huge and powerful unions like the RMT and Unite but there again I am probably wrong.

thatbags it could be that you are mistaken in assuming that some views are a result of mindless PCism rather than being carefully thought out.

Looking forward over the next 5 years What am I optimistic about? I honestly want to put something down but am really struggling and at the end of it we are going to get Boris! I suppose another 5 years of austerity - honest it is good for you -might make the borderline no voters in Scotland change their minds if we do have another referendum. Although Maggie T did say that there was no need for a referendum all Scotland had to do was send a SNP majority to parliament - well we have to both!!

mollie65 We are most certainly NOT all hoping for Scottish independence!!

I think Boris would be a really good PM.

I am with Elegran
Dwell a pause.
Wait and see.

mollie I didn't realize you had an unselfish mode! How did it feel?

I don't usually post on political threads - I have my opinions but prefer to keep them to myself, however, I am surprised at the people who are claiming to know exactly what this government is going to do - yes, I know what they said in their manifesto, but despite having a majority they may not be able to get things passed, and I understand the Lords are planning to block much of what the Conservatives have said they want to do. Lets wait and see what happens.

I know that it seems that those who did not vote for a Tory government go on a lot but really given an adjustment for becoming more conservative as you get older,and assuming the GN population reflects the UK population, then 2/3rds of us did not want a Tory government so it would seem if we go on more than Tory supporters because there are more of us.

And yet the result of a Gransnet survey last year showed that Conservative voters were in the majority (albeit a very small one!).

One can only assume that a lot of those don't post, at least not on political threads.

Actually, the survey was this year and I've just found it. Interesting reading.

Gransnet Voting Survey 2015

Yes about 2/3rds said that they would not vote Tory reflecting the population as a whole

Sorry, whitewave, where does it say that?

"53% had already decided which way they would vote, on May 7th [last year] , 46% of you said you were either undecided or might still change your mind."
^*Of the 53% who have already decided*, the voting intention is as follows:

Conservative 34%
Labour 33%
UKIP 12%
Green 6%
LibDem 5%
SNP 4%
Plaid Cymru 1%
Would rather not say 4%
Other 1% "

I am not sure how the arithmetic can make that "2/3rds said that they would not vote Tory" 76% of the 53% who stated how they would vote is about three quarters of 53, which my rather shaky arithmetic makes about 40%.

I'm astonished that immigration is so high on the list of gn worries, with so many of our own DCs working and living abroad. I did put health first and education second. Also UKIP getting in as a big concern.

I'm quite surprised that 60% of us are under 65 - but then access to learning new technology was always going to be a bit of a problem there, on reflection.

I'm not at all surprised that those in support of labour and conservative are roughly equal. I fully accept that so many Greens are loopy, I am not going to get far with my own personal preferences in that direction.

I do believe that economically we are in good hands, and hopefully some of that will eventually trickle down.

And I agree with jings - Boris may like to play the buffoon, but he is very sharp. I like the fact that he less conscious about the image he presents. He has grown on me.

Anyhow, it is not how people said they would vote that matters - it is where they put their X on election day.

Mollie - what an incredibly unpleasant post - one might almost say 'rude'.

When 'rabid' right wingers post complete garbage about the HRA I'll post as many times as I want with as many links as I want to try and correct them not that they'll take any notice

Sunseeker - I think the Lords position is much more nuanced than that. My understanding is that there are serious constitutional issues around changes to the HRA, EU and English votes etc that the Lords have locus in abd want to ensure a proper examination of any proposed changes. Whilst I would much prefer a democratic second chamber, I do think it's a good thing to have one which can stand back and consider things in more detail

whitewave that was very personal and I was on the point of reporting the post but I suppose it made you feel better to accuse a fellow human being of having only a 'selfish side'. All of us wish that the vulnerable in our society who genuinely need help get more help but we (the taxpayer) cannot afford the current levels of handing out benefits to all and sundry who are able to get off the sofa and do a job and pay tax
of course I have an unselfish side - as I am sure you have a 'selfish side'
there I have descended to your petty level - so I will leave it there.

I think this particular thread was started maliciously by the OP, as a way Of stirring things on here to even higher and crazier levels.
I understand that all socialists ( and Labour!) voters on here feel very bruised after the election, of course, they lost,and a thread started by them to wonder why they lost it and what happens now etc would be natural.However, these many negative, sore loser type of threads, are getting unpleasant and ridiculous in equal amounts.As others have said already, it's spoiling G'Net. So give it a rest.

No, they won't change, nor will You.

And this is why

youarenotsosmart.com/2011/06/10/the-backfire-effect/

PS Don't judge the article by its name, it's explaining how when someone has a strong belief, any attempts made to correct it, only reinforce it.