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?

Oh, what a fucking drama priggy. It is clear from the context of the op's post that she meant normal in relation to wealth. That's allowed, you know? 'Rich' really isn't a heavy social label to carry.

I believe I am a person most would presume is a labour voter - single mother on tax credits to help with child care and to top up my minimum wage earnings, council tax and housing benefit to help me afford my housing association 2 bed flat. I even grew up on a council estate in Manchester where vast majority of people were also labour voters.
I voted Tory in the last election though and I will probably do so again in a couple of months, this is because as much as I feel that Conservative policies do not help me and others in my situation all that much, they still have more faith in them running the country than I have in quite some time.
I also just cannot get behind Lib Dems I feel they live in an 'ideal bubble' in a non-ideal world, and whilst many of their policies sound good I just can't see them being able to truly pull most of them off.

Except the coalition government was very different from the Tory government - so Lib dem policies must be workable/have an impact.

*I still have more faith in conservatives running the country than I have in Labour for quite some time

I voted Tory in the last election though and I will probably do so again in a couple of months, this is because as much as I feel that Conservative policies do not help me and others in my situation all that much, they still have more faith in them running the country than I have in quite some time

The Tories have had seven years and things seem to be getting worse. How long do you give them?

Except the coalition government was very different from the Tory government - so Lib dem policies must be workable/have an impact

^this is true. We've only ever actually had 2 years of recent Tory rule and those two years have given us Brexit, ridiculous cuts to education while funding grammar schools (why don't the Tories just rebalance unfair funding by making sure no school faces cuts and the poor ones get top ups?), and that ridiculous U turn on the budget re national insurance?

Given half the country seem to support TM then half the country must be abnormal. That cant be right, can it?

Very, very few people agree with everything a party stands for. This is where someone's "pet issue" comes into play. Some people put greater emphasis on healthcare, some on education, some on income equality, some on immigration etc.

I see myself as "normal" and I will vote tory because I favour their tax policies. All down to which issues you value the most.

Believe, things are getting not worse (although the Brexit vote - I blame the people of the UK for that though not the Tories) not better. Rates of employment have come on hugely.

Just a few days ago BBC

"Britain's economy will grow at a much faster rate than previously predicted, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF, a global organisation focused on economic stability, said the UK's economy will grow by 2% in 2017 and by 1.5% in the following year.

Just three months ago, the IMF predicted growth of 1.5% this year, and 1.4% the year after.

While the forecast growth for many economies has been increased slightly, the 0.5% rise in predicted UK growth this year is striking - it is, by far, the biggest change made in any of the IMF's forecasts."

We are in very safe hands. Let May win in June and the safe course can continue to be plotted through the difficult waters of Brexit. If she can get a big increased majority too it will be better for the nation. Vote Conservative.

I voted tory in the last election because our local MP is good and the Labour MP was dodgy. Plus the tories reduced stamp duty as I was buying a house.

But the junior doctor fiasco, the chaos they introduced into primary schools and what they are doing to FE colleges has put me off them for good I think.

I will be voting labour this time and I respect JC and agree with a lot of his policies.

We are in very safe hands. Let May win in June and the safe course can continue to be plotted through the difficult waters of Brexit. If she can get a big increased majority too it will be better for the nation. Vote Conservative

What happens when you unpick those employment figures? We can see that wages are stagnating and the standard of living is terrible. So hardly a success. The gap between rich and poor keeps growing and the number of children in poverty will increase due to Tory cuts.

So while, big picture, it might seem rosy, it wont be for millions of people.

Yes, totally unreasonable.

As you've defined 'normal' as peeps who don't send their children to selective schools, have a read of the all the Labour peeps who do send their children to such schools (including Comrade Corbyn) then you can ask a subsidiary question :-
Am I Being Unreasonable in expecting the Labour Shadow Cabinet to send their children to whichever state school is nearest to where they live in their constituency?

Wtaf? The op defined normal as those people who are not wealthy enough to send their children to private school or to private healthcare.

Come on Norland just because politicians grab onto key words and manipulate the context to pave the way for their own sound-bites, it doesn't mean we need to do it here.

The op's question is fine.

YANBU

Unless you actually vote for the Conservatives.

I think in any society, where people put money into a common 'pot' to be spent on improving lives, there will always be net losers and net gainers. I don't really think there is some magic formula by which, if we vote a certain way, austerity will end and we will be in the sunlit uplands. My opinion for what it is worth is that it is best to vote for the party that you believe will handle the money prudently, spend wisely and minimise waste.

Let me assist you upperlimit

olddogsnewtricks Tue 18-Apr-17 15:52:41
What income bracket do you think you have to be to be normal?

I mean an average salary but unable to afford private healthcarer or schools.

I don't have to do that because the op has gone to the trouble defining normal here as those who cannot afford to send their children to private school or access to private health care.

At no point does her question address Labour MP peeps who send their children to private school or who enjoy access to private healthcare. Because that doesn't pertain to the question she asked.

The saddest responses on this thread are from those who vote Conservative because "there's no realistic alternative" and then list the other parties they like but won't vote for because they can't win seats. What an indictment of First Past the Post!

Just a reminder that ONS classes workfare as being employed.

Obvs needs posting again.

HelenaDove Wed 19-Apr-17 14:39:21
When ppl are offered extra hours they are often intermittent and inconsistent. And the system cant keep up.

A friend did some extra hours one week which fucked up her tax credits for six weeks while they "straightened things out" She was left living on £50 a week during that time. So the system isnt equipped to meet employers whims!

But during that time bills will still need to be paid.....schools will continue to ask for dinner money/school trip money/non uniform days.

If the employer needs the employee to go without for weeks just because the employee has done a few extra hours then the employer is effectively relying on the charity of the employee. If your business needs this kind of charity from your employees then your business isnt viable.

Norland
Corbyn didn't send his children to private school,his exwife did against his will.this was a reason for their divorce .
Stop smear campaign based on inaccurate information

Going back the past 40 years or so, Labour have always messed things up when in power and the Tory's, whilst I agree make mistakes, always end up propping the country back up after Labour's dire strait.

It's kind of like leaving the "irresponsible" parent in charge of the household for a while because they have such "good ideas" which in theory are great but in practice not feasible, then the "sensible" parent has to come in and clean up the mess.

That's absolute fucking bollocks Helena there is a £2000 disregard for differences in income and it's calculated on your annual income, not week to week. Doing a few extra hours one week won't mean losing your tax credits.

Feck me. The penny drops.

I thought Xenia was banned?

Exactly nomud tax and spend