Are Tories welcome at Glastonbury

[Apone]

Just wondering because as I wandered around what struck me was the amount of vile,abusive,threatening and downright aggressive anti Tory messaging I have ever seen at the festival, In my view it was my favourite of the 6 I've been to in every way,bands,DJs,weather,side attractions,food, Thatchers cider (yummy!) but not the politics which was just everywhere this year. I totally get that Glastonbury is a left leaning festival, thats fine but does this leftness just have to be so damn aggressive and toxic. Seems the original Glasto ethos of peace,love, harmony has been completely lost in aggressive Momentum style Left wing rhetoric. This was compounded by Corbyn crashing the Glasto crowd, claim them as his own and practically blaming rich evil Tories for killing everyone at Grenfell,this a  spectacle I was forced to watch whilst awaiting the arrival of the Kaiser Chiefs on the Other Stage. It is a pity as Tory supporters prob make up a massive proportion of the Glasto festival goers, and if they're not welcome then presumably neither is their money and Glasto can just become a giant version of the Leftield stage.  

Sensible replies please

Edited July 7, 2017 by Apone

[adamg1602]

Are you a tory? 

[CaledonianGonzo]

So much for the tolerant left, eh brother?

[Apone]

1 minute ago, adamg1602 said:

Are you a tory? 

Irrelevant

Edited July 7, 2017 by Apone

[Pink_Tequila]

It has gone past the point of being tolerant of Tories now. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 minute ago, Apone said:

Irrelevant

Aside from the political messaging that you didn't like, were you personally ever made to feel unwelcome or given any reason to worry about your safety or security?

[frostypaw]

I think for a lot of people it makes a nice change when the rest of the time they're drowning in vile, abusive, threatening and downright aggressive right wing attitudes. It's just hard to notice when you're not in the firing line.

I do think Tories are entirely welcome, but if it's that much of a shock to see what it's like outside the bubble then it's probably a good and healthy thing to see isn't it? Better than imagining the dining room conversation actually encompasses the whole country's views for sure.

Tolerance is quite a different thing to meekly not saying anything despite having issues, and I think folk sometimes get confused.

[CaledonianGonzo]

In hindsight it was a mistake letting this one leave with his balls still unshoed.

 

[dentalplan]

A Tory MP went to the festival a few years ago. Died tho.

[ivan]

Although I live in Yorkshire my mate lives down the road from Glasto and can hear the Pyramid Stage from his house if the wind is right.

We discussed the Corbyn thing and he then confirmed to me that Somerset is predominately blue , Glastonbury's MP is Tory and this was unlikely to change.

I did find all the Tory hating strange as it was in their heartland so to speak and when I tried to find a reasoning behind it he said it came from a small minority and possibly not Somerset residents.

And obviously the likes of Billy Bragg and Leftfield are now well established at Glastonbury so have the power so to speak.

 

 

[Junglist1981]

5 minutes ago, frostypaw said:

I think for a lot of people it makes a nice change when the rest of the time they're drowning in vile, abusive, threatening and downright aggressive right wing attitudes. It's just hard to notice when you're not in the firing line.

I do think Tories are entirely welcome, but if it's that much of a shock to see what it's like outside the bubble then it's probably a good and healthy thing to see isn't it? Better than imagining the dining room conversation actually encompasses the whole country's views for sure.

Tolerance is quite a different thing to meekly not saying anything despite having issues, and I think folk sometimes get confused.

Nailed it. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Though I loved your blog, mate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/oh-jeremy-corbyn-give-rest-mindless-chant-ruined-glasto/

[VisionOfLove]

15 minutes ago, Apone said:

Just wondering because as I wandered around what struck me was the amount of vile,abusive,threatening and downright aggressive anti Tory messaging I have ever seen at the festival, In my view it was my favourite of the 6 I've been to in every way,bands,DJs,weather,side attractions,food, Thatchers cider (yummy!) but not the politics which was just everywhere this year. I totally get that Glastonbury is a left leaning festival, thats fine but does this leftness just have to be so damn aggressive and toxic. Seems the original Glasto ethos of peace,love, harmony has been completely lost in aggressive Momentum style Left wing rhetoric. This was compounded by Corbyn crashing the Glasto crowd, claim them as his own and practically blaming rich evil Tories for killing everyone at Grenfell,this a  spectacle I was forced to watch whilst awaiting the arrival of the Kaiser Chiefs on the Other Stage. It is a pity as Tory supporters prob make up a massive proportion of the Glasto festival goers, and if they're not welcome then presumably neither is their money and Glasto can just become a giant version of the Leftield stage.  

