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Saturday, 20 February, 2010 
I’m just in from a busy Saturday with a fund raiser and plenty of canvassing in the villages and Walney. I had a fascinating conversation with a person who described themselves as a Socialist. Now normally I say have a nice day and leave them to it but I was curious why this person was a Socialist so I asked them why and these are a few of the bits of the conversation I remember:
Them: I remember the Tories; they nearly closed down the yard.
Me: Rubbish, actually it was the end of the Cold War, and what happens at the end of wars is the guys building weapons lose their jobs. I don’t remember anyone saying we should just keep building submarines at the rate we had in the 1980’s, was Labour saying keep building submarines at the time?
Them: No, but the Tories never supported the yard in the first place
Me: Oh come on, do you know how many orders were placed by the Conservatives from 79 to 97, and how many by Labour.
Them: I don’t but no doubt you have all the facts and figures.
Me: I do, it was eighteen from 79 to 97 and one under Labour from 97, just one.
Them: Well that was replacing the Falklands War ships lost because of a war she started.
Me: Actually it wasn’t, all the replacement ships from the Falklands War were built by other yards, not Barrow (NOTE: 2 x Destroyers and 2 x Frigates were lost in the Falklands, they were replaced by T22 Frigates).
Them: Well, what about education, I am in education and I remember how bad it was. Labour have improved it
Me: So what do you think of the Sutton Trust report last week that showed that the poorest kids are nearly a year behind with reading when they go to school, or the fact that 20% of kids still leave school being unable to read and write properly?
Them: Well it’s not surprising they can’t read properly, it’s about money, and they haven’t got enough money
Me: Do you really believe in this day and age people can’t afford to buy books, they could use a library and you get free books sent to you?
Them: Well, all the Libraries are being closed down.
Me: and who is in power shutting them?
Them: erm, well it would be worse if you lot get in, I hope you don’t win.
Me: Well, that’s an interesting thought and time for me to head off.
Honestly, it was like talking to a brick wall. Facts which don’t fit into the lazy ‘Labour are nice’ and ‘Tories are bad’ world are just ignored and statements of opinion are said as facts. Uncomfortable truths like the fact our schools still fail 20% of kids, despite the money being spent, are blamed on the fact not enough money is being spent.
Now I don’t mind if someone is a real Socialist and argues from a point of principle but to mark your vote based on such lazy sound bites of what the Tories stand for, strikes me as, well, just plain stupid. Still that’s democracy, and you can vote for who you want and for whatever reason you want.
Anyway, if the person who this was reads this, thanks for the chat, I enjoyed it immensely, even if I felt it was a bit like banging my head against a brick wall.
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