Why do poor/middle-class people vote for the Conservatives?

[moneymoneymoneymakestheworldgoround]

When the Conservatives protect privileged interests, why would anyone not particularly rich vote for them?
The conservatives are now uncapping bankers' bonuses ffs

Whose failed policies have we been following for the last 12 years, that has got us into this mess?

Not Truss or Kwarteng's.

The successive Conservative/coalition governments of the past 12 years have had quite different approaches to the economy, despite running under the same banner.

For the record I'm a conservative voter but I do worry about the effects of being effectively a one-party state where different governments/policies arise via internal party dynamics - because the activist wing of the alternative party is just so unaligned with the underlying values of normal people.

I am glad Starmer is trying to get a handle on it and tbh it would not be a bad thing for the Tories to have some time out of power.

So the policies of the government of which Truss has been a part of for most of the past 12 years are not her responsibility?

Was she just in charge of some pot plants like Boris?

Agree

@jgw1 why do you keep picking at people in this thread?
Lots of posters have made good interesting points but you seem determined to goad everyone.
If it's too get people to vote Labour you might want to try a different tactic

If Scotland leave the UK the Labour party would just adapt to the situation. There's no point in a political party just remaining static, they have to appeal to the voters they want to vote for them. At the moment that includes people in Scotland, but if it didn't, they will change tack.

I hope their children don't mind living in an economy where borrowing is 100% + of GDP, as opposed to 75% under recent Labour government. Good luck being rewarded no matter how much drive and ambition you have.

I think generally there is less appetite for hard left or right and more pro centre ground politics. Miliband was a weak contender, then Corbyn pushed the agenda too far left for the masses. The Tories established themselves as centre right after years in the wilderness and became much more attractive to more voters. I think the opposite is happening now.

Class. There’s a rump of people who vote Conservative because Labour is for the working classes. These voters would vote Con/Lib Dem but not Labour. The collapse of the Lib Dems has forced more of these to vote Tory in recent elections.

The questions are specifically designed to mmake posters think about why they say that or think that.
To get them to properly analyse where that thought comes from. Critical thinking, not just repeating what others have said

The questions are "critically analysing" annoying strawman versions of arguments other posters have actually put effort into in order to advance the conversation.

A favourite quote from a George Eliot essay:

[A really cultured woman] does not write books to confound philosophers, perhaps because she is able to write books that delight them.

I'm interested in @DazedConfusedDone's point, that there's been a shift recently with the Tories moving further from the centre and Labour moving closer. I tend to agree, do others? I think Starmer has been trying to push back a little more on the culture war front and I think Reeves has reassuringly pro-growth instincts. I'll be following the conference speeches of both parties with interest. It's hard to read messy signals but I'll try...

It's about aspiration but without the intelligence that the Tories are about protection of privilege. They don't really want Johnny commoner buying houses near them.

Because they listen to shite on here about Labour hating women. Utter bollocks. And because they're a bunch of sheep who repeat this because they've heard other mumsnetters say this. Must be true because Mumsnet told me so.

Do you think insulting people is the best way to persuade them around to your way of thinking? 🤔

I'm not trying to persuade anyone. It's not for me to persuade anyone to vote a certain way 🙄. Have I hit a nerve with you maybe?

I wouldn't trust her to look after a pot plant 😂

I vote for the local candidate who I think can benefit the area, for years we had a prominent Labour MP who did some good. He moved to another job and the local Conservative got in which was a huge shock. It was on the national news that it was so surprising (very poor town). The MP had a better campaign. Imo it's all a popularity test.

I am sorry if you find my posts which try to seek further understanding of anothers view and the evidence that underpins it goady. If could not be further from my aim. I am sure any poster who has made a good and interesting point would be more than willing to enter into a discussion about those points.

Fair enough jgw1

I'm naturally left leaning and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the habit they seem to have got of attacking the government but then not getting their own house in order.

My Mum does it because she has delusions of grandeur and feels it reinforces her view of herself as one of the elite (she’s not) to vote Conservative.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar I think that's not quite right. The Lib Dems have an MP in many of the most desirable places in the country and have won the seat from Tory's in the most recent by elections and turned over huge majorities- that's because they appeal to 'old school Tory's more than labour does. I believe that will happen even more so in Posher TOry seats right up to and including next election. It's our voting system that makes it look like a Lib Dem collapse- particularly in working class areas- people feel they have to vote for labour or Tory to keep out labour/Tory.

No, I'm just puzzled at the personal bile.

Either it matters to you how other people vote - ie you want to achieve a different outcome, and the only way to do that is to persuade them to agree with you.

Or it doesn't matter to you how other people vote, in which case why do you feel the need to insult them?

It matters to me how people vote as the party we get can be detrimental to society but like I said it's not up to me to persuade others how to vote. Democracy is about choice. Nothing I have said has been personal to any one person however I do believe 100% that people do spout some utter rubbish on here e.g. Labour hates women and people lap it up and believe it just like they do with rubbish written on other forms of social media. I'm allowed to point that out. Some people believe everything they read and don't stop to question it.

Haven't rtft so apologies if I'm repeating. I think a big part of this is the media and the fact that no matter what the tories do there are certain outlets that will promote their idealogies and people will believe they are the best thing since sliced bread. And they will also attack the opposition for anything that makes them look bad. See Keirs beer against a backdrop of Tory approval of partying.

A family member reads the Daily Mail and their grip on what is really happening in this country is very tenuous.

More could be done in schools to educate children about how government, the monarchy and the media work and in global affairs. Citizenship qualifications do this but are offered by only a few schools. This would give us an electorate that was better educated about politics and therefore able to critically evaluate what was on offer, and vote accordingly. Critical thinking is a skill that really needs to be taught in schools.

Obviously family history will also play a part - the influence of your parents and family can't be underestimated in your formative years.

@Swampmonster1988 all those who think labour hates women need to follow Jess Phillips on twitter. I can't think of anyone who cares more about womens issues. Labour are in an awkward position when it comes to trans issues etc. a lot of their vote base is often young and have more motivation when it comes to 'causes' - be that trans or climate change so they in my opinion tend to fudge it so as not to alienate quite a large section of their vote base. The same was true with Tory's and Brexit. A great many Tory's see no positives in immigration (unless it's white Australians etc) so you get people like Liz Truss totally changing their views to suit that moments agenda and their own position. Personally I would rather labour didn't pander to work stuff quite as much but at the end of the day I would rather just go along with that than have a load of right wing headbangers governing