I have never changed my opinions in large steps but more by evolution.

For example, I used to be broadly but moderately Right-Wing, so Conservative not Labour (once Left-wing but moderately so, the Trades-unions' party) or Liberal (vaguely left-of-centre).

(The Liberal Party became the Liberal Democrats, a merger of Liberal and disaffected Labour Party politicians.)

Hence thought services like the railways and utilities could be run by private companies, as indeed they had been when they developed in the 19th. Century.


Until the 1980s. Then the Conservatives started massive selling and cutting of the public services; a policy enthusiastically continued by subsequent Labour governments that had previous bitterly attacked the policy.

I now see this all a gigantic mistake, by politicians who seemed quite genuinely not to have foreseen the results that useful thing, hindsght, suggests were really rather obvious and very harmful for the nation.


So have I changed from Conservative to Labour? Well, Labour was not much better, and indeed it was Anthony Wedgewood-Benn and Gordon Brown's lot who sold my part of the civil-service off in a dodgy deal that grossly under-valued it. So it was hard to have much sympathy for Labour either; though it now, belatedly, recognises the stupidity of giving the country away

It was a time of massive onslaughts on the civil-service by politicians who ignored what the Civil Service is and does; helped by a Press of Right and Left too lazy to learn. That also cynically encouraged the total fiction that civil-servants are all and only only a Hermetic Order of Whitehall Mandarins all on huge salaries and "gold-plated" pensions.


However, it's now not the same people in Government; and I have evolved to being more Left than Right leaning.

Besides, I have always benefited from national services created by Labour Party governments who recognised a civilised country looks after its citizens properly, to benefit both those citizens and the nation generally. Not perfect, I agree, as no humanly-made system ever can be, and some services are partially victims of their own success; but far better than sink-or-swim according to your wallet.


I have no time for Reform, still less for Restore; but neither for their far-Left "Your Party" (does it still exist?), regarding all three as largely ego-vehicles for their founders, and propped up by defectors betraying both their original parties and their constituents. I don't believe they have the country's interests at heart.

++++

The European Union?

I was a UKIP-member until... It became surplus to requirements, developed manifesto proposals I could not possibly support, then Gerard Batten as its new leader appointed the ex-convict, racist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon as a "special advisor". Ironically, Y-L could not join UKIP under a rule that barred extremists from both Left and Right.

I see the EU, as a Good Idea gone hopelessly Wrong. What is tries to do usefully needs only simple treaties overseen by representatives from member-nations's own, autonomous governments, helped by obtaining technical advice as necessary.

So I cannot support the European Union as it is; but do recognise that subsequent developments suggests to me the UK may have been better staying in than leaving it. So I am now less certain I voted the better way in that referendum.

A case of be dammed if you do, damned if you don't.... but less damnedly damned.

People voted to leave the EU for many reasons, and one was its unending flood or rules and regulations created by a mere committee, the European Commission, exceeding its powers. However we must understand many of the EU's "Directives" are based on those passed by truly international treaties and organisations such as the UN and ISO.

I stay supporting such truly international agreements etc. They issue "directives" but co-operatively, based on real technical knowledge, and do not try to over-ride nation's governments.


I regard myself as British first, English equally so. I have always supported the United Kingdom, and do not believe Scots and Welsh secession would help anyone. I am "European" too but as a native and resident of just one of nearly thirty very different, distinct and friendly, independant nations.

(It amuses me to see on SW, posts from Americans who apparently think "Europe" is a single country! Aren't they taught geography?)

_____

So no change of heart in single steps, but developing my ideas as the country develops.

+++++

As I typed the above, a brief item on the News announced our present, Labour-led. government has taken British Steel steel industry back into State ownership, realising it is vital to the country. What's left of the inbdustry, that is. Unfortunately I think we can no longer refine iron ore into new iron, hence make new steel - and we need make large quantities of pure and cast [/i]iron[/i] too.

(I don't think many politicians understand that point, nor that Iron is the world's most valuable metallic element. Most seem not to know the difference between iron and steel, and how iron is produced from its ore. I learnt it at school!)

