AIBU to not understand why "normal" people vote Tory?

[olddogsnewtricks]

OK, so I'll probably get flamed for this but am genuinely interested! All the people I know who vote Tory are pretty well off so use private schools and healthcare. As a family we need the NHS and we need a good education system - and I can't see them getting any better under the Tories. Are these just not priorities for Tory voters or do they really believe they will improve even with a Conservative government?

Where are you getting those figures from Loonie?

Has it occurred to you that it's more to do with massive population growth and in particular the addition of Romanian and Bulgarian workers to the EU since 2014 that has caused the rise?

We are normal, middle income earners who vote Tory because we don't like the alternative. We've had a Labour Party in government in my lifetime from 1997 to 2010. In that time we went to war and the country became hugely in debt.

I agree that the Conservatives are wankers but unless Labour elects a decent opposition leader I don't want them running the country. I'd rather the devil I know and take my chances.

And the Daily Mirror?

Under Labour, supported housing existed. In theory it was noble. State funded house, people living with support workers assisting them with basic skills. In practice, they played computer games, slept till 3, had loud parties and elicited complaints from despairing neighbours. When finally evicted when rats moved in they trashed the rooms (fully equipped with televisions, fridges and microwaves.)

I think many people vote Tory because despite their average salaries and decreasing standards of living, and poorer public services, they see themselves as 'middle class' or aspiring middle class and a million miles away from the 'underclass' of whom we hear so much about and see on TV- presented as workshy, benefits scroungers with lots of children and poor behaviours. They don't want to be like them or associated with them and see the Labour Party as continuing to fund them.
I don't know if they think Headteachers, teachers, and Drs and nurses are exaggerating when they talk about the funding crisis and terrible decisions being made by the government about Education and the NHS. I can assure you they are not.
I sit as a member of a public health board and my husband is a Deputy Head. The NHS is collapsing day by day and will be privatised almost fully in 5 years with us all paying private health insurance or getting 3rd rate treatment.
Education is in the worst state it has been in for decades and parents will pay more and more every week for aspects of it in the next 5 years while it excludes more and more children with an inappropriate curriculum and assessment regime.

In 1979 the conservative government inherited an economy that was nearly bankrupt. In 1997 they handed back a healthy economy.

Between 1997 and 2010 I can't remember quite how Labour improved education or the NHS although they help ratchet up public sector debt via pfi initiatives and that marvellous layer of bureaucracy called PCTs.

The banking crisis happened in 2008, nine years after Labour took over. The Conservatives have been clearing up the mess again since 2010.

The problem with labour and welfare is that there has to be sufficient money in the coffers to fulfil the promises. Labour government after labour government has failed to appreciate this.

I don't understand why sensible people vote anything other than Conservative.

valentine how strange could you link a photo would love to see that.

The reason for the increase is not because people don't want help. Services have been cut and cut, the reasons people are being made homeless have changed also and as someone who works in this field I can assure you prevention is becoming impossible and it's all fire fighting.

lived under a Labour government and saw things get hugely worse under them for ordinary people. Wages stagnated, the price of housing soared and standards of living tumbled. Educational standards dropped, the gap between rich and poor got wider and wider and they lessened restrictions on banking allowing them to do some really shit things. Socially I felt my area deteriorated massively under Labour. Things that they did do like tax credits didn't improve life for people, they just cushioned the blows of the deterioration. They destroyed more industry than Thatcher, they introduced the legislation which allowed privatisation of parts of the NHS. They started an uneccessary war.
*
Socially in terms of how the people around me lived and behaved towards other people there was a huge deterioration. This has much improved under the coalition and Tories.

The left wing are a wealthy middle class globalist movement who look after their own wealth and interests first followed by migrants, the underclass and refugees. They hold ordinary working class people in utter contempt and view them as thick oiks who should listen to their betters.

I think the Conservative creed of opportunity offers a far better deal for working class people than Labour who generally just offer benefits and subsistence living.*

^^ excellent post Bill

I voted Tory and will again. I voted against Brexit, even though I'm a dual national and my other nationality gives me EU citizenship.

I have voted Tory because their politicians are clever people, Oxbridge educated, and to lead a country you need clever people. (Do you remember Gordon Brown? Those comments he muttered under his breath about the woman who asked him some questions? When he thought his mic was off? Well, that's what I mean.)

I also agree with a lot of Tory policies, ranging from, yes, the distribution of benefits, to grammar schools; and no one can argue away the fact that unemployment is down.

Has it occurred to you that it's more to do with massive population growth and in particular the addition of Romanian and Bulgarian workers to the EU since 2014 that has caused the rise?

Oh yes blame the immigrants

I don't think Bill was

It stands to reason that if the population increases, so will the numbers of homeless.

believe in limited state intervention and regional, rather than national

Shame that you can't actually say that about the Tories. They do not support local or regional governments.

I'm not well off. I don't own property. I am self-employed. I also potentially face deportation after living here for 12 years depending on Brexit negotiations. I am a Conservative voter.

Largely because I don't like Labour's leadership or policies. I believe in safety nets in our society, whereas Labour believe in hammocks. I have worked for minimum wage and I know what it's like to struggle. Still, I don't believe that anyone should be handed benefits without very good reason. The attitude that's so prevalent in this country that Labour are wonderful because they want to give people money (other people's hard-earned money in many cases) actually sickens me. Perceived entitlement towards benefits in this country sicken me. Never have I lived anywhere where people have it so good and have so many opportunities yet still feel entitled to stick their hands in others' pockets.