Sensible replies please

Seems a bit dramatic. Would be interested to hear anecdotes of the vile, abusive, threatening and aggressive behaviour that you witnessed, as all I saw was passionate yet peaceful voicing of opinion??

[dentalplan]

Did Jezza turn up on the Other Stage too then? Wish they'd have put that on the clashfinder as well so more of the Kaiser-inclined Corbynites woulda got outta my way for RTJ.

[Apone]

1 minute ago, dentalplan said:

Did Jezza turn up on the Other Stage too then? Wish they'd have put that on the clashfinder as well so more of the Kaiser-inclined Corbynites woulda got outta my way for RTJ.

The wonder of big screens

[CaledonianGonzo]

For me the Kaiser Chiefs were ruined by them sucking up to all the lefties by not stopping to advertise Yorkshire Tea halfway through their set.

[dentalplan]

Just now, Apone said:

The wonder of big screens

Ah fair enough.

[Mr.Tease]

23 minutes ago, Apone said:

Just wondering because as I wandered around what struck me was the amount of vile,abusive,threatening and downright aggressive anti Tory messaging I have ever seen at the festival, In my view it was my favourite of the 6 I've been to in every way,bands,DJs,weather,side attractions,food, Thatchers cider (yummy!) but not the politics which was just everywhere this year. I totally get that Glastonbury is a left leaning festival, thats fine but does this leftness just have to be so damn aggressive and toxic. Seems the original Glasto ethos of peace,love, harmony has been completely lost in aggressive Momentum style Left wing rhetoric. This was compounded by Corbyn crashing the Glasto crowd, claim them as his own and practically blaming rich evil Tories for killing everyone at Grenfell,this a  spectacle I was forced to watch whilst awaiting the arrival of the Kaiser Chiefs on the Other Stage. It is a pity as Tory supporters prob make up a massive proportion of the Glasto festival goers, and if they're not welcome then presumably neither is their money and Glasto can just become a giant version of the Leftield stage.  

Sensible replies please

If you consider what you experienced at Glastonbury as vile, abusive, threatening and aggressive then you have lived a very sheltered, privileged life

[Junglist1981]

9 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Though I loved your blog, mate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/oh-jeremy-corbyn-give-rest-mindless-chant-ruined-glasto/

Urgh what did I just read. Proper drivel.

 

[Homer]

Apart from seeing Corbyn, I don't really recall any anti-Tory rhetoric from anyone, either bands or punters. Were you hanging out in the Leftfield tent or something?!

 

If anyone did, I would suggest it's merely symptomatic of just how divided society is at the moment.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Homer

[incident]

10 minutes ago, Apone said:

I totally get that Glastonbury is a left leaning festival, thats fine but does this leftness just have to be so damn aggressive and toxic. Seems the original Glasto ethos of peace,love, harmony has been completely lost in aggressive Momentum style Left wing rhetoric.

Actually, Glastonbury isn't simply a "left leaning" Festival. It's an actively and proudly left wing campaigning festival. This isn't a new thing either, it's been that way since CND effectively started running the show in the early 80s.

I'm pretty sure that Tories at the Festival will feel a lot more welcome now than they would have done when Thatcher was in power. It's fair to say that in the last 10-15 years the political elements have been overshadowed by the lineups and various expansions, but they never went away. The fact that in recent years it was maybe easier for Tories to ignore or look past the politics doesn't change what the Festival is and has been for most of it's history - a voice against everything that the conservative party stands for.

[General Lee]

Not read the story, but it is a mindless chant though. And annoying. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

6 minutes ago, Junglist1981 said:

Urgh what did I just read. Proper drivel.

 

So much for the tolerant left!

[phillyfaddle]

Interesting how our perceptions (influenced by our personal beliefs, values and life experiences) affect our views of the "truth". Everybody is welcome at Glastonbury! However, if you find the values and beliefs (nuclear disarmament, protection of the environment, human rights, workers rights etc.) it loudly and vocally espouses threatening, then maybe, you should just accept that it isn't for you? I hear Henley was great ;-) *joke. If you did encounter nastiness/aggression from individuals, then that has no place and should be condemned. but I would defend everyone's to express their views strongly and forcefully.

Completely disagree on your view of Corbyn being invited to speak (Eavis can invite who the hell he wants, it's his farm!) and the tone of his speech. I felt it was humanitarian rather than overtly political. I had my doubts about him as a leader and still do to an extent, but his speech was inspiring, visionary, inclusive and reached out to a few of my friends, who vote Lib Dem! (I'm still working on them...)

 

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

I expect to be able to watch the Kaiser Chiefs without being exposed to lowest common denominator rabble rousing.