Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

I don't particularly want to get into making personal comments, but since I've been mentioned by name I will just say that what I believe in is equality and social justice. I believe that these things are being deliberately prevented by Tory policies and I would like to understand why people keep voting for inequity and inequality as a choice.

Tony Wilson said this about socialism, and it's good enough for me as the basis for how I think about most political issues. Underneath all the flannel and spin, this is at the heart of my political views:

"Socialism isn't complex, it means a deep, central belief, natural in your heart, that the poor should not be so poor and the rich should not be so rich".

I genuinely struggle to understand why people do not think that this is how a just and fair society should operate, or why people vote Tory in the full knowledge that doing so increases inequality as the few get better off at the expense of the many. Arguments that we can't afford to provide for the needy are clearly nonsensical when the UK is the fifth wealthiest country on the planet - what's needed is wealth redistribution, not cuts. I personally believe in proportionate taxation of wealth, and pay a pretty big chunk of my income in tax (certainly a much bigger percentage that the corporations who earn billions do). I do so in the hope that it is used wisely by those in power, but see no evidence of this from the Tory government that had mishandled the economy far worse than any Labour government ever did, while ensuring that those with vested interests (Capita, Serco, G4, etc) continue to profit handsomely from the taxpayer while delivering far worse services for more money.

I am not ashamed of my beliefs and therefore I answer questions about them from sanshee and Littlestone (why I voted remain, etc). My answers are only my opinion. I do struggle to understand what makes Tory voters so reluctant to give their reasons for voting Tory. None of the three people in this thread who have stated, without being asked or pressured, that they will vote Tory have been willing to say which Tory policies have made them take this decision. My own opinion on Tory policies is that they are geared to helping the selfish and greedy, or those with right wing views. But that's merely my opinion and I must be missing something, because there is obviously an attraction to voting Tory that I can't for the life of me see but many others can.