The last Labour government fucked the country completely IIRC. Yes, there are a lot of things that could be better under the current government but I will continue to vote Tory as the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

I think the Conservative creed of opportunity offers a far better deal for working class people than Labour who generally just offer benefits and subsistence living

As a starter for 10, there are a number of surveys that would suggest the introduction of tax credits saw a corresponding increase in the number of women leaving abusive relationships. Possibly at a subsistence level whilst dependent on benefits, but the majority of single parents work (at least part time). Would we argue that it would be better for the children involved in these relationships to have to continue to watch their father beat their mother than to live at subsistence during a portion of their childhoods?

Shall we compare that to the women today who have 3 children, for example, who will now receive no support for that third child if they need to leave the relationship? What will happen to those children?

And let's not start on disability, homelessness, mental health problems, care leavers....

There is, of course, the issue of the benefits trap and I understand that. I also think that the increase in thresholds of working hours needed to happen. I also agree - as a single working parent - that it can be frustrating watching seemingly so many people not bother with work. But there is no way I am better off under this government as a single, full time professional parent. And I am increasingly villified by people who know me, let alone those who don't because as a single parent I am a Daily Mail target. And I genuinely fear for women going forwards. There have been huge steps backwards that affect us, as a group, way more than men.

despite their average salaries and decreasing standards of living, and poorer public services

Ummm I saw all this go tits up under Labour!

What planet are some people on. I must admit having spent some time recently with relatives who are life long labour voters they really do see life through a different lense, they are all wealthy and idealistic and are not living life on the front line, IE in poorer areas of the south.

It stands to reason that if the population increases, so will the numbers of homeless

yes of course its been out recently new figures no of homeless rising and they are usually very poor people from the EU who have come here with no job, which they are not supposed to do - however we can do diddly squat about it.

infinitesheldon You illustrate my view exactly with your comment.

My Dad votes Tory because he thinks it make him posh

Labour are not perfect, of course they're not, but I think their biggest fault is not combating the very well-crafted and now deeply entrenched myths about their economic incompetence.

I have voted Tory because their politicians are clever people, Oxbridge educated, and to lead a country you need clever people

^this has to be the most hilarious thing I've read in a while 😂

Having an Oxbridge or private education doesn't make you the smartest or "cleverest" person nor does it equip you to run a country.

The last time I checked, it wasn't on the syllabus at Oxford or Cambridge.

In my friends/family/neighbours/colleagues.. most hardships come with age and experience. Most people I know who are disabled became so over 30, most people I know who've lost everything and been homeless or dependant on benefits had that happen over 30, over 30 people are more likely to have extra dependants or be carers.

Well yes, it either goes one way or the other. I kind of addressed this in the unquoted part of my post :p

But the more well off and comfortable/secure people are, the more likely they vote Conservative. On average. You still get the odd person on disability benefits who will vote Tory/UKIP, or the millionaire who votes Labour/Dems/whatever but I do think its safe to say its very true that Tories are the party for the rich and Labour for the poor. Seems to be noone there for the inbetweeners though, who get squeezed whichever is in power

but I do think its safe to say its very true that Tories are the party for the rich and Labour for the poor

I can't believe people still believe this

Yes the Tories are for the (very) rich, but labour is not for the poor

I have voted Tory because their politicians are clever people, Oxbridge educated, and to lead a country you need clever people

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I think you confused clever with rich.

The left wing are a wealthy middle class globalist movement who look after their own wealth and interests first followed by migrants, the underclass and refugees. They hold ordinary working class people in utter contempt and view them as thick oiks who should listen to their betters

YY

The number of rough sleepers has has gone up 53% in the last year alone where I live. 1000% since 2010.

Have any facts to back that up, or is it just the usual appeal to emotion rhetoric that comes up anytime politics come up.

The guardian would have picked up such an uptick, and from what I can see there is no such thing, I did however find an article from earlier this year which did actually state that it has been rising for 6 years and has risen 16% last year, however it does have a few lines which don't directly point to it being just a tory problem but some wider issues that may have influenced brexit.

In London, 43% of people sleeping rough are from the UK, 36% are from central and eastern Europe, with 18% of the total from Romania.

Plenty of people will never vote for the Lib Dems again because of tuition fees

Yes my brother says this, and apparently a lot of his Uni friends are the same. The one main promise the Lib Dems made, the one that got them a shitload of votes from students, they went back on in order to get into bed with Cameron. Clegg totally screwed over his party. It will take years for them to gather back even part of the support that they did have. Yes they had no chance of a majority government but they seemed to be gaining each time.

Though I do appreciate the Lib Dems did hold back Cameron somewhat in other areas which we should be thankful for. But breaking your main promise immediately is awful...

Surely people should vote for the party they think are best for the country as a whole, and not just think about their own situation?

In an ideal world, but human beings tend to be selfish/look after their own/etc. I cannot criticize people for this as I do it myself...this is why I could never criticize someone very well off for voting Tory despite the awful things they are doing to the disabled and less well off.

Can you honestly say that if there was a party that were going to give you a 10k pay raise, but other random people (who you do not know, so not meaning everyone else in your office) would lose some of their pay because of this you would not vote for them?

Some people may be selfless like that. Most aren't, including me. Many may not admit that they go for the best option for themselves, but the majority of people who say this would be lying...