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?

I know how things work. However the local council have been fucking up long before the Tories took over.

Most of them are very quiet about their voting intentions. Like anyone with a shameful compulsion would be. Don't expect them to rationalise it.

I can and do afford private schooling and healthcare. And I have not and would not vote Tory ever. (I also work in the NHS, and have a disabled son).

The NHS was miles better off under Labour.

My mum votes Tory because she thinks it makes her middle class.

If you vote Tory or are intending to, and it's because 'you can't trust Labour with the economy', does it bother you that the current government has spent far more than previous Labour governments and have repaid less? Or do you just not believe it?

Most people I know who vote tory (I am a raving lefty, in general) do so because they believe that the tories manage the economy better and that if the country is better off, they will be better off. I don't agree with them (trickle down isn't working), but I don't think it is ignorance. I do know quite a few also who don't believe that their tax money should be spent on lazy scroungers. Neither do I, but neither do I believe the hype on Channel 5 'documentaries'.

I vote Tory because I don't see the NHS and free schooling as sustainable, the Tories are making cuts which I feel are necessary, as the pot of cash available is not infinite, higher rate tax payers cant be further taxed otherwise they'll just up sticks and leave and we'll be in a worse position. I lived in a failed state and it is the worst thing ever.

The NHS was miles better off under Labour.

As someone who has been in and out of hospital for many years for various major surgeries, and under different governments, I have to say my experience under Labour was no different to currently.

I was a Labour voter and campaigner but won't whilst JC is in charge.

Those who can't (such as the genuinely disabled), should be supported with no question

Who gets to decide the 'genuine' part of that? ATOS? IDS? I hear this all the time from Tories when they realise I'm disabled. Its just like people who aren't racist at all, some of their best friends have brown skin but they are the exception to the mass of lazy scroungers and terrorist.

I can remember quite distinctly after Cameron was elected there was a clear shift in messaging against the disabled, happily magnified by the tabloids, reversing all the progress in disability discrimination achieved by the much hated blair/brown government. It was wicked - there is no other word for it - and it was deliberate dehumanisation.

I'm lucky - I was already established in a well paid career before I became disabled, that is the only reason I'm not one of IDS's 'scroungers'. Within weeks of IDS's campaign I was getting abuse on public transport for being a 'scrounger' and was being told 'people like me' should not be traveling at peak times as they are for people who work.

Tories don't give a shit about the disabled unless they are grey haired and wealthy enough not to need benefits.

I've personally found the people who I know who immediately vote 'Tory' (and other parties) is because it's what they know, the addage 'if it's not broken, why mend it?' comes to mind.

Many people are doing OK under this government so will vote again and again without doing much research into the alternatives until their lives become affected. I've always found it to be a shame if someone out and out states: 'I'm voting Tory/Labour/Lib Dem, always have.' Parties fluctuate and have strengths and weaknesses and I'd like to think people make informed choices rather than to vote for the sake of it.

At least they do, however, vote. I was staggered at the last general election how many people I knew, especially women, who just didn't vote because they either couldn't be arsed or because it didn't make a difference. It always makes a difference. Men and women died so we could make proper choices and have a say in who runs our country. So many people forget that.

At the end of the day, whether we agree with who our friends and neighbours vote for or not is neither here nor there. We are a democracy and, especially in recent news, we are so incredibly lucky that we get the choice of voting at all. We shouldn't ever take it for granted.

I do think the question was phrased in a goady manner.

However I do think that there is a genuine question to be asked. I totally understand why those who are well off vote Tory but don't understand why those of us who are close enough to the cliff edge vote for a party that at best will leave us to fall off the cliff or worse give us a shove.

I am equally fascinated by the teachers, nurses etc who vote Tory. From speaking to them it seems they don't trust labour with the economy.

I've always been slightly right leaning, I don't believe that taxing, borrowing and lavishly spending is the right thing for a government to do.

I'm socially very liberal, I'm not racist or bigoted or nasty, and I can't stand people who are. However I am fiscally conservative.

In my experience everyone is a socialist until it's their own money they are talking about. I've seen this over and over again. People are quite happy for rich people to be taxed but expect the threshold to be above what they are earning.

In fact I know an SNP councillor who actually tried to write to her MP and use her connections so that she wouldn't have to pay stamp duty. She's such a woman of the people - until it actually involved contributing her own money.

I vote Tory because I do t believe that any of the other parties are capable of running a Neighbour hood watch scheme, let alone a country

Theresa May has called an election because education, social care and NHS cuts (brought in by her party) are just starting to bite.

She doesn't want people to notice so if they have an election now, the worst of the damage will happen post election and it will be a long 5 years before it can be changed.

Anyone who votes Tory - I really would like a decent argument. I don't understand. Trickle down economics does not work.

The Tories claim they want less regulation but they end up bringing in loads of central control as they don't trust "the masses". This is why they undermine local councils (e.g. Removing education from their remit) and centralise the NHS.

People blame labour for the state of the economy. Now the last time I checked, our debt has gone up and there was a worldwide economic recession which had a massive impact. The Tories wouldn't have done better in 1997-2010, so let's not pretend otherwise.

The long term damage to our economy, by the Tories, will need undoing. Look what we were left with in 1997. Crumbling schools and hospitals etc etc. This time it will be worse.

I really think schools should teach peoplethe political history of this country so that they can make up their own mind instead of being spoon fed by the daily mail or, the more modern version of ridiculous blogs etc.

Turkeys voting for Christmas comes to mind.

All well and good when youre not the scapegoat, you arent needing benefits, you dont need a hip replacement etc.
I also think that your average UKIP voter who the tories have swung towards know close to nothing about public services, consrrvative links to private healthcare, plans to sell off the NHS to their mates etc because theyre too busy believing that a qualified Dr is stealing their job when they have 4 GCSEs and no intention of working.

