Where am I? Politically Speaking

I've asked myself this question time and time again. By rights I am a dyed-in-the-wool Tory, yet not all that is Tory sits comfortably with me. My Grandmother was Labour to the core, and we enjoyed many a political debate together.

Debating, not arguing, had a profound effect on me as I grew up as it, and still does, caused me to listen to valid arguments. However hard as she tried, my Grandmother couldn't persuade me to become Labour.

I rather feel I am non-partisan as there is no single party that clearly represents my views, not even the majority of them. The problem is that each party has to stick by its principles and whilst this does resonate with those who see that way as right regardless, I'm afraid that I do not.

Ok so I run a business, I'm one of those greedy fat cats - or am I. When the going gets tough, and oh boy was the last recession tough, the first thing that gets cut is my salary. Sure when the good times roll, I will take my share of the good times, but when they don't I try to ensure I insulate my team - note I don't use the word "workers" - as much as possible from the effects. When the good time roll I see the team gets a fair share of the profits they generate for the company. I see this as being fair and equitable after all it is their efforts that make the profit is it not?

It has been an uphill struggle to get my team to see that the old US & THEM attitude that used to prevail in our company back in the day is not how it is or should be. A company is only as good as the people in it, and I have tried, and largely succeeded in persuading them that they are the company, not me. We have worked together to improve the bottom line, maximise the profit, but only because they know that I am resolutely committed to ensuring they get their share at the end of the year. This is how it should be as far as I am concerned. I don't ask my team to work harder to make more, I ask them to work smarter. Do more, but without more effort, and it is paying off to the benefit of all.

So when I think about how I run my business, I don't see me as a proper Tory. I'm certainly not a Socialist, neither am I Liberal. I use the best of the idealogical spectrum to run my business, and it works - really works.

If this can apply in business, albeit a small one, can not the same principles be scaled up so that bigger companies get the same result from their teams? Why not the same principles apply to the whole country?

So what am I politically? Neither Labour, Liberal, or Conservative. I think I will have to settle on pan-political, and continue to cherry pick the best of the spectrum.