Young Conservative - 1 comment

I don't think we have any fourteen year-old bloggers but here, via Laban, is Sam Tarran.

Here's his account of some of the social and economic divisions in his own area. To be honest, when I was about 12 or 13 I might well have leapt to the same conclusions he has (assuming he doesn't have a satirical wit well beyond his years), until what I can only describe as the weight of childish fear, suspicion, and selfishness, was lifted. Somehow, my attitude to human beings I didn't know changed dramatically.

I can't say I've consulted the literature in depth, but I've heard from many on the left who report repudiating right-wing, authoritarian views during their early teens, and it would be interesting to see how Sam fares as his contact with the outside world grows (sorry, that is particularly patronising).

Of course what happens when you reach 30 40 is another matter.

Update: for a Conservative, Sam has a rare wit:

Everyone says Cameron will be in next time. Obviously, he's doing something right because my mother is actually considering voting for the first time in her life, and she says she'll vote for him. All his "tree-hugging" stuff will hopefully go soon after election. He'll do all his manifesto promises on it and that'll be the end of it all. Then, hopefully, we'll get to see the cold, uncaring, remoresless Conservative soul that we all know and love.

[...]

In the Commons, if you look at the Labour frontbench and the Tory frontbench, the difference is jarring. The Tories look young and ready for a fight, with Cameron grinning, Davis shouting, Hague laughing.

I think I'm going to enjoy this blog.