That and cult of personality. The fact lots of people agree with Labour policies is telling. They wont vote labour becaude corbyn isnt charismatic and if you look to ameria and the Trump result you chat the biggest pile of intolerant shite and get elected if you have enough style/gloss.

I vote Tory because I don't see the NHS and free schooling as sustainable,

out of interest why? We are nowhere near being a failed state, we were (pre referendum) the worlds 5th richest economy. All our European counterparts manage state funded education and a variable but large degree of funded health care. Why is our government too incompetent to manage this instead of just pandering to greed?

All through the 80s we had the doctrine of trickle down economics preached at us. It garnered a lot of working class votes but the trickle down never happens. Even Thatcher, the high priestess of 'greed is good' said at the end that she had assumed if taxes were cut people would give more to good causes. They don't. It remains the fact that charities and good causes get most of their funding from middle and lower income families, not those who have had swinging tax cuts over the past 30 years.

I'm not getting involved in the political slanging, but why do people keep saying "freedom of choice" like it's an answer to WHY people make the choice they do? I have the freedom to choose to stick knitting needles in my eyes, but it would be an odd choice to make... (Bit like voting for...nah, not going to bother!)

This is a really important question. I believe the OP genuinely wanted answers. It's imperative for the Labour party to understand this logic too. I don't know what will come of my beloved party Not one of us here hasn't benefited in some way from the last Labour government, and none will be safe from the damage to come under a continued Tory government.

'most people's priorities are what affects their lives"

so very true
last election I fell out with a family member(was very odd fall out) he is a tory , but he thinks its ok as he does charity for people like my dd(disabled)
but for him I assume he looks at what affects his "pretending" to be mc family.
same way i look at what affects mine
i assume mots people are the same.

Pleasedontbelikeme Tue 18-Apr-17 16:48:17
Most people I know who vote tory (I am a raving lefty, in general) do so because they believe that the tories manage the economy better and that if the country is better off, they will be better off. I don't agree with them (trickle down isn't working), but I don't think it is ignorance.

Yup. I agree with that. I think people vote Tory because they think there's no point in saying how nice it would be for wealth to be fairly distributed, if there's no wealth to distribute.

Because if we don't have buisness like politicians who can hold their own in international relations, we're fucked as an island, and there'll be nothing to redistribute anyway.

I don't believe in trickle down! I disagree with that! but it's inaccurate to assume that Tory voters are only voting for themselves as individuals, many I believe think Tory party serves the greater good by being more capable of international negotiations and defence etc

In my experience everyone is a socialist until it's their own money they are talking about.

I'm a top rate taxpayer, I've voted to pay more tax to support public services and I support inheritance tax, particularly on the massive unearned value it accrues.

Idealistically I'd like to see inheritance tax on inflated property prices directed toward helping youngsters starting out (those who don't have the family handout to get them started) - it would be difficult to prevent abuse though. I would at least like to see more robust protection for tenants and a rental market more in line with mainstream Europe.

none of these policies benefit me personally but all benefit me in the sense of contributing to a more harmonious, better educated and more secure society which I value more than a fancy new car.

I vote Tory because I don't see the NHS and free schooling as sustainable,

It's not free! They are paid for in taxes.

Are you suggesting youre quite happy for us to pay thr same amount of tax as now and then pay more to use services once theyve gone into private hands?
Probably, because you have money.

I guess you also believe cries like "we should have a 7 day nhs" when we have for years.
You also believe its fine that millions have been spent on pet schools that havent opened or have opened ajd failed whilst other schools are having their funding slashed.
I mean, thats what people who vote tory think is absolutely fine.

Alwyas think before people saying the NHS shouldnt be tax funded and free at the point of delivery that they should be willing to go to a family and say "sorry your dad isnt coming home. He was in a car accident but you couldnt afford the surgery".
If anyone would do that id think them heartless but have convictions
Anyone who wouldnt and still thinks the NHS should be dismantled is a selfish out for themselves [insert insult of your choice here].

those who can't (such as the genuinely disabled), should be supported with no question

My husband is one of those who can't. He has lost a lot of his MH services. He has to be assessed by PIP soon by people who know fuck all about him. People who genuinely need PIP have been turned away. The assessment is a disgrace. The way those with disabilities have been treated recently is a disgrace.

For that reason alone I will never vote for the Tories. Their policies have personally affected my family.

For other people whose lives aren't affected by disability that probably isn't their main concern. We all vote for what matters to us most personally.

I work for the NHS and often get the brunt of people's anger due to how it is crumbling. I understand that many others don't think Labour could do any better and I'm not sure they could do better either.

The opposition isn't great and I say that as a Labour supporter. I understand that right now people think we are safer under a Tory government.

I spent a long time being angry with Tory voters but I can't be arsed with that anymore. I would love Labour to win, I would be extremely happy but it isn't going to happen any time soon. My anger towards people who voted differently to me wasn't going to change anything.

Everyone has their own personal reasons for who they vote for and I don't need to understand them. I just need to accept it.

Theresa May has called an election because education, social care and NHS cuts (brought in by her party) are just starting to bite.

No TM is calling an election because she is approx 20 points ahead and having a bigger majority will help her with Brexit.

Labour is imploding. Two decent Labour MPs have already said they won't stand. One has cited the reason as being the current party leadership.

Unfortunately the genuinely disabled (such as my son - requires 24 hour 2:1 care) have suffered terribly under the Tory government. I won't bore you with the details but believe me the more reliabt you are on care the more stuffed you are