to ask you why you would vote Tory?

[Dromedary]

I have a nasty feeling that if an election were held now the Tories might get in again.
Lots of you out there support the Tories.
Some of the rest of us find that very hard to understand.
Can you explain your reasoning for us? I for one promise not to bash you for your views on this thread (but may do so on other threads).

[CogitOCrapNotMoreSprouts]

'Bright working class kids' are mostly hampered these days by the catchment system which means their education is only as good as their local school. It's why the old grammar system was so popular with the working class... you could get out of the area. Social mobility went down under Labour rather than up which is a betrayal. Not advocating a return to selective grammars but I'm more confident that Tory policies can elevate standards across the board. `

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Labour are a shambles who took us into an illegal war to appease a crazy American president. Lib-Dems are a shambles who wouldn't know a principle if it bit them on the arse. Tories are using the economy as an excuse to dismantle the NHS and the welfare state for ideological reasons and entrench privilege. Not sure how anyone on the liberal left decides who to vote for.

I cannot see myself voting Lib-Dem ever again as main reason I used to was that they would be good in a coalition in the event of a hung parliament (how wrong I was). I am not ready to vote Labour either; I find Ed Miliband an unconvincing leader and many of the henchmen of New Labour are still in prominent roles. I also dislike some of Miliband's rhetoric on immigration. I won't vote conservative as they are self-serving bastards who are wrecking what was great about the country since the Second World War. At the same time they are entrenching privilege. I believe in strong public services and social mobility this isn't the Tories. So what to do...?

[pugsandseals]

because unlike the left, they believe that there is not a bottomless pit of money to delve in to. They are also able to provide a bit of social mobility (& I wish they would have the balls to go back to a grammar system which would help more than anything). I don't think they have all the answers, but their policies tend to be for the long term good of the country rather than just to win the next election.

[EnjoyResponsibly]

Cinnamonut I think you'll find it's usually "evil bastard cunts" because that's the level this sort of debate usualy sinks to within 3 pages.

There are many reasons I am a Conservative voter. In addition I don't lash out with abuse at people who disagree with me and vote Labour or LibDem.

Having said that, as a Conservative voter I expect results and the party must, must realise they have to address the significant trouble the country is in if they expect re-election.

It isn't enough to investigate long term benefit recipients to reduce welfare costs without also addressing the massive loopholes that enable the Starbucks etc and anyone that can afford a wily accountant to avoid paying tax. These companies will not stop trading in the UK if they are made to pay so get some balls although not Ed and sort it out.

[WinkyWinkola]

The Tories also voted for the war.

There is apparently a bottomless pit of money to lob at Comet, spend on Libya etc.

[CogitOCrapNotMoreSprouts]

"the labour party have never tried to be divisive and peddle a notion that poor and disabled people are scroungers."

The Labour party created an overblown welfare system that led to others seeing claimants - rightly or wrongly - as being on a good touch. Resentment and accusations of scrounging was therefore created at grass roots level without any intervention.

[Vagaceratops]

You begrudge the hard working people at Comet their redundancy pay?

[WinkyWinkola]

I don't begrudge them redundancy pay at all. Comet does! The glorious private sector needs bailing out YET AGAIN.

[Ephiny]

Indeed, and a lot of the resentment towards supposed benefit scroungers and perceived unfair advantages for immigrants, comes from poorer and working-class people. I think Labour lost a lot of votes in the last election by not addressing these concerns (which were grievances that people genuinely felt, rightly or wrongly) and engaging with them properly, rather than just assuming they must be the views of ignorant racist bigots.

[perceptionInaPearTree]

I disagree Cogito - lots of disabled people have always been incapable of working - how thick would anyone have to be 'at grass roots level' not to be able to comprehend that?? There has been a very obvious campaign by the Tories ever since the start of this coalition to divide and segregate people and to spread lies about poor and disabled people.

Since when was it ever acceptable to call disabled people and their carers scroungers?

