To feel increasingly alienated by Tory voters?

[BarmyBrunhilde]

I am in despair as to where our country is at. With the cost of living crisis looming (and already beginning), this winter is going to be brutal and likely life ending for so many in the UK, and the current aspiring leadership of the Tory party seem to be more interested in litigating culture wars and appeasing NIMBY pensioners in the Home countries than actually addressing any of the serious problems in the UK.

I've never been a Tory voter, but I've always been able to get along with people who have different views (provided they aren't racist/homophobic etc). But how anyone could see all the misery and deprivation on the horizon, look at the prospective leaders and frontbenchers with their complete lack of sultions, and continue with supporting them is genuinely beyond me. I find myself slowly being consumed by bitterness and rage against people for their views, and it frightens me. Am I alone in this?

@justcallmebebes our system does not work by per head voting, it just doesn't work like that. The majority of people didnt vote tory.

But yes OP it is very frustrating to live here at the moment and listen to people defending the tories after all that's happened.

This Tory bashing is getting tiresome.
Not everyone who votes Conservative are evil. The ones I know just don't like to spread their wealth. The others don't like Labour and their socialist manifesto. People who chose not to work and expect the state to keep them. I don't disagree with either mentality but I know that the answer isn't short term populist policies that don't make society fair as well as rewarding to those who want to make money or become successful in what ever way they see fit.
Ultimately this is a right wing country for many reasons. I don't see that changing in my lifetime.

YANBU

It's been a car crash right from the off. Austerity, then the massive, pointless and destructive distraction of Brexit. Then covid.

This country has gone back 30 years in terms of standard of living for its citizens.

And the Tory Party have been at the helm for all of this. Still, no one seems able to see that they are a bunch of self-serving toffs right out of the 19th century entitlement rulebook. It's an oligarchy, and how their voters can't see it, I don't know.

But I'm not sure if people are missing the level of crisis that we're headed for? Are people continue supporting a government which won't support people (most of whom will be in work) being able heat their homes and feed their children? This is going to affect many many more people than I think people understand, and even those who broadly consider themselves comfortably off are going to be facing a nasty squeeze and some really tough decisions come 2023. And how long will we put up with it?

People haven’t had a chance to make their political viewpoint known for a few years now, so yabu. The last time they did have the chance to vote, the only alternative was Corbyn, so I think your bitterness is unfounded because people need a viable alternative if they are to vote out the current government. I don’t think peoples views are as bad as you seem to think.

Our voting system is extremely undemocratic, so actually they are not voted in by the majority of people. Only 13.2 million out of a population of 67 million voted Tory, and that was enough to give them an 80 seat majority. The only other European country to be so antiquated in Belarus.

Are you saying that you hate people who don't agree with you?

My mum was about as far right as she could legally be. Privately educated in a convent school, raised by a civil servant family. She was a product of her environment and her time. I couldn't change her views but getting angry didn't achieve anything. We just talked about other stuff. She was fundamentally decent, just had no understanding of how some people live.

I suppose what I'm saying is I don't see any evidence that the current government is 'viable'. If they were, then we would have a somewhat functioning country that is lurching from one crisis to another. What have the Tories actually been doing that makes them 'viable'?

I do know. I remember Thatcher.
House prices need to fall they are utterly ridiculous.

The NHS is my biggest fear but that needs to change is it really feasible to continue with a completely free service. I'd happily pay as I can afford it. We have so many health tourists and people abusing the system. There does need to be a change.
Education us shit. Its awful. Kids aren't learning real skills at school just difficult content that increases the social differences.
The Tories deliver what people want. There is a reason why they ate voted in. Its time politicians were more understanding of what people want.

No I don't hate, but I'm feel increasingly alienated by them in a way that is more significant personal level than say 5 years ago, because of the devastating circumstances we find ourselves in now. That being said, I would always have struggled to be in a friendship or maintain a family relationship with someone who was far-right and held extreme bigoted views (like a BNP supporter or something).

My dh votes conservative. He agrees that the current situation isn't great, but he still thinks they are best placed to deal with it.
I'm surrounded by conservative voters. I understand how you feel op, but they are a cult and it's hard to make them see any other way forwards. People are also scared of socialism , although they were quick enough to ask for government help over the pandemic. State intervention is fine when it affects them personally.
it's best to just nod and smile as arguing really gets you nowhere ( bitter experience)

Correct. The Labour party knew the electorate didn't trust Corbyn but they chose not to put up a more appealing candidate. A lot of people voted to keep Corbyn (and Momentum) out, including me.

Let's hope Labour give us a more palatable choice next time.

