I have long found it interesting that I was so easily able to convince liberal people of my opinions. Unless they were the rare close-minded liberal, I was normally able to explain my point of view and come to an agreement.
Equally interestingly, I often had trouble relating to so-called Conservatives who it seemed were entrenched in their opinion and were irreconcilably wrong. I have slowly come to realise, of course, that there’s often no right or wrong answer (clichés like that sound so much less trite if you believe the underlying sentiment).
If I’m totally honest, I sometimes wondered whether those Conservatives who did not agree with me were just a little stupid (in some cases I was right about that, but that’s not the point of this note).
But reasonably recently I realised that there was an alternative explanation. The world was not full of Conservatives who did not agree with me and liberals who did because I was an unusually liberal Conservative, rather it was because I am at heart more liberal than most Conservatives.
I posted letters yesterday by first class to the appropriate people to explain why I am leaving the Conservative Party and so will no longer be a Conservative Councillor. From this moment I shall refer to myself as Independent until the party I am joining have officially accepted my application for membership.
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#1 by Bill (Scotland) on November 14th, 2009 - 8:35 pm
Not really a surprise. Good luck !
I resigned from the Conservative Party in September 2001 a few days after IDS was elected as Leader. As I was at the time a Vice Chairman of our local constituency Conservative Party, and secretary of one of its branches, I had warned my Party colleagues of the consequences of his election when it first became known he was a candidate for Leader. I haven’t joined another Party and am unlikely to do so; in subsequent elections I have occasionally voted Conservative and the rest of the time ‘spoiled’ my voting paper by marking it ‘none of these’, which should really in my view be an option on all voting papers; I do consider it my civic duty to ‘vote’, rather than just stay away.
I hope it all works out for you.
Bill
#2 by jameshigham on November 14th, 2009 - 9:44 pm
I wish then you’d join the Alliance because it caters for people such as yourself, Gavin.
#3 by Devil’s Kitchen on November 15th, 2009 - 2:01 am
Now I wonder which party you are joining…
DK
#4 by marvin on November 19th, 2009 - 4:26 pm
No way!
I’ll bet a fiver it’s Lib Dems.
#5 by Toque on November 20th, 2009 - 4:05 pm
Spill the beans then, what’s the hold up?
#6 by matt on November 22nd, 2009 - 11:09 am
No so long ago you called for Lib Dem councillors to lose their seats over the distateful and hateful Tory Peter Willows. How could you support the vile Willows and still go into the Liberal Democrats?
#7 by Gav on November 22nd, 2009 - 12:20 pm
@matt
I did not suggest people support Peter Willows. I complained that the state was deciding who should be allowed to represent people outside of the democratic process. What Peter Willows said merited him losing his seat and merited him losing the support of his party. It did not merit a court hearing, fine and a ban from standing to represent people. If people wish to be represented by a bigot then they should be allowed to vote for one.
#8 by matt on November 22nd, 2009 - 2:30 pm
So do you regret calling for Lib Dem resignations over it? the party you now want to join? Are you going to retract these comments? Otherwise you look somewhat foolish.
#9 by Gav on November 22nd, 2009 - 3:05 pm
I reiterate, I made quite clear that people should not vote for Peter Willows. It is also public record that the party-line of the LibDems in Brighton was to support a guilty verdict. They were wrong in this respect (as most people are from time-to-time) and I would take the same position again. Of course no individual could (should?) ever support every action of a party which is why I shall remain outspoken if I disagree locally.
Surely I would look more foolish to now claim that the Brighton LibDems were right in their attack on free speech within a democracy?
#10 by matt on November 22nd, 2009 - 4:48 pm
Incorrect. There was never a party line on this from any party.
People were free to have a view as whished. But the difference is you called for resignations. Do you still think your new Lib Dems colleagues should resign over this?
And is it right that you should start life in a new party by attacking members of it with the comments you’ve just made? No Lib Dem has made an ‘attacked on free speech’.
#11 by Gav on November 23rd, 2009 - 10:12 am
@matt This isn’t very professional of me, Matt, but I have to say I am pretty bored by this. In my personal opinion, anyone who supports the state intervening in the democratic process in this way is wrong. If they don’t agree with me then I would be happy to discuss it with them.
Are you not bored Matt?