Sorry, I can’t date you, I’m a Tory.
It’s supposedly one of the ‘no go’ areas on a date, politics. Although, it’s rather hard to avoid speaking about it when one works in politics and when I would personally consider it one of my main areas of interest… alongside cake. So what happens when they don’t agree with your fiscal policy? Don’t like your proposed austerity measures? Or even don’t have a long term economic plan?
I can say from experience that this area can genuinely be problematic. One particular individual who springs to mind was a ‘champagne socialist’ who avidly supported the left only to justify his own silver spoon upbringing with no genuine understanding behind the façade of politics, absolutely unacceptable. Another was somewhat of a ‘periphery’ supporter whose view on ‘the type of people on benefits’ was the envy of even the most ardent UKIP’er, again unacceptable. So what happens when you go on a date with someone, who enjoys politics, understands politics, but just fundamentally disagrees in your ideological stance? Awkward.
I’m not suggesting you can’t get on with someone who doesn’t hold your budgetary ideals. You’re obviously very unlikely to meet someone who you see eye-to-eye with and to be frank, I don’t want to meet someone who I have so much in common with that we finish each other’s manifestos. But it’s bound to cause friction. Just as it’s important to have shared values and morals, I think it’s similarly important to be on the same hymn sheet politically. I’m clearly putting this into my own personal context. It probably doesn’t matter if one of you isn’t involved in politics, but it would be like dating someone who works in retail who you tell on a daily basis is foolish for believing retail is a proper career.
So there are two options the way I see it; you either steer clear of anyone who isn’t on your side of the political spectrum, or like the Rose Garden in 2010, you create a coalition of symphony that will guide you through the rough and the smooth, hand in hand… at least for 5 years.
