If you ever kiss Tory, I think you should reconsider | Political News

I was sitting with my two-year-old son when I heard that the election had been held.

No surprise, we have quite different emotional responses to news.

He was annoyed that we didn’t watch cartoons. Meanwhile my immediate reaction was to count the months on my fingers to check, as Rishi said, in the second half of the year.

To be honest, I also prefer watching cartoons. But I have the remote and, since I have to explain the current affairs for my job, I don’t want to switch to a different circus just yet.

Like many, I’m sure, I’ve been looking forward to the Election for months.

In my opinion, the Conservative Government jumped the shark a few Prime Ministers ago, to hear that we will finally get to talk about the future of this country, and all while sitting next to the boy who will live in the future, I feel hopeful. .

This hope is soon joined by a feeling of sadness though, because I know that opening up to the election will increase the tension for some of the relationships.

Growing up on the red wall, I always turned left. I come from a family of coal miners and I know the vibe in the 1980s was a bit anti-Tory.

So it’s no surprise that I’ve done one of my most left-wing projects on TV – on The Mash Report.

However, the strange thing about me is that I also appear on GB News and Talk TV (which seems to be one of the most right-wing things), which means I know and work with right-wing people.

It’s rare these days because social media tells us that we should avoid anyone who disagrees with us.

According to one study, Gen Z has a political gender divide. Young men skewing to the right, helped by the Tates and Petersons of the world, and young women leaning to the left.

This is not surprising when you consider that a recent YouGov study also found that many Britons would not date someone with whom they disagreed politically.

Not to mention that people are proud to wear those ‘Never Kissed A Tory’ T-shirts as there is some risk of catching.

When the election was called, it was almost like a bugle sounded and we all ran into political silos

This, in my opinion, is a problem. We need to engage people with different perspectives, so we can do better and become a better society.

I had this epiphany in 2014 when I went to see a show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

At the time I was doing a topical event there every year and going to see the competition. I remember watching a great comedy hour where I agreed with all the comedians had said and everyone else in the audience.

We even laughed when the famous right-wing newspaper mentioned it. We know our role.

But as fun as the clock was, I realized, it had not moved anyone’s dial.

Preaching to the converted with added jokes is great, but you can’t be surprised if those who disagree with your political position have no reason to win if you don’t have a stronger argument.

Just say: ‘Tories? Yuck!’ it won’t be enough to convince anyone who doesn’t already think it’s a good idea to change positions.

It’s not like sticking to our ‘side’ is new though. When the election was called, it was almost like a bugle sounded and we all ran into political silos.

Think back to 2016 – how many Remainers were shocked to learn that the Brexiters were there and beyond us? Part of the problem is that we don’t want to hear from people who disagree with us.

Therefore, when I was invited to be on Talk Radio (as it was then) years later, followed by GB News and Talk TV, I thought this was the best place to make an argument.

You can’t win a debate if you refuse to participate. You can silence that view using nasty ad hominem attacks but you haven’t proven yourself right.

And personally, I find that debating with people who are on the other side of the spectrum.

For starters, you don’t know how strongly you believe in your position until you’ve tested it.

It’s only when you have someone tell you why you’re wrong that you can think about controversial points, maybe do some extra Googling, and come to a more solid conclusion. It has made me a better debater and probably more annoying at a dinner party.

Not everything went smoothly, of course.

As a stand-up comedian I work with many acts that are appalled I appear on this TV network. I even know one performer who refused to perform because I was booked.

I would love to have a discussion about the reasons for reaching out to other audiences, but I wouldn’t have met them if they wouldn’t have done the shows I did.

I’m not saying that only the left is willing to debate and maybe kiss the right – the right should be open too.

Sure, I’ve seen plenty of right-wing pundits agree that the Tories have failed, but usually follow that with the conviction that Labor will be worse off because ‘they’re Labour’. It’s more of a phobia than a rational response.

Either way, if we don’t find a way to navigate this political divide we risk having a generation of people whose two main topics of chatting with friends will be how true they are about everything and how they can’t find a partner.

If this is your first experience in Elections, my advice is for you try open up the possibility that someone who disagrees with you might not be a fascist outright.

Remember that, statistically speaking, it is unlikely that you will be right about everything 100% of the time. Trust me, there’s nothing wrong with listening and it’s okay to be friends with Tory.

And after this election they might just need a friend.

Do you have a story you want to share? Email jess.austin@metro.co.uk.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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