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 At what age did you start taking an interest in politics? |
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 9th October 2019, 08:54 AM
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#1
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 Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364 
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For me, it would be around 1982, when I was 17-ish.
It was around the time of the Falklands War, and Thatcher wasn't too popular beforehand (but winning that war changed all that, unfortunately), and the Lib/SDP alliance was in its infancy. I was just two months short of being able to vote in the 1983 election, which was very frustrating. 
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9th October 2019, 10:33 PM
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#2
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 22,001 User: 53
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I'd say in my late teens. Was first interested in the 1979 election when Maggie was elected.
This post has been edited by Common Sense: 10th October 2019, 08:45 AM |
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10th October 2019, 04:58 AM
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#3
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Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364
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QUOTE(Common Sense @ Oct 9 2019, 11:33 PM)  I'd day in my late teens. Was first interested in the 1979 election when Maggie was elected. A reply at last! I guess threads don't really attract interest unless they are controversial. 
This post has been edited by vidcapper: 10th October 2019, 04:58 AM |
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10th October 2019, 05:26 AM
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#4
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 I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,419 User: 12,929                |
Okay, aware - 2005 when I was 11 because of that year's general. Interested, 2008 with the American election that year and the crisis, though my instincts weren't developed much beyond Bush bad, Obama good, and Blair/Brown bad because of the Iraq War. Though I really didn't know very much about the alternatives in the UK at that time.
By 2010 I was fully into it, and would have voted in the election had I not been a year and a bit too young to vote - I've voted in every election since. I would have voted Lib Dem in that one due to Clegg's performance in the TV debates, and while I was initially happy to see the back of Labour, a government I'd heard little good about growing up, I quickly realised that there was much worse. Which made me committed in taking an interest now for life. |
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10th October 2019, 09:43 AM
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#5
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Buffy/Charmed
Joined: 18 April 2013
Posts: 44,070 User: 18,639
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QUOTE(Common Sense @ Oct 9 2019, 11:33 PM) I'd say in my late teens. Was first interested in the 1979 election when Maggie was elected. Pfft. You only got interested when the papers started going on about brexshit and trying ro forcefeed us a billionaire's opinions on it. |
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10th October 2019, 11:02 AM
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#6
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Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364
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QUOTE(Algernon Monqueef @ Oct 10 2019, 10:43 AM) Pfft. You only got interested when the papers started going on about brexshit and trying ro forcefeed us a billionaire's opinions on it. What bizarre logic! On that basis, I only 'started getting interested in politics' in Aug'97 when I first got on-line and started posting to uk.politics.misc on Usenet (I still post there, BTW). 
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10th October 2019, 11:19 AM
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#7
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Jord
Joined: 12 March 2017
Posts: 10,771 User: 27,116
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Tbh I’m sort of only just starting to take it in now.
I’m 24 and ive always voted on things I’ve been able too but I’ve never properly been interested in it I’m just more aware of what’s going on now and have stronger opinions on things. |
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10th October 2019, 11:26 AM
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#8
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Brown cow, stunning!
Joined: 7 December 2009
Posts: 67,175 User: 10,139
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Aware, I'd say about 2010 because I remember that election quite well, but I think it was probably 2015 when I could vote that I became more aware, educated myself and actually kept up with everything. Not that you should only care when you can vote, but it just happened to be when I realised that I really should know more and be in the loop, as we all should tbh when it's the running of our country at stake.
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10th October 2019, 11:31 AM
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#9
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Buffy/Charmed
Joined: 18 April 2013
Posts: 44,070 User: 18,639
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QUOTE(vidcapper @ Oct 10 2019, 12:02 PM) What bizarre logic! On that basis, I only 'started getting interested in politics' in Aug'97 when I first got on-line and started posting to uk.politics.misc on Usenet (I still post there, BTW). Show examples of common sense being interested pre 2015 then? He was right here... And the statistics show that no one cared about the EU pre 2015. Oop. |
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10th October 2019, 12:59 PM
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#10
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I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,419 User: 12,929 |
I do recall Chris always being interested in politics ever since I joined, if by interested, you mean complaining about foreign next door neighbours and their funny customs, like going to work and holding down a decent job.
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10th October 2019, 02:14 PM
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#11
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Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,151 User: 5,138
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My fav subjects at school were always history and since politics is basically history as well it was natural to be interested. Also being from NI meant you always watched the debate shows when you were younger and tried to understand the differences in the arguments.
