The Swings of Comrade Nash
Comrade Nash was raised in a primarily socially conservative working class environment. His parents are social conservative. During his earlier formative years his main source of news on current affairs came through the Daily Mail and through ITV news (and its appalling local format – HTVwest). Rural Somerset is (with the exception of former mining villages) a traditionally tory area, in recent years also trending towards Ukip and the Eurosceptic end of the political spectrum. It is therefore unremarkable that Comrade Nash was for many years a supporter of the Conservative Party, from at least the 2001 general election, through until January 2006.
At this point, whilst studying for AS-levels (including Politics), critical thought started to appear, as did the Guardian, which proved a useful counter to the earlier tabloid influence. He found the works of Richard Dawkins and managed to cast off the indoctrination of earlier Stone Age ideologies – which thankfully never really took root. He became more liberal on a number of social issues. The transition from budding Young Conservative to lefty was rather profound – catapulting him to almost the opposite end of the political spectrum. The teenage angst-inspired commie politics of 2007 fortunately became more toned down, and by the time of Blair’s resignation in July 2007, Comrade Nash was a firm Labour supporter, joining the party that summer.
Arriving at the University of Birmingham in October 2007, he joined their branch of Labour Students. A bloody good time was had in that year, from the election-that-never-was, to Boris 4 Mayor, and all the curries in between. In March 2008 he was one of many Labour Students members elected to the Executive committee of his Student Union, for a non-sabbatical position. 2nd year saw more curries, visits from cabinet ministers, and a shift in politics. Following some more distasteful incidents from the far-left elements on the campus, prominent world events, and the influence of Spectator magazine, Comrade Nash drifted back to the centre of the political spectrum.
One could say that the Tory charm offensive of that year was working. In the duck island election of 2009 he voted for the Tory slate for the European Parliament, impressed by one of the candidate’s Free Trade credentials and convinced that this was the best defence against the protectionist BNP, whilst certain his favourite candidate – Labour’s Michael Cashman MEP – would be safely returned.
The 3rd and penultimate year of his undergraduate degree in geology was spent at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The frankly wonderful people of the New Zealand Labour Party (Prince’s Street Branch) reaffirmed his lefty credentials and saw him safely back on the path to social democracy and democratic socialism. On the way he also picked up republicanism and a conviction for electoral reform.
Final year saw an ill-fated bid for student political office (www.nashforguild.com), campaigning for Yes2AV and some very worthy local election candidates, and the completion of an MSci Degree in Geology (with Honours, 1st Class, naturally).
Chris is now an unemployed graduate, engaged in the mostly futile task of submitting job applications. The realities of living in such a depressing position, under a government that just doesn’t care, have only confirmed and crystallised innate socialist convictions. The next few years will be spent defeating the government wherever possible, or in fleeing the country.
(to be continued…)