The rhetoric has been ramped up a lot on this post. I don't think anyone has actually used the words 'hate' and 'evil' except those who feel targetted.
I don't hate Tory voters. I actually really love some of them. I don't think it's as simple as just holding different viewpoints, however, when you can see how much actual harm and suffering a political party can inflict. If you vote for that, then you are complicit. That comes with the territory of having the right and privilege of voting. It puzzles and grieves me that people I love can vote for this shower. At least my Dad for the first time this weekend said he would never vote for this lot again. He looked rather sad and lost when he said that he thought that he wasn't very wise politically after all, which wrung my heart a bit. I'm clinging to the hope that more will feel the way he does.
I feel politically homeless too. I voted Labour in 2019, even though I can't stand Corbyn, but the difference between him and the Tories in my view is that he isn't actively cruel. They are. I have seen no evidence whatsoever that they have displayed any more competence. And at least Corbyn, for all his many, many faults, would not have funnelled 37 billion to Tory friends and donors for the PPE fiasco and the failed Test and Trace.

We still have an entrenched class system. It boils my piss but that's so.
There's an invisible ceiling for women in law and in the workplace. It's awful how only now are we even starting to talk about menopause and effective treatment.
The problem is there are so many arcane rules that prevent social mobility. Education is so back wards. We need to get rid of the crap Gove created with his public school curriculum.
I don't think it's as simple as calling Tories evil. Misguided perhaps but there's a reason people trust them more than Labour. Labour sold out the only decent PM and I'll never forgive them for that.

Ok, well I was specifically talking about people who continue to support the Tories and indicate their support, not those that voted in 2019 as a whole. How 'palatable' do you find the current Tory leadership candidates out of interest? 🤔

The Tories clearly aren't delivering what people want.
They are very good at persuading people that they are the only people who can do so, but they never actually do deliver.
The NHS is on its knees [I think there is scant evidence of a health tourism problem - it's woefully underfunded, and students in health-related courses are landed with impossible student debt. We also got rid of EU workers - another Tory goal]
Education is on its knees
Social care is on its knees.
The Tories have been in power for 12 years, and for the vast majority of the last century.
How the hell can they be seen as delivering what people want?

Yes, Corbyn was unelectable and to be honest, Starmer is not inspiring people with confidence around here.

I live in a red wall area, never had a Tory MP until last time but, that MP has worked hard, not just turned out for photo ops like the previous Labour MP. I think they would be voted back in if the election was tomorrow and to be fair, this MP deserves to be.

I don't personally think the current candidates for Tory leader are incredible, but I vote conservative and I will probably do next time.

I don't find myself aligned with labour at all when I do the anonymous policy reading articles online or watch any debates, occasionally maybe a green policy will appeal but I live in an area where we don't really have any other candidates. My local conservative MP is really good I think, on the ball, involved in the local community and genuinely tries their best. When I'm voting, I'm voting for them.

As a tory voter, whom grew up in a deprived area with labor voting parents. All I can say is start taking some responsibility for your own life!

I have never claimed from the government, when I was out of work I took any job I could and saved paid for my university education and got a decent job. I scrimped and saved, with no holidays or cars, no drinking or smoking where I saved for a deposit for my home.

Last year as soon as there were rumblings of energy price issues coming, I paid early termination fees and got a decent fixed rate on gas and electricity until October 2024. I told people at the time no one listened.

People bang on about the government should be helping out for virtually every thing, well NO because it has to come out of all our taxes at some point. People need to get of their backside and start taking responsibility for their life, its their responsibility on how many kids they have, to keep abreast of changes to the markets, to spend wisely and save to pay your way.

Granted some people have disability's and that is not their fault, but most others need to get a grip!

No one has to earn the magical 6 figure salary, but if you work hard and have some self-respect your life choices will at least keep you comfortable. Sorry unless you have specific disability's, your like is your responsibility not the governments, to fun you feckless life.

OnlyeverAutumn - Well of course those things crop up in conversation but it never descends into "who did you vote for". However those subjects are only a very small percentage of topics I talk about. Numerous other things to discuss. Isn't that the same for most people?

Good point.

The pandemic could have been marginally worse I suppose. Can’t think of anything else.

No your right they don't. They get elected under lies they tell people what they want to hear repeatedly time and again by people who use their vote. I wish we could make people vote undemocratic but at least it might encourage people to research a bit before they allow charlatans to be in charge

We wouldn't have to put up with the Tories if the Labour party would come up with a few good ideas and actually promote them, instead of just being critical. Gordon Brown as ideas, Ed Davy has ideas FFS Keir could just use them but Labour just doesn't promote itself as a valid alternative.

The average rent outside of London is now 47% of median take home income (higher within the capital), and if the utility bills rise as they are expected to that will be an additional 15-20% of the median income. If you can't see the problem with that (not just for the poor people who will be slammed by this, but for the economy as a whole when ordinary people have no disposable income) I'm not sure what to say then.

But at the point of voting, no-one knew how palatable either party would be.

Corbyn's inability to state his policy on Brexit was ridiculous and made him unelectable, so people were left with the other choices. And in those circumstances, the Tories were always going to win.

Labour can win next time but they need to dump the whole TWAW nonsense because if they don't, they risk throwing away another 5 years on something that is irrelevant to the vast majority of the population, and offensive to quite a few.

Rather than feeling alienated by Tory voters, I want to shake the Labour leadership until their teeth rattle. How can they be so short sighted?