At what age do you remember becoming politically aware?

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Banderill

New Member
For me it was 17-18 in the pub. Wasn’t discussed at home, well at least not “in front of the kids”, so it was overheard conversations by the grown ups giving each other stick over Labour this and Tories that, and then later at work.

How about you?
 

classic33

Senior Member
Around the age of 12-13.
Every election the house became one of two adjoining houses used as a campaign base, be it local or general elections.
 
Fifteen or so. Punk, reggae, RAR and a couple of proper old school Marxist teachers. Oh, and a girl I tried soooo hard to impress.
 
Somewhere between the 1970 election and the first in 74. Politics and current affairs were to the fore at home. Both parents avidly consumed newspapers and TV watching had to fit in with mostly BBC News at 6 O'clock and again at 9. As a reward for passing the 11 plus I was given a Sinclair Micromatic radio and listening to Radio 4 from bedtime at 08:30 until closedown became a habit.

Initially the nice Mr Heath and the sympathetic write ups he got in the Yorkshire Post convinced me but The Guardian, of which my Dad was a devotee, became a more convincing organ.
 

Milkfloat

Active Member
19 - a mate of mine got me a volunteering gig as a steward at music festivals like Reading and the Phoenix festival. It was through the student wing of the Labour Party. The organised coach back to London was full, so they asked for some volunteer men to give up their places. My mate and I jumped off and hitched our way back in a decommissioned ambulance full of hippies and copious amounts of weed. I started the week a tory light, got swayed by John Smith’s legacy and the rise of Blair and ended up a very relaxed communist.
 

icowden

Legendary Member
I was a well brought up Tory until I went to University (1992-1995) and met other people who were not (the benefit of Private Schooling is that they can set your politics up for you). One of my friends was a staunch Tory and it became apparent that he was a bit of a tit. My other best friends were much more politically diverse - one has a great skill at paying devils advocate to try and make you really think about what it is that you are arguing.

Plus I started to read Private Eye and quickly discovered just how venal and corrupt many politicians are. This has made me very centerist in my old age.
 

Pale Rider

Veteran
I'm another whose first interest in politics coincided roughly with my first interest in girls.

Nearly 50 years later, I'm not sure I have a particularly strong understanding of either, especially the latter.
 

Ian H

Guru
Interesting question. Probably during discussions with the sons of Irish republicans, aged around 14 or 15.
 

FishFright

Well-Known Member
Around the time I started high school is when I became serious about learning how politics works , or worked at least.
 
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