So to preface this, this is a close friend of 3 years and co-worker, we go out basically every week on our days off with my childhood bestfriend, the latter of whom is the one I credit partially with pulling me as far left as I am. To give you some context, this coworker friend is something of an anomaly, they're bisexual and non-binary but self-describe as apolitical, saying that both the right and left (and more importantly to use, Labour and Conservative as we're Bri'ish) have things they agree with, which makes me want to wring their neck and tell them how much the Right want people like them dead. Whats more they're a protestant Christian, and weirdly not via-upbringing but by finding it later in life on their own.

Well cut to today, me, them and my childhood best friend are out in the city, talking about everything and anything, and (funnily enough I believe it came up after explaining a Vaush segment) they just casually drop their belief in the JQ, how we should just 'look it up', how Parliament is being controlled by them etc.

We're now in the comic shop and my childhood friend says to me how after this he's going to head home on his own, not wanting to spend any more time with someone who believes in the JQ, honestly I admire him sticking to his principles and I accosted my coworker friend for spouting such stupid shit. By this point both of them have stormed off and I, having few days off, decide I'mma just carry on without them, checking my phone later to find my childhood friend apologetic to me for ditching but specifically not for walking out on my coworker friend, which again I understand and tell him not to apologise, and to my coworker friend apologising saying he didn't mean to make anybody uncomfortable.

First of all, upfront, I didn't handle this the best, I know.

Secondly, much as I'm sure that's gonna be a lot of the suggested advice, I'm not intending on just dumping this friend of mine. Again, he's a good friend and otherwise a good person (they're pro-immigration, doesn't otherwise have a racist bone in his body, etc.), I don't want to lose him as a friend. What's more they've been struggling with depression for some time and the last thing I want to do is to make things even worse for them.

How do I realistically confront them about this and debunk the JQ? I do genuinely think they're open to reason and am hoping, even if it'll take some time, that I can mend this.