I voted Conservative, and am happy to admit it - why don't other Tory voters feel the same?

[MillyMolly99]

I voted Conservative, and am delighted with the election result. However no one else seems to admit to being a Tory voter, but there are clearly lots of us around. I told someone at work about my voting preferences - she looked at me as if I'd just killed a puppy.

DH commented that being left-wing is a more fashionable view, even if you don't agree with left-wing politics.

I think he has a point. And I get heartily sick of people who brag about being brought up on a council estate, holding it up as a badge of honour, assuming this gives more weight to their opinions than those of us who come from a different sort of background. It's some weird, inverted snobbery thing.

I totally agree with David Cameron's comments about wanting to ensure a good life for those of us who are prepared to work for it. What's so wrong with that????

I am not wealthy. When I voted tory, I didn't agree with all their plans. So no apoplexy from me. Sorry to disappoint. I am sure the Tories will do stuff I don't completely agree with. And if anyone thinks they would have always supported Labours decisions wholeheartedly, is naive.

So. Go on then. You care? How do you care? How do you show that care by voting Tory?

People how voted Tory care alot more than the millions who couldn't be arsed at all. Where was the non voters concern for society?

I want a good life. And I'm working my arse off all day and all night for it.

I'm a single mum to 2 under 3, studying and relying heavily on the benefit system and the generosity (time wise with child care help for studying) of my family.

But Mr Cameron thinks I get too much in handouts and wants to reduce what I can claim and send me and my children into further poverty.

I fail to see your self righteous logic?

Here, have a star

And another one for not being brought up on a council estate

DH was brought up on a council estate, but I wasn't. Oddly enough, he has never used the fact to suggest that his opinions matter more than mine I'm also a bit more left wing than he is. Stereotypes are so tricky, aren't they, OP?

Just to add that I come from a standard family background, where dad worked and mum stayed home and we owned the house and had holidays and school trips etc.
very middle class.

I now live in a high rise council block.

So I've experienced both the types of life you speak of.

I think you sound self important and stuck up

I am perfectly happy with who I voted for, but generally don't "admit" to it with certain company because I don't feel that listening to the bigoted, abusive and illogical rantings of labour voters would add anything to my life.

I voted Tory and it was the best for us with our 2 businesses.

I've always supported Tory and always will!!

I know Lumpy
The conservatives have always been very good at 'divide and rule'

Wonkylegs- I agree wholeheartedly with you on this. Demonising Tory voters or calling them stupid is unhelpful... Like you I think Labour's policies are imperfect but come from a better moral and logical base. I also worry that there are tough times ahead in the next 5 years. I'm going to join the Labour Party in order to have a vote in the ballot for the next leader... Hopefully they'll be more convincing in 5 years and the country will be more receptive to their message. The Tories convinced people in England and labour didn't this time around. Them's the breaks.

"lazy fuckers on tax credits"

Christ, the media have worked their magic on you.

People (away from MN) aren't often shouting about voting Tory, no. And the reason you get looked at like you've kicked a puppy is because Tories are quite happy with the deprived becoming even more so, providing their own taxes aren't increased. Tories want to bring back fox hunting. They want to abolish human rights. They're reducing council budgets, directly affecting social care provisions and those who rely upon them. They appear to have no motivation to close tax evasion loopholes that get used by enormous businesses, and would rather limit the spending on the poor. They're closing surestart centres.

That, and of course many Tory voters seem under the same misinformed impression that you are under: that hard work always pays off. It doesn't. A person can work themselves to the bone on minimum wage and still be living hand to mouth. And it's extremely easy to look at these people from your priviliged position and say they should just get a better job or work harder.

As a manager, if you're understaffed and struggling you should be hiring more staff. Not forcing your full time workers to work harder and blaming it on tax credits.

I totally agree with David Cameron's comments about wanting to ensure a good life for those of us who are prepared to work for it. What's so wrong with that????

Well I have a good life because I'm lucky enough to have benefited from a free university education, I'm good at my job and I am in demand. Others aren't so lucky through ill health, disability and lack of opportunity. Therefore, because I do give a shit about more than just myself and my own insular little world, I didn't vote tory.

I think a lot of this isn't so much that Tory voters are ashamed to admit their leaning, but more that labour voters just tend to be more vocal and nail their colours to the mast. And a big reason for that is because they're not just voting in their own self interest. They're concerned with social equality, see all the unfairness and want to make a noise about it. If I was a selfish Tory voter I expect I would just vote and think I'm alright Jack. Why would I feel the need to discuss it any further

eenie I'm currently on benefits. And I occasionally treat myself. Should I not be doing? I was made redundant while on maternity leave and fled my abusive ex shortly after DD's birth. I'm on benefits while studying to pick myself up off the floor and get back into work, but someone like you would quite happily have me provided with the absolute bare minimum to keep me alive. I paid a decent amount of tax and NI when I was in work...why should I have bothered if the safety net I was paying towards wouldn't stretch to the internet connection I need to study? The odd day out that I need to keep myself sane as a single mother who doesn't even get evenings to relax?

