You really need to stop drinking Shirley, well at least ease up until the sun is over the yardarm...
hic !
@David
It's seems quite obvious to me that the growing social divide is at the route to the resentments which have been apparent here, in this thread and more generally in the posts you refer to on social media David. I don't personally subscribe/use facebook etc. and am therefore not privy to the content, but I have heard many references to the negative comments you speak of. I have had occasion to use it to find missing persons. I believe these resentments are sure to get even worse over the next few years though if the Tories continue with their austerity programme. It cannot be denied that the bulk of the pain is felt by those of us who are less privileged, can it?
@Bob
I didn't enjoy being the subject of your "experiment". I found it distasteful and somehow typical of way the military would do things?? My father was an officer in the RAF and he would be quite likely to conduct a similar rouse. I don't know if it is symptomatic or not as I don't know enough of you (ex military types) to judge, perhaps just a coincidence that the ones I do know have difficulties relating to their peers in civvy street. Among the many books my father read was "how to win friends and influence people" Mmm....curious that I have never felt the need to raise my appeal to my peers. I was quite relieved/impressed when you said you had voted plaid cymru, it at least demonstrates a degree of compassion for your fellow countrymen/persons.
@Jane
I believe the vast majority of tory voters are self serving and insensitive/indifferent to the struggles of others. The tory press is responsible in part for the very negative caricatures a lot of Tory voters have of "the rest" of us. Of course there is a certain amount of truth in these observations but they are by no means typical or even general. Not in my experience anyway.
I could carry on but I have ran out of time and have to do some work......I'm a little slow at this writing malarkey unfortunately.....bon courage a tous
Well said Jane, and Bob pls remember that old saying “sticks and stones” …
Unfortunately some think it’s ok to throw them - so let me tell you a story -
funnily enough one weekend a couple of years ago, I had been to-ing and fro-ing on a discussion with one particular person, and suddenly I got quite an offensive and upsetting reply, it made me really angry but I don’t think I replied in the same vein, I reported it possibly.
Then an apology to me appeared on the discussion, turns out the persons wife had downed the best part of a bottle of red wine and sat down at her husbands computer, and decided to give me her twopenneth all under his name of course, which is not supposed to happen. fortunately he and I have had some pleasant but individual differences of opinion since that time!
funnily enough, sometimes I think some of the most acrimonious comments are made at times when some, (not all) people may have downed a few! weekdays are quite good For getting away from the acrimony!
From another David of course but I found in this election my first real experience (after many many elections at very close contact including speaking in public, house to house calling etc) a sort of vileness creeping in with an intention amongst other things by the socialists to emphasise the class thing and ridicule people because of the school they went to or what their parent were. The real issues like the economy were pretty well ignored by especially Milliband and Balls came across with a proven poor record, which he had admitted in writing as he left No 11. The public were not sufficiently interested in the Labour story line. Mandelson had it completely right yesterday when he said you can't win elections by just appealing to the left wing people. But no the left wingers still rant and rave and shout that they know best and everybody else is whatever vile swear word they can spew next (and it seems that they have the vocabulary of a vengeful matelot). They talk of arrogance but they can't see that they represent perhaps the worst sort. Congratulations to the winners are no longer necessary, spit at them, daub war memorials, vow total war. Ability to run a country means that you must aim to deal with a huge range of people of very differing aspirations, some of whose views will be quite different to your own. But you must have a dialogue. If you start and then continue with a torrent of abuse it seems to me that you will lose credibility and prove that your capacity to understand the complexity of government and become involved in it is more than limited. (I have already had to "unfriend" one near neighbour who kept sending me the most vile class war posts which are apparently hurtling around the internet- not at all sure that this is really beneficial!)
Oi, who are you calling a 'cowpat' ?
David, as Bob said he was genuinely interested in trying to understand a certain mindset, one which I have also encountered, ie. why certain people automatically think that if you vote Conservative you are uncaring ,selfish and arrogant.
This must now apply to a majority of the voting population, or not. An interesting point is does the floating voter suddenly change from being uncaring etc. to sainthood?
