Sky Views: Dangers of new black and white world of politics

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By Sophy Ridge, Sky News Presenter

I have a nagging sense that something is not quite right when it comes to politics in the UK.

No, don't worry, I'm not talking about the referendum and as far as I'm concerned you can support whatever political party you damn well like.

What I'm talking about is certainty. An uncompromising attitude that whatever you believe is the unarguable truth, and if anyone has the audacity to have a different perspective then they are simply wrong.

In the politics of 2016, it seems, there is only black and white. Shades of grey are simply banned.

You are a Leaver or a Remainer. What if you voted to leave the EU but have concerns about the economic impact? How about if you reluctantly voted to remain but believe the EU is a flawed institution?

There's no space for you in the new political discourse. You have to pick a side and stick to it.

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If you're a Jeremy Corbyn fan, you have to religiously believe everything he touches is gold and any criticism from the "MSM" - or "mainstream media" - is biased and wrong. If you don't like him, it's the other end of the scale: he's an object of mockery and no policy idea should be taken seriously.

The same goes for Nigel Farage. In the new black and white world, he's either a racist bigot or the messiah. There are no shades of grey; no attempt to see another person's point of view.

What if you voted to leave the EU but have concerns about the economic impact? How about if you reluctantly voted to remain but believe the EU is a flawed institution?
Sophy Ridge

The same attitude can be seen again and again.

When Fidel Castro died, the reaction was similarly predictable - he was painted either as very good or very bad. There was no nuance. No acceptance that sometimes bad people can do good things, and good people can do bad things. That humans, history and politics are all multi-faceted.

As a journalist, this new age of certainty is exhausting and you are constantly attacked from both sides.

Social media users are convinced that you are on one side or the other, and are determined to try and sniff you out by reading far too much into a single tweet or Facebook post.

The job of a journalist is to investigate all sides of the argument and to understand both halves of the political divide.

For people who deal only in black and white, who believe that anyone who doesn't share their opinion is wrong, this is deeply suspect behaviour.

I find this new certainty deeply troubling, firstly because it increases divisions in society and secondly because it does not engender good policy making.

Good governance means standing in other people's shoes and considering all points of view. But people get the government they deserve.

The philosopher Socrates famously said: "I know that I know nothing."

Let's hope that 2017 brings a bit more uncertainty.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Sky News editors and correspondents, published every morning.

Previously on Sky Views: Adam Boulton - Grayling must sort gridlock or risk the chop