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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How do people keep voting in the tories?

946 replies

chaosmaker · 14/12/2021 11:19

I'd love it if tory voters could say why they vote the way they do given that there's ample evidence for how utterly incompetent they are (11 years). Especially in the last election. With that not-fit-for-purpose idiot in charge - edited by MNHQ
I also keep writing to my MP saying that if they are going to pretend we have democracy then they need to scrap FPTP.

AIBU that we should allow people with no sense to vote or
AINBU am I right in that people should have to factor history and rare sense into their decision making?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Ducksareruiningmypatio · 14/12/2021 11:57

No viable alternative.

CityMumma78 · 14/12/2021 11:57

There is no viable alternative and the core principles of the Conservative party are closely aligned to mine and that of my family unit!

BelperLawnmower · 14/12/2021 12:01

Corbyn. I remember years ago discussing with younger Labour friends that by voting in Corbyn as leader they were sending the country into a right-wing spiral. It was so predictable and avoidable. The path of our country would have been entirely different without Corbyn as leader.

TrishM80 · 14/12/2021 12:02

@Animood

I don't vote Tory but understand why others do. I think the main reasons are:
  1. Labor are useless, and there are no other parties who could conceivably run the country.
  1. Preference for the Tory economic policy (broadly: focusing on allowing free market trade in the private sector, focusing on allowing the UK services industry to thrive, lowish taxation).
  1. Always voted Tory. Not going to change life long voting commitments.
  • Preference for allowing free market trade? The tories have led the UK out of the world's largest free trade bloc which is right on its doorstop!
    • MorningStarling · 14/12/2021 12:02

    People will still vote Tory until another party can demonstrate that they would be a better alternative.

    A lot of Labour supporters can't seem to grasp this: (most) Tory voters know they are terrible, but are slightly less terrible than the alternatives.

    Labour's focus is always on what the Tories are doing wrong, not what Labour would do that's better. I don't really care about things that are trivial in the grand scheme - Xmas parties, the source of funds for redecoration. All parties have negatives - whether it's Labour's deputy leader calling her opponents scum, or Labour having to sack an MP for harassing her constituents, or the SNP seemingly only allowing white candidates to stand for MP, or the Lib Dem leader having to stand down because of his views on homosexuality.

    When you vote, you're not picking the best party, you're picking the one that you think will fuck things up the least. Only Labour can realistically beat the Tories, yet really, what do Labour actually stand for? Unless they can present plausible policies that they can show are financially viable without putting up taxes (fucking up the electorate in the short term, Corbyn-style) or resorting to borrowing (fucking it up for the long term, a la Blair/Brown years).

    Most importantly: instead of asking why people still vote Tory, the real question is why won't people vote Labour?

    daimbarsatemydogsbone · 14/12/2021 12:04

    @MrsColon

    Because Labour have lost touch with actual working class voters - they're basically a Westminster left-wing elite echo chamber. The people they represent don't support gender self-ID, or any of Labour's other woke policies - they want work that pays a living wage, law and order, an end to gang crime, better education for poorer kids.
    "they want work that pays a living wage, law and order, an end to gang crime, better education for poorer kids."

    None of which have been forthcoming nor is there any hope of them being under a Tory regime.

    Viviennemary · 14/12/2021 12:05

    I don't want folk like Angela Raynor in charge. No thanks.

    TrishM80 · 14/12/2021 12:06

    I think any time the Tories are in trouble in the polls they manufacture a row with the EU or the "Frogs" or the "Krauts", get a lot of xenophobic headlines in their fanzines like the Sun and Daily Mail and throw red meat to their base, which is increasingly white working class men. You watch, there'll be another row with the dastardly EU in the next few weeks.

    CounsellorTroi · 14/12/2021 12:07

    @CityMumma78

    There is no viable alternative and the core principles of the Conservative party are closely aligned to mine and that of my family unit!
    The core principles of the Conservative party seem to be I’m all right Jack and screw the vulnerable.
    SammyScrounge · 14/12/2021 12:08

    @inmyslippers

    Because the tories have cleverly engineered a cultural shift that voting left is a bad thing due to wokism/out of touch elites/trying to stop brexit etc. Escalated by having the ridiculous Jeremy Corbyn as leader for years. And tbh the issue of Labour supporting self ID is part of that problem. So working class people who never would have voted tory now will - as they feel out of touch with Labour.

    ^^ think you've nailed it. Life long Labour supporter but I just don't recognise them. They pander to the vocal minority ignoring the actual working class.

