Tory MP attacks anti-gay marriage campaigners as they threaten to unseat her

[-:Undertaker:-]

Which is their choice, no problem, but the point is she can't be expected to go against her own ideals (especially those that she's actively worked towards) just because some people are annoyed by inconsequential changes to the name of a legal document. She'd be a far more deplorable politician if she flip-flopped on issues depending on the zeitgeist of the over 70 vote rather than standing up for her choices

But that again shows why you as a social liberal don't understand how social conservatives feel about the issue. To them, marriage isn't just a legal document.

The core of the Tory Party, especially the older members who turn out to actually vote for it and hold fundraisers for it and go leafleting in the rain, they view the likes of Dr Wollaston as another wet who is voting completely against conservative ideas such as the married family (faith, flag and family is at the heart of Toryism) which is what the Conservative Party is supposed to represent. To them, a Conservative MP voting for SSM is like what a SNP MP voting to stay in the Union would be to the SNP membershp.

[FlyingJesus]

I'm a liberal conservative, try again. I see a great many things as important to keeping society cohesive, but pretending that the name of a legal document matters when two do (did) the exact same thing already is not one of them

[-:Undertaker:-]

I'm a liberal conservative, try again. I see a great many things as important to keeping society cohesive, but pretending that the name of a legal document matters when two do (did) the exact same thing already is not one of them

May aswell declare you're a hard jellyfish, conservatism in its nature is the opposite of liberalism.

I think what you mean is you are a classical liberal in that you are liberal on social issues and liberal on economic issues, which is quite different to conservatism even if they share close economic values they're still completely different. On marriage, again, that's a liberal view that it doesn't matter. But to a faith, flag and family social conservative the married family is the bedrock of society. So of course they care deeply about it, unlike Dr Sarah Wollaston.

[FlyingJesus]

conservatism in its nature is the opposite of liberalism.

No it isn't, read some JS Mill. "Liberal" is not the same as left wing like Americans seem to think, and it in fact works far better with ideas further to the right since a small government and high levels of individual liberty go hand-in-hand quite nicely

[-:Undertaker:-]

No it isn't, read some JS Mill. "Liberal" is not the same as left wing like Americans seem to think, and it in fact works far better with ideas further to the right since a small government and high levels of individual liberty go hand-in-hand quite nicely

I'm not talking about the American version of liberal, hence why I called you a classical liberal.

But i've never seen anything conservative really come from you.

[FlyingJesus]

Free market, small government, respect for authority, tribal and private rather than collectivist leanings... but then if all you do each thread is try to lump me in with "the lefties" and ignore what's actually written then of course you're not going to have seen any of that

[-:Undertaker:-]

Free market, small government, respect for authority, tribal and private rather than collectivist leanings... but then if all you do each thread is try to lump me in with "the lefties" and ignore what's actually written then of course you're not going to have seen any of that

I know we agree on a lot when it comes to classical liberal ideas like English liberties, common law, size of government etc. I just haven't seen a conservative element from you in defence of institutions which conservatives believe best protect the above values, so things like parliamentary sovereignty, the monarchy, House of Lords, a non-political civil service etc.

[FlyingJesus]

That's because I don't often talk about what I do support, just make fun of things I don't

[Earthquake]

the fact I have been following the election religiously tells me either im not enough or this party is fantasizing.

btw vote ukip!

[GommeInc]

This seems really hard to read. Is she for or against? Are CFM against same-sex marriage and therefore not the Coalition For Marriage but the Coalition Against Gay Marriage? It seems like people using the wrong names and slogans, and someone attacking their opponents but at the same time supposedly calling out their constituents.