That this, or any, industry had been allowed to become owned by a Chinese company was utterly wrong, showing no strategic thinking at all; by both Conservative and Labour governments.

In my late twenties I went from Libertarian party to being a leftist. Why: I started going to Libertarian meetups and the only things they ever wanted to talk about were taxes. I was more invested in social liberty. But they thought taxes and free markets were the important things. So I started looking deeper into those aspects of Libertarianism and found them to be contradictory in that free markets paired with private property rights ultimately leads to supply side monopolies and thus having different masters but masters all the same. I came to understand that Capitalism taken to extremes was anathema to personal freedom.

I have had smaller shifts in the meantime. I thought Biden was going to be terrible. Aside from his terrible decision not to take a hard stance against Israel's genocide, and his interference in the railroad worker strike, he did much better than I expected. But a lot of that was putting good people in place and getting out of the way. Whether he got out of the way because he trusted them or because he was sundowning I don't know. But it was working...

Never really. I admire all political spectrums.

I'm always been a Christian Democrat. Old school European style.

A little over a year ago I went from being a hardcore, Trump supporting, Christian nationalist to now being what that group would call a liberal.

I don't like to call myself that because I still don't agree with everything liberals say. I might just be on the "liberal side" by virtue of no longer being a Christian nationalist.

But that's beside the point.

It happened due to a lot of internal changes. My personality, my priorities, the way I interpret the world around me. Too much to sum up in one answer.

I've been more of an anarchist since I can remember understanding politics.

I thought i was centeralist then turnip brain fucked the shark and i realized im a libertarian

I never have. I'm a Democrat and always will be.

Recently. From Conservative to Reform

I've gone further to the left as I'm getting older.

I’ve moved to a vibrant open economy, with entrepreneurship. Wealth poured back improve society. One Nation Conservatism.

My views on the EU are stable. Better off in by far than out. I see myself as European rather than British.

When I change to Republican then back to Democrat.

Don't think I have. My beliefs have stayed in the same ball park.

Sarah 💋

now i will write-in a name on ballot. must stop re-electing same people and expect positive results

2024, seeing America side with Russia and "joke" about invading European territory

A long time ago, while studying Political Science. It encouraged me to question my assumptions.

When I was a kid, I was apolitical, then when I was 15, I began taking some interest in politics purely out of intellectual curiosity.

That was when I discovered I had some right-wing leanings, which gradually shifted to more left-wing leanings.

These days, I'm now a centerist.

I've been an anti-Democrat since I was a teen. I grew up witnessing the extremes they went through to perpetuate segregation. Democrats were openly hostile without consequences because Blacks were prevented from voting. It was also pretty common knowledge that Democrats were in collusion with gangsters and the brutal side of labor unions. All enough to make me never want to be a part of that.

Never, I have no interest in politics at all.

I change my mind sometimes about those voting for various reasons... Especially these days. I'm disappointed in a lot of stuff and tired of the deflections.

Wealthy men and women in over priced suits sitting in positions that dictate our very REAL lives shouldn't be turning us as humans into the monsters we've (mostly)all been raised to never become against EACH OTHER.

My feelings about "illegal" immigration changed with the understanding that those complaining the most about it are racists, descended from settlers who initially stole the very land they claim as theirs.

I grew up in arkansas and have met both bill and Hillary bill clinton, you could disagree with him on everything and still have a calm, decent conversation hillary.If you disagree with her about anything, she'll find a cliff, you can jump off.

Haven't changed anything drastic. Always was a liberal even more so than my father. Must say both my parents were basically immigrants.

My mother was always as apolitical as they come. She didn't care about politics the least bit.

Must say that both my father and myself were Democrats. Yet more realistic about what democracy stands for.

You either believe in democracy in its fullest sense or your not really a Democrat. Capitalism is simply has no place in democracy. Capitalism and Republics belong to each other.

I went from being a Democrat 20 years ago to realizing within the last decade that the Democrats are moderate conservatives, essentially playing good cop bad cop with us all.

i'm trying to change other people's not mine 😅 mine are good

I don't talk politics ever with anyone

🙄