    I watched the BBC's segment on poverty and the churches on the street yesterday. It was very moving. And the thought occurred that this used to be Labour's territory, this is what made them passionate: the alleviation of unemployment and poverty, the provision of decent housing. Where are they now? Wrangling about identity politics and how it is wrong to say that only women have cervixes. Their bizarre beliefs make my head spin; how they play to desperate people who literally have nothing can be seen in the falling off in Labour votes.
    daimbarsatemydogsbone · 14/12/2021 12:08

    Unless they can present plausible policies that they can show are financially viable without putting up taxes (fucking up the electorate in the short term, Corbyn-style) or resorting to borrowing (fucking it up for the long term, a la Blair/Brown years).
    This is a false Tory narrative though. For one thing, borrowing is out of control under this government - but apparently it doesn't count because they are Tories. They have also increased taxes.

    Alexander2001 · 14/12/2021 12:10

    @CityMumma78

    There is no viable alternative and the core principles of the Conservative party are closely aligned to mine and that of my family unit!
    You believe in very poor public services, greater inequality, more child poverty, higher taxation (pre Covid) and a UK isolated from its nearest trading partners?

    Because thats what the Tories have given us since 2010.

    KatherineJaneway · 14/12/2021 12:10

    @Cheerychirpy

    Jeremy Corbyn
    He was the Tories best asset.
    daimbarsatemydogsbone · 14/12/2021 12:10

    The core principles of the Conservative party seem to be I’m all right Jack and screw the vulnerable.

    Oh hang on, that's not fair, you've left out "no rules/laws apply to us" and "everyone can do what the fuck they like (unless they are people we don't like)"

    daimbarsatemydogsbone · 14/12/2021 12:11

    @Viviennemary

    I don't want folk like Angela Raynor in charge. No thanks.
    Why?
    brokendark · 14/12/2021 12:12

    Because the other parties are even more utterly hopeless.

    I used to vote labour but they made themselves unelectable under Corbyn and remain unelectable if a woman MP is unable to attend their conference due to safety concerns for stating a simple biological fact, the Leader condemns her for that fact but does not condemn and expel those threatening her for that fact.

    I'm not voting for reality denying vote grubbing cowards who sell women under the bus.

    Fozzleyplum · 14/12/2021 12:14

    Corbin
    Abbott
    Rayner
    Starmer

    and the fact that they don't kow what a woman is.

    suckingonchillidogs · 14/12/2021 12:14

    Because David Lammy thinks it's possible to grow a cervix with hormone treatment

    Animood · 14/12/2021 12:17

    2. Preference for allowing free market trade? The tories have led the UK out of the world's largest free trade bloc which is right on its doorstop!

    @TrishM80

    I completely agree! I just think that is the perception of Tory voters.

    The perception of leave-Tories is that we can trade more freely now we aren't tied into the trade deals are by the EU.

    I think they're wrong, but I wasn't saying that they were right. I was saying these are the popular reasons given for voting Tory.

    Big difference.

    edification · 14/12/2021 12:20

    Better the devil you know ?

    friendlycat · 14/12/2021 12:20

    I'm no fan of our current PM, and I think our current government is rather shambolic to be fair.

    But I think much worse of labour and their policies.

    FanFckingTastic · 14/12/2021 12:21

    People vote for a political party because they want to, for whatever reason, or because they don't see a viable alterative. OP, you seem shocked and outraged that your opinion is not mirrored by others, but this is the whole point of democracy, that we all get to 'choose' based on what is important to us and what we feel is best, or more to the point best of a bad bunch. Your voting preference may not be the same as someone else's, and that's fine. No-one has to justify to you on MN why they want to vote in the way that they do. I agree that FPTP should be scrapped though, but can't see this happening.

    FangsForTheMemory · 14/12/2021 12:24

    Because the Conservatives have managed to convince a lot of people that 1. If you're a 'winner' you vote Conservative. 2. If you vote Labour, you will be worse off financially.

    People STILL believe point 2. because the newspapers in this country are all owned by very very rich people who WOULD be worse off financially under Labour.

    What depresses me is that many, many people, do not look behind the headlines at what Conservative governments really do.

    FreeBritnee · 14/12/2021 12:27

    No other choice.

    Whammyyammy · 14/12/2021 12:27

    I voted tory and will again as there is no alternative, other than spoiling my vote.

    With some of your suggestions OP, have you considered relocating to North Korea? Their voting system seems right uo your street