I am listening to the Today programme and it is fascinating to hear the post-mortem by the Labour Party on their failure to convince the electorate they were the party to trust. Perhaps something they should have done before the election!
Your post is most unpleasant and I am sure that Bob will find himself welcomed in France, as we have been.
Thanks Bob. He was and my f-i-l was an RSM in ww2 but a much nicer person than his son turned out to be, tho I stuck it out for 45 yrs. Sadly for me he died 16 months after I was married. I got on really great with him in the short time I knew him, mutual respect I think.
Oh I forgot to mention Bob, dads been fertilising the roses for 16 yrs and wouldn’t have voted Tory anyway - even if his life had depended on it. I like to think he’s up there with the Angels. Not that he believed in them either lol !
How very prejudiced you seem to be.
Both Cambridge and Oxford elected a Labour MP this time.
I would prefer to pay through the nose than talking from another orifice!
Bob, you’d probably have got on with my dad as all my friends who met him did,except OH who was/probably still is a ‘died in the wool’ Tory regardless of what happened to those less well off (not that OH was, too busy spending (my small inheritance, more fool me) as he got it and dad not a homeowner when he died, just prudent! I always like to listen to the policies being promoted for GE’s and Vote accordingly, so been there and done that with them all. dad was a liberal councillor in Scotland and when asked by David Steel to stand as a prospective liberal MEP way back when the 1st elections were being held, he said “No, there’s too much corruptions and self interest in politics”. I think he got that right and nothing’s changed since! However given the last 5 yrs and manifestos I followed this year, yes I voted Tory and hope my faith in that vote will not prove to be misplaced.
LOL.....reminds me of "Allo Allo"
Proves its royal status doesn’t it - HM loves her Corgis !
Just my contribution...
Well it was a bit of a surprise to me too David ! It reminded me a bit of my lad in Cambridge who , when I asked which party he woud be voting for replied "either Labour or The Greens " !
What amused me Peter was the juxtaposition of Craske and Plaid. It's like discovering that messrs. Rehill and Thackway were long time members of the SWP.
What's funny about Plaid Cymru ?
A serious party with serious policies for it's people, isn't that to be lauded ?
Well that gave me a good laugh this Sunday morning. Plaid Cymru......!
Bob your title of the discussion I would suggest is what is wrong. it’s not the political leaning of people, in the case you cited - then and now. some peoples attitudes often stem from envy - living up the JONES’ was the expression in my day - today it’s ‘the haves and ‘have nots’ the ‘them and us’.
Perception is everything!
Whilst I agree with almost all comments made, empathy, education and a sense of social justice for all to enable them to make the best of their opportunities and their lives, will not stop some spending all their money all the time, or others from buying the most expensive items because they were prudent and could. incidentally I was not a labour voter and wear trainers because I have to . they are the most comfortable shoes I can wear with trousers, apart from my Ecco ones purchased 15 years ago in San Francisco for the princely sum of $112 for 1 smaller length and 1 larger length shoe, to make a wearable pair. Nordstrom was the store if anyone ever goes there. the soles are now almost annihilated and I would love another pair like that , I’ hoping someone will take me to Le Mans soon, as I have discovered there is a shop selling Ecco there!
so in life there is a difference between ‘needing’ and ‘wanting’. my very socialist father once said to me "it’s a shame they gave the ,masses’ driving licences! I’m not saying I agreed with him but he saw that premise as the start of jealousy. Once someone richer has something better because they earn, acquire or Inherit more than others, that’s when the politics of dissent start.
Once social inequality takes root, you need a hell of a lot of weed killer to kill it off! My father was a Psychoanalyst, guess that’s where I get it from, or maybe I’m just a psycho now 
who tries to live by the morals of the 10 commandments.
Sadly, I don’t see social justice and economics going hand in hand. remove the bedroom tax, yes but put purchase tax back on luxury goods, so that the richest who can afford to buy the best, contribute more that way, or, as they do in France, have a percentage sales tax on house sales to Increase treasury income. House prices here don’t escalate like they do in the UK, and perhaps with increased sales tax The housing market may also stabilise there.
One way or another the less well off will probably mainly remain so, as will attitudes.