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

That isn't acceptable perception. But no one with an ounce of common sense thinks that disabled people and their carers are scroungers.

It seems to be those on the left assume that everyone else has the same opinion of disabled people as they do of people who are unemployable for other reasons, and I just don't think that's true.

[juneau]

I think we should go back to the grammar school system because it was the one system that allowed bright, but poor kids to excel and have a chance to compete with privately-educated, wealthier kids. Doing away with grammar schools and lumping everyone into a one-size-fits-all system has been a disaster for educational attainment in this country. It also doesn't, IMO, help the less academic kids (I'm not suggesting that we return to the choice between a grammar or a crappy comprehensive). If David Cameron finds a way to deliver on his ambition to give every child the kind of education he had (i.e. every state school providing something modelled on the private system), he would be one of the great PMs of all time.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Sinister - I once heard a judge say "Voting Conservative is a lot like masturbation. Lots of people do it but not many admit to it!"

[perceptionInaPearTree]

Outraged - the Tories have recently had to concede that their benefits cap will be used on carers who have to look after disabled adult children when they previously stated the benefits cap (designed to encourage people who can to work) would not affect households where anyone was disabled.

That is very unfair and means people will be forced to put their disabled relatives into care homes, which cost the tax payer far more.

[KnittingChristmas]

Word factory, I've done years of door step campaigning thanks!

[CogitOCrapNotMoreSprouts]

"Since when was it ever acceptable to call disabled people and their carers scroungers?"

When people suspect they are swinging the lead.

[KnittingChristmas]

And I agree with Ghoul !

This was demonstrated in '92 when a labour victory was predicted because so many Tory voters lied to the pollsters about which way they were going to vote!

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Maybe, but the benefit cap is only a cap. As long as its capped at a level that enables a reasonable standard of living, then there isn't a problem with it being applied to anyone who has to claim benefits.

[TeamBacon]

"The tories have brainwashed people to think that everyone on benefits is lazy and leaves the curtains shut while the strivers go out to work. And it's worked - some people believe this and there is evidence of it upthread.

In reality nobody on benefits is getting enough money to cover more than they really need. And some people have had rubbish opportunities and therefore cannot get a job even if they wanted to.

The propaganda they peddle is shameful. And people like David Cameron have no idea what it is like to really strive for something, I'll bet. Ironic really."

perception - ^^ this exactly.

[Mamf74]

I was very tempted to vote Tory at the last election; given that I come from a staunch Labour family that was a huge admission to make!

I also think that had a Tory government got in then the changes that have been made would have been more cohesive. Sadly I think the Coalition is a mess and a lot of the chaos that it arising from the Government is stemming from kneejerk reactions to each party's demands on the other without seeing the whole picture. Not exactly tit for tat but certainly point scoring, which helps no-one.

If I were a dyed in the wool, paid up member of the Tory party I would also be despairing at having Cameron and Osborne so high up in the party. They have a very "Let Them Eat Cake" mentaility and seem unable to articulate their own policies which isn't very inspiring. Cameron is very clumsy at publicly defending policies, eg saying that Food Banks were part of the Big Society and a good thing when in fact it could be argued it is the opposite.

Finally, I think it is outrageous that a company like Atos have been given contracts with no penalty clauses for those claims upheld at appeal. Outsourcing any service like those with Atos and A4E will always come back to bite them unless watertight confidence applies and this is why I would struggle with who to vote for, given a lot of these companies were approached during the Labour government.

[EnjoyResponsibly]

It's not tax evasion, it's tax avoidance.

I'm no expert but I'll bet my Pret latte that the same tax rules that are currently being exploited were around throughout the Labour governments tenure.

I'd like to see the Tory government just get on and fix that.

And really you need to stop it if you think that Tory voters look down on people who are without work, or are disabled or carers.

[Viviennemary]

I don't think Labour has any answers to this country's problems. I have realised this. I did vote Labour at the last general election and the one before that and the one before that. But don't think I will be again unless they get some new people with new ideas.