Politics overtakes money as topic best to avoid with friends & family

10 December 2020 - 12:10
By TimesLIVE
Best keep silent on politics this year, according to a new survey.
Image: Reuters/Rogan Ward Best keep silent on politics this year, according to a new survey.

The divisiveness of politics has overtaken money as the biggest taboo topic of conversation.

This is according to an international poll conducted by deVere Group, a financial advisory and fintech organisation.

Its survey results show 48% of those polled ranked politics as the most difficult subject to discuss with family, friends and colleagues.

It came ahead of personal finance (34%), sex and relationships (9%), religion (5%) and health issues (4%).

The respondents came from the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Australasia.

In the 2019 survey, 56% of those asked cited money as the hardest topic. It was the same in previous years too.

Of the findings, deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green said: “This has been a year of immense political polarisation around the world.

“Governments’ handling of the pandemic, and events such as the US presidential election, Brexit, tensions in South Asia and in the Gulf, among other factors, have made things seem more divisive and partisan than ever.

“It’s been a highly unusual year.”

TimesLIVE