Can't help you op- I'm not sure they are unwilling to admit it (lots of posters here will tell you freely they voted tory).
I am assuming most people think the cuts won't affect them personally. The last long run of a Tory government we had it had to get really bad before people made a connection between public services and you know...funding them. Remember the Major era? Run down schools (anyone remember the buckets for the drips and dog eared textbooks), really long waiting times in the NHS, terrible under investment in infrastructure (dear god the railways). Plus we had north sea oil and we sold off everything... so there was money, it just didn't go on public services.
The same will happen again, it will start to effect more and more of the general public and at some point they will begin to become outraged that they can't get to see a G.P or that there no libraries left, or that schools have massive class sizes. Then they'll look around and see that for some people (the owners of the health care chains, or the owners of the academy chains) this matters not because they can afford to buy all these services (having made their wealth on the back of tax-payers money). And then (and only then) might those people start to be a tiny bit embarrassed to admit that they voted Tory. But we have a good 8-10 years before that.
I work in mental health, and all I can say to all those who voted Tory who have children, I hope and pray that you are either lucky enough to dodge your son or daughter ever having mental health problems or wealthy enough to pay for private provision. There are real term cuts proposed- it’s a bloody joke we are so so under resourced its pitiful. But don’t worry the Tories ‘commissioned a review’ (to go along with the one in 2012 and the one in 2010). We don’t need another fucking review, we need more money, for more workers, more training, more highly skilled more beds etc…For that reason alone you ought to be embarassed (even if you're not)

Spot on WD41

Thread number 1000 asking the exact same question.

Ok. I have been in Ed Balls constituency for years. We have asked him for help twice, as a family. He actually came to my mums, sat in her sofa and lied to her. He then lied to my dd in another situation. He made promises that he never fulfilled and never ever got back to any of us.

I can not in good faith endorse him as a candidate. Many people in this area feel the same. We looked at the numbers and he only beat the tories by a small margin last time. So I vote tory. My inly other option was ukip, which wasn't an option or maybe abstaining.

Ed balls lost by 422 votes. So every vote counted here. I am happy he has gone. He did not serve this area very well and didn't show any sense that he cared, he assumed he would always get in. His nickname round here is invisible Ed. It took us 2 months to get an appointment with him, they can only be booked a week in advance so we spent alot of time on the phone trying to arrange it.

No way could I vote and let him get in here again. I think my local community deserves better and I think Andrea Jenkyns is better. I may be wrong....but we don't get to try out mps before we vote.

It had nothing to do with me looking down on people on benefits etc.

I can not vote for labour for the above reason and because I do not trust them. The Iraq war and the loss of my step brother in Iraq, damaged my faith in the labour party. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls did nothing to rebuild that trust. I do not trust them to do what they say they would do. The opposition always has the advantage about being able to back down over their manifestos because they can claim they didn't know exactly how bad the finances were.

I personally think the 2 Eds would have screwed over the exact same people everyone thinks the tories will.

When given a choice between labour and conservative. It had to be conservative.

NRomanoff- even as a fairly staunch labour supporter I see Ed Balls losing his seat as a silver lining! I just can't bring myself to like the man. If I'd been in your constituency I would have had to think long and hard about how to vote.

fuzzy its taken me a good year of deciding. Right up until the morning voted. I simply could not give my approval to him when he has done so little. A vote for him would have let my community down and (since the polls were so close) I was worried he would become chancellor. Not a risk I was willing to take.

I am hoping the labour party really spend sometime putting together a party I can get behind. But if Andrea turns out to be amazing, it will be another difficult decision. I wish I could vote for my mp and the party separately. I would have voted ed balls out but labour into power.

I voted Conservative and am still on cloud 9 with the result.

I voted for the party that would run the economy best and so be able to afford to provide good public services.

Labour voters are just as "selfish" as us so-called selfish Tory voters are! 99.9% of people vote for the party that is best for themselves. If you're in the 0.1% then good for you. Labour voters aren't voting Labour because John in the next town will benefit from it - they are voting Labour because it will benefit themselves and their family. Tory voters are voting in exactly the same way and it's a shame Labour voters don't see and respect this.

In my own experience since the election, pretty much anyone who has "come out" as voting Conservative has promptly been called selfish, disgusting, heartless and a whole load of other "nasty words". Anyone seeing how some are being treated online, I don't think I'd want to "confess" to it either. That being said, many of my friends are in the "youth" vote group which means more openly left people anyway. I'm keeping my mouth shut because it's not my place to have a go at someone for making a choice and exercising their right to vote. Also, I've had enough of the entire thing by this point!

I may have gone a bit overboard with my "_" quotes

I would just like to remind all those Labour voters who care so much about education that they voted in - THREE TIMES - a party that brought in tuition fees.

Not a Tory voter here, but y'know. Pot, kettle, that...