Fluffy
A fool
For those who aren't from the UK, the Conservative and Unionist Party (more commonly known as the Conservatives or Tories) are the second biggest, right-from-centre political party in the UK behind Labour. Since I first became politically aware, I have never been able to understand the mentality of those who have decided to vote Conservative especially of those of my generation since generally those who are younger tend to be more liberal.
So here I will take some time to outline the reasons why I could never, ever vote Conservative. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty Conservative views I agree with such as their more recent opposition to ID cards. However, for me, the bad outweighs the good to such an extent that sometimes I wonder how Conservative voters are able to sleep at night!
History of Racism
The best way to describe this laundry list has to be "extensive". What other party, even in 1964, would even begin to consider endorsing the slogan "If you want a ****** for a neighbour, vote Labour"? A slogan that resulted in a Tory victory no less.
Today the picture is not a whole lot different. The language may be milder but the intentions and feelings of grassroots-conservatism is still going strong. For what other reason did John Taylor (a black Conservative) fail to keep the safe Cheltenham seat than racist Conservative voters switching parties in horror at having to vote for a black MP? Why else would Michael Ancram have to remind candidates to "avoid using language which is likely to generate racial or religious hatred"? Perhaps such a memo was wholly necessary for a party famous for members such as Alan Clark, David Davies, John Townend, Teresa Gorman, Ann Winterton and Norman Tebbit all of whom have been universally condemned, even by their Conservative peers and leadership, of racist comments.
Didn't anybody else ask, when "Conservative modernisers" used the election of Adam Afriyie in 2005 (the first black Conservative MP) as an indication of changing attitudes in the Conservative Party, why such an event was being lauded as a success? Surely if this is a success then the situation beforehand must have been truly dire indeed.
Defence of the Nuclear Family
I'm not opposed to this in some senses, however, I oppose it fully when it comes at the expense or demonisation of more "deviant" forms social interaction such as homosexuality or single parent families. Unfortunately, the Conservative party takes the latter stance.
It will be a long time before I let anybody forget that it was Thatcher's government who introduced the infamous Section 28 banning "the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship" in 1988. Has the party modernised in this respect? Well clearly not after Shaun Woodward was sacked 11 years later after refusing to give his support for Section 28. Further evidence can be seen in their policy of opposition to gay adoption in 2002 (after quashing a significant revolt by Conservative modernisers).
Even David Cameron's recent appeal to openly gay Conservatives to volunteer to be placed on a "fast track" list, heightening their chances of becoming MPs smacks not only positive discrimination but also insincerity from a party that has consistently opposed every single bit of pro-gay legislation.
Euroscepticism
I am a member of this world first and a member of my country second. If there is one thing that history should teach us, it is that isolationist policies always, without fail, have led to stagnation in growth (both economically and socially) and, more occasionally, have let some of the biggest man-made tragedies to pass by under many a country's selfish eye. I refuse to ascribe to this philosophy whereby the suffering of another can be ignored based on the mere fact that they are not present in my country.
Therefore, it should not really come as a surprise that I disagree with the Conservative Party on a fundamental level here. Not only is it bad for our economy to isolate ourselves from Europe (as petty as that concern may seem in comparison) but we are effectively saying "we live in a privileged society but rather than sacrificing some of that privilege to help those people who come from parts of the world where they have none, we will strive to widen the gap between us and them". It should not be seen as a disadvantage if we become slightly worse off by strengthening our EU ties, it should be seen as a worthy sacrifice in aid of breaking down this wall we ourselves have built between the humans of the UK and the humans of Europe.
So here I will take some time to outline the reasons why I could never, ever vote Conservative. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty Conservative views I agree with such as their more recent opposition to ID cards. However, for me, the bad outweighs the good to such an extent that sometimes I wonder how Conservative voters are able to sleep at night!
History of Racism
The best way to describe this laundry list has to be "extensive". What other party, even in 1964, would even begin to consider endorsing the slogan "If you want a ****** for a neighbour, vote Labour"? A slogan that resulted in a Tory victory no less.
Today the picture is not a whole lot different. The language may be milder but the intentions and feelings of grassroots-conservatism is still going strong. For what other reason did John Taylor (a black Conservative) fail to keep the safe Cheltenham seat than racist Conservative voters switching parties in horror at having to vote for a black MP? Why else would Michael Ancram have to remind candidates to "avoid using language which is likely to generate racial or religious hatred"? Perhaps such a memo was wholly necessary for a party famous for members such as Alan Clark, David Davies, John Townend, Teresa Gorman, Ann Winterton and Norman Tebbit all of whom have been universally condemned, even by their Conservative peers and leadership, of racist comments.
Didn't anybody else ask, when "Conservative modernisers" used the election of Adam Afriyie in 2005 (the first black Conservative MP) as an indication of changing attitudes in the Conservative Party, why such an event was being lauded as a success? Surely if this is a success then the situation beforehand must have been truly dire indeed.
Defence of the Nuclear Family
I'm not opposed to this in some senses, however, I oppose it fully when it comes at the expense or demonisation of more "deviant" forms social interaction such as homosexuality or single parent families. Unfortunately, the Conservative party takes the latter stance.
It will be a long time before I let anybody forget that it was Thatcher's government who introduced the infamous Section 28 banning "the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship" in 1988. Has the party modernised in this respect? Well clearly not after Shaun Woodward was sacked 11 years later after refusing to give his support for Section 28. Further evidence can be seen in their policy of opposition to gay adoption in 2002 (after quashing a significant revolt by Conservative modernisers).
Even David Cameron's recent appeal to openly gay Conservatives to volunteer to be placed on a "fast track" list, heightening their chances of becoming MPs smacks not only positive discrimination but also insincerity from a party that has consistently opposed every single bit of pro-gay legislation.
Euroscepticism
I am a member of this world first and a member of my country second. If there is one thing that history should teach us, it is that isolationist policies always, without fail, have led to stagnation in growth (both economically and socially) and, more occasionally, have let some of the biggest man-made tragedies to pass by under many a country's selfish eye. I refuse to ascribe to this philosophy whereby the suffering of another can be ignored based on the mere fact that they are not present in my country.
Therefore, it should not really come as a surprise that I disagree with the Conservative Party on a fundamental level here. Not only is it bad for our economy to isolate ourselves from Europe (as petty as that concern may seem in comparison) but we are effectively saying "we live in a privileged society but rather than sacrificing some of that privilege to help those people who come from parts of the world where they have none, we will strive to widen the gap between us and them". It should not be seen as a disadvantage if we become slightly worse off by strengthening our EU ties, it should be seen as a worthy sacrifice in aid of breaking down this wall we ourselves have built between the humans of the UK and the humans of Europe.
. I do agree with conservative issues to a great extent, especially economically, and I even agree with the Conservative party on some issues (like no IDs for example).