To be a secret Tory voter and feel embarrassed about it?

[SecretToryVoter]

I’ve just gone to do my vote and had to admit to myself that I’m one of those secret Tory voters and would be embarrassed to admit it to friends / family!

A month ago I was adamant that I would be voting Labour but ended up changing my mind for a number of reasons

1. Keir seems to have a number of grand ideas of what he wants to do but no substance behind how he’s going to do it (where is he going to find an additional 6,500 teachers as just 1 example)
2. Womens rights
3. my Labour candidate has been helicoptered in and doesn’t look good on paper whereas the Tory candidate is a local, well respected councillor
4. Tory policy is closer to my values overall

anyone else had to admit to themselves that they are a Tory at heart for this election?

I honestly can't fathom why you'd vote for a party that you would be ashamed to tell other people you support. You wouldn't want to admit that you agree with them, but think they should be running the country?

This. I'm happy to shout loud and proud who I vote for.

Don't feel ashamed, I think peer/sm pressure is horrendous. You never have to disclose who you voted for and it really annoys me when people can't fathom something- it's not difficult, to know everyone has a different life experience and you are voting what you feel is right for you and your family.

If you are embarrassed by who you are voting for, you are voting the wrong way

I agree op. I haven’t voted Tory (actually ever) but there is good and bad in every party and people should vote for what appeals to them. I do think that the tories have finally got it right on women’s rights which is important to me but luckily I have another candidate locally who is good on this issue who I feel better aligns with my opinions.

Well you should be embaressed.

Some people i know are voting Tory tactically in margibal areas to try and rrduce the 'super majority' a bit so Labour are less likely to 'have a mandate' to do some of their more bonkers stuff. These people dont actually want them to win.

This is the reason why we vote in secret and have done for over 100 years so you can vote without being judged for who you're voting for.

Well I think you should sit with that feeling a bit, if you’re ashamed to say out loud who you are voting for, there’s a reason for that and maybe you’re on the wrong side?

No, it's the amount of abuse you get for saying you are voting for someone. You see it on MN the last week, the pile ons. It's disgusting.

I'm not embarrassed but when I do mention it normally get a pro labour lecture. Today it was actually from a family member that didn't even know the manifesto so I said "let's agree to disagree" then changed the subject.

Or maybe she’s just concerned about being bullied?

Or else the left has become so authoritarian that they can’t tolerate any differences of opinion without monstering/ cancelling people

Just fucking own it I guess. You’re a Tory, you should be able to say it loud and proud if those are your values.

Embarrassed, for you. 🙃

For what? Isn’t that a bit intolerant?

Womens’ rights is a key issue for you, so you’re going to vote Tory 😂

Yeah, I’d be embarrassed too.

I would also be embarrassed and totally understand why you’d keep it secret.

Nothing the English love more than a bit of shame and self-hatred. I blame the private education system.

@RubySloth

No, it's the amount of abuse you get for saying you are voting for someone. You see it on MN the last week, the pile ons. It's disgusting.

OP said nothing about abuse.

OP specifically said she would be embarrassed to admit it to friends/family.

Nothing to do with online abuse.

It’s perfectly understandable that people sometimes feel embarrassed at the idea of people knowing who they’re voting for. It’s not that they don’t think they’re making the right decision, it’s just that they don’t want people to know because they know that most people around them would disagree or judge and they don’t want to be on the receiving end or feel that they’re told they’re wrong, not ‘our kind of people’ etc.

I live in a very strong green/labour type of community and I can completely understand the feeling of social pressure to think and vote a certain way. Left leaning people tend to be particularly intolerant of other viewpoints in my experience.

Votes are private for very good reason. The results will tell us all we need to know.

Women's rights? How about not having to wait years for justice if you are sexually assaulted?

Personally I think anyone who looks at the decisions and policies of the last almost decade and a half and thinks “yeah more of that please” should be embarrassed.
So many people in the country have been shafted and I guess you’re in the small percentage of people who prosper under the tories and you’re fine with that.

Millions of people feel like you OP. Millions. Thats why everyone was surprised at the BREXIT result. Far more voted leave, but were embarrassed to let on. I’ll be voting conservative too, but I’m not going to shout about it. Someone on my Facebook said this morning ‘I don’t know anyone that would vote Tory today but blah blah blah’. I thought you know me, and my DH and both my parents’. But people are very secretive when it comes to politics.

It’s because typically labour voters are quite vocally rude to con voters. But con voters are generally more reserved and won’t be rude to lab voters.