Then I did a MA in Irish Politics following my undergrad! |
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10th October 2019, 02:22 PM
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#12
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Paul Hyett
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 25,346 User: 364
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QUOTE(Algernon Monqueef @ Oct 10 2019, 12:31 PM) And the statistics show that no one cared about the EU pre 2015. Oop. Which 'statistics' would that be? I have a longer memory than you, and recall it (or its predecessors) being contentious as far back as the early 80's. |
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10th October 2019, 02:24 PM
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#13
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I'm a paragon so don't perceive me
Joined: 3 February 2011
Posts: 37,419 User: 12,929 |
Yes, same! I distinctly remember one history lesson where our history teacher took us to the British National Party website (this was right around the time of their height) with the lesson that they were a really unsavoury bunch and not something to be joked about. As a comparison to the Nazis and showing how history and politics are inextricably interlinked.
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10th October 2019, 03:09 PM
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#14
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 🔥🚀🔥
Joined: 30 August 2010
Posts: 74,565 User: 11,746
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Probably around the time of the Brexit referendum, which also coincided with when I could first actually vote too.
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10th October 2019, 03:36 PM
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#15
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 there's nothing straight about plump Elvis
Pronouns: they/any
Joined: 21 January 2016 Posts: 13,144 User: 22,895 
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QUOTE(Tones and Iz @ Oct 10 2019, 01:59 PM) I do recall Chris always being interested in politics ever since I joined, if by interested, you mean complaining about foreign next door neighbours and their funny customs, like going to work and holding down a decent job. ! Claws and Iz out today 
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10th October 2019, 04:06 PM
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#16
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 22,001 User: 53
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QUOTE(Algernon Monqueef @ Oct 10 2019, 10:43 AM) Pfft. You only got interested when the papers started going on about brexshit and trying ro forcefeed us a billionaire's opinions on it. Oh don't be so ridiculous. I've stayed up all night watching election results since 1979. I can even remember the two elections in 1974 when I was 14. I remember hearing that Wilson had resigned in 1976.
This post has been edited by Common Sense: 10th October 2019, 04:08 PM |
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10th October 2019, 04:12 PM
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#17
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 22,001 User: 53
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QUOTE(Algernon Monqueef @ Oct 10 2019, 12:31 PM) Show examples of common sense being interested pre 2015 then? He was right here... And the statistics show that no one cared about the EU pre 2015. Oop. I may not have posted much online about it but was still very interested. |
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10th October 2019, 05:13 PM
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#18
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Buffy/Charmed
Joined: 18 April 2013
Posts: 44,070 User: 18,639
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QUOTE(vidcapper @ Oct 10 2019, 03:22 PM) Which 'statistics' would that be? I have a longer memory than you, and recall it (or its predecessors) being contentious as far back as the early 80's. Quickly google it. Actual statistics, not "statistics" Sorry, brexiter.
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10th October 2019, 05:22 PM
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#19
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 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,670 User: 3,272
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QUOTE(vidcapper @ Oct 10 2019, 03:22 PM) Which 'statistics' would that be? I have a longer memory than you, and recall it (or its predecessors) being contentious as far back as the early 80's. Almost every opinion poll until around the time of the 2015 election showed that only 5-10% of people considered EU membership to be one of the most important issues. That figure will, presumably, have included some who thought it was essential that we retain our membership. I started taking an interest when my Dad encouraged my sister and I to watch some of the October '74 results programme. I then took a fairly close interest in the 1975 referendum. Both of those were when I was 14. My interest increased again when Harold Wilson resigned and has continued ever since. |
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10th October 2019, 08:15 PM
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#20
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 Howdy, disco citizens
Joined: 16 January 2010
Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455
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Growing up in Northern Ireland in the 90s politics was always in the background. I vividly remember my mother being upset when the IRA ceasefire ended in 1996, and I remember the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and the subsequent referendum.
The first time I remember a General Election was 1997 when Tony Blair became Prime Minister - I remember vividly how my mother described what each of the GB-wide parties stood for to my 7-year old self: Lib Dems - funding hospitals. Labour - funding hospitals AND schools. Conservatives - Looking after the rich (so obviously I thought that Tony Blair was pretty nifty). 2005 was the first General Election I stayed up all night to watch the results for, and have done so every one since. |
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