This is the best article i've read on this subject, it could have been my story! This is why the tories absolutely destroyed labour in the GE and why brexit happened.

[pabloescobarselasticband]

I also grew up in a staunchly Labour supporting household who now all vote conservative and voted for brexit. When are the Liberals going to actually take notice of what they have become? When are they going to make Labour a viable voting option for the average person?

If you want to get elected listen to the voters not your members

Absolutely agree with this

@OhWhyNot

Did I say that immigration was the only reason that working class people are impacted more

No I didn’t

But again ignored people’s experiences

They simply don't want to hear reality thats why. I live in an area of extremely high immigration. Services are under immense pressure but if the stats dont say it it must be untrue 🤷‍♀️.

@AgeLikeWine

I’m a former Labour activist and I agree with much of what Norcott says about Labour’s contempt for ordinary working class people who hold socially conservative views.

The party will never regain the support of voters in Stoke, Mansfield or Hartlepool by delivering patronising lectures about ‘white privilege’, Palestine or fucking pronouns. Or telling them that their concerns about uncontrolled mass immigration are racist.

Where I differ with him is that I could never vote Tory.

I actually believe that many people don't want to vote Tory but the thought of Labour in its current form getting voted in is unbearable for them. It's more a question of voting Tory to keep Labour out.

@JustAnotherPoster00 Thank you for your most eloquent reply I myself have a child with disabilities so I know exactly how hard it can be! As i stated before if you bothered to read what I actually wrote instead of inferring something completely different. People using (fake) disabilities to play the system are actually the ones making it harder for people who genuinely need help, so maybe you should direct your bitterness towards them.

While I can see why people don't want to vote for Labour as they are now, I can't for the life of me see how anyone, other than diehard right-wingers, can vote Tory in their current form.

It’s not just diehard right wingers voting

It’s people voting for the change they voted for with Brexit

There wasn’t the trust in Labour carrying it forward (though we all know Corbyn was anti EU) they were not decisive enough on this issue

Maybe not anti EU but Corbyn had never been a supporter of the EU

The problem also is there is no party for people who fall in the centre,especially during corbyns years you either had him or the Tory's.

It's interesting that corbyns who was a outcast from the party for so much time, started being very hostile to people he didn't agree with, ie wanted rid of people who didn't agree with him, whilst the party hadn't kicked him out for not agreeing.

So the voters say 'immigrants from wherever are taking our jobs, stopping our children getting school places and then making class sizes too big, clogging up our gp surgeries and hospitals, causing crime etc' What if that's factually wrong ? What's a political party supposed to do if it has integrity ?
One party and its hangers on will cynically use that resentment to distract the electorate from seeing the genuine cause of those problems, find a scapegoat and relentlessly attack it...whether it be single mothers in the 1970s, the unions, esp the miners in the 70s and 80s, benefit claimants in the 90s, immigrants in the 2000s and finally liberal lefties/ mc elite/ labour party recently.
See a pattern ? Hence millions fell for brexit despite it only being in the interests of a minority

Finding justification for guilty conscience, more like.

I actually believe that many people don't want to vote Tory but the thought of Labour in its current form getting voted in is unbearable for them. It's more a question of voting Tory to keep Labour out.

I work in what was a mass of red, diehard Labour voters absolutely refusing to vote labour whilst JC was leader, but overall there was a general feeling that Labour have let them down, they felt forgotten about, they wanted change, so voted Tory and overwhelming for Brexit. They had completely lost faith in the local labour MP's, people voted against Labour rather than voting for the Conservatives.

Oh and I don't think Labour want either of my votes on Thursday, seeing that I have had no information from them, yet again their complacency will be their downfall.

I have been a single parent on benefits under labour and tory.
I vote tory.

@PattyPan

The tories have been in power for over 10 years, what exactly have they done in that time to help wc people?

The minimum wage has gone up from £6.70 in 2015 to £8.91.

Excessive fees from letting agents have been scrapped here

Pupil Premium is supposed to help disadvantaged students.

Introduced thirty free childcare hours for working parents of preschool children.

@PheasantPlucker1

I have been a single parent on benefits under labour and tory. I vote tory.

I have also. I vote Tory. I have no guilty conscience.

People using (fake) disabilities to play the system are actually the ones making it harder for people who genuinely need help, so maybe you should direct your bitterness towards them.

No that will be the Tory party

The big problem also is the lack of talk about immigration by labour, uncontrolled immigration has destroyed towns in the north.

People using (fake) disabilities to play the system are actually the ones making it harder for people who genuinely need help, so maybe you should direct your bitterness towards them.

"In both 2017-18 and 2018-19, the percentage of cases of alleged disability benefit fraud that were found to be “non-fraudulent” after examination by DWP was 89 per cent."

"At the time, government figures estimated that the overpayment of incapacity benefit due to fraud was just £20 million a year, or 0.3 per cent of spending."

But of course it's that 0.3% that are at fault for all of society's woes not the big rich boys voting in policies that make them richer.

@Againstmachine

The big problem also is the lack of talk about immigration by labour, uncontrolled immigration has destroyed towns in the north.

No that would be consistent under investment since the 70's mainly under the Tory party but Blair shares some of the blame

Nope immigration has destroyed towns in North, I would encourage you to visit one, yes under investment might be to blame, but I am guessing you have never been to page hall in Sheffield.

Yes there has been lack of investment

When you have a sudden influx of immigration that won’t come with a sudden increase in investment

What do you think they would suddenly pour money into areas with higher numbers that are often already struggling no government would do that

It’s not only an issue in the uk but in Europe you have also seen industries (particularly building industry in recent years) salaries undercut. Problem that we have had here is the unions are not powerful enough (though many damaged themselves in the 70’s) but it’s good for business that is good for government that does not always equate good for the people

The article was a bit disappointing, I thought. He never actually expalined WHY he voted for Brexit, and why so many ex-Labour voters feel thoroughly let down by the Labour Party as it is today. as a former He never really explained why Labour have let the working classes down so badly over the last 20 years, bar a brief mention of Gillian Duffy.

The tories have been in power for over 10 years, what exactly have they done in that time to help wc people?

Got Brexit done? After all, that's what the majority of the working class wanted, it's what Labour refused to commit to and the Lib Dems just said they'd cancel it altogether. And look where that got them.

I read an article the other day from a restauranteur lamenting the fact that he's lost lots of staff because they went home to eastern Europe during the pandemic and haven't come back. So now there is a staff shortage apparently, and guess what? It's meaning they are having to pay higher wages and employ British people.

The party will never regain the support of voters in Stoke, Mansfield or Hartlepool by delivering patronising lectures about ‘white privilege’, Palestine or fucking pronouns. Or telling them that their concerns about uncontrolled mass immigration are racist.

This is it, in a nutshell. It's like banging your head against a brick wall trying to get the message across though. The arrogance and collective narcissism of the Labour party in the last 15 years or so has been absolutely astounding.

They will lose Hartlepool and then they'll all stand around scratching their heads in exactly the same way they did after the last two GEs and after the referendum, saying 'We just don't understand why poor people won't listen to us. It makes no sense. They must be incredibly stupid as well as poor.'

Top marks for the most condescending post of the day @YouJustFoldItIn

I read an article the other day from a restauranteur lamenting the fact that he's lost lots of staff because they went home to eastern Europe during the pandemic and haven't come back. So now there is a staff shortage apparently, and guess what? It's meaning they are having to pay higher wages and employ British people.

I have little sympathy that someone may have to pay people proper wages