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?

That's exactly what they meant and you know it.

Very true but respect and unity is not desirable for the law makers.

The left read their papers and learn to distrust the right and the right read theirs and learn to distrust immigrants. Meanwhile, no one is watching the upper classes.

Odd choice in that case to post about it on AIBU.

I am rather confused as to why Reform voters are not shy. They should be!

The reason there are shy Tories is because many Tory voters are perfectly normal, moral people who don't agree with many of the policies of the Labour Party and other left leaning parties, rightly or wrongly. They know their circle expects them to vote Labour or at least Lib Dem etc and that they will be criticised for voting Tory, so they keep it to themselves. The same does not apply to Reform, Reform voters in general are much more outspoken and proud of their vote as a protest, whatever anyone thinks of it. They aren't shy about telling people.

You are entitled to vote for whoever you choose. I don’t think it’s helpful to be belittled for the way you vote. Neither do I think you should be embarrassed.

What papers do they read? We should infiltrate them 😂

Sorry meant to quote a pp, quotes failed!

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

This, a thousand times this. Im a floating voter but a huge thing that puts me off Labour is the howls of 'thick', 'scum', 'selfish', 'racist' types of insults from Labour supporters if you dare disagree with anything online. For people who consider themselves quite liberal, they come across as exceptionally narrow minded in a lot of respects (and dare I say it remind me of TRAs)

Why are Labour voters calling you scum when you don't support a party?

This ^

I understand but I wouldn't say embarrassed I'd say I'm scared to tell people because in my experience you get so much vitriol thrown back at you, nasty names etc.

To be honest if someone tells me they vote for Labour, green, reform my response is always oh okay fair enough. I think on the whole you rarely see people who have conservative values give out the level do vitriol u see deom those who support other parties. Then again that if whag the left so, love to get groups hating on each other and causing division.

To add I was shocked to hear my parents who are staunch labour voters all their life actually voted for the conservatives

Lots of us have spoken out against other forms of misogyny, actually. Why on earth would you assume that we haven't?

The whataboutery doesn't help your cause. The misogyny that has been directed at Rosie Duffield doesn't make the misogyny towards Angela Rayner ok.

There is a lot of misogyny in our politics. And racism. And classism. I will continue to call them out when I see them.

The Queen sat alone at her husband's funeral, people died without their loved ones. The tories had a piss up... enough said.

OP I can agree with you on point 3, my Labour Candidate was also selected from on high by the PLP, she isn’t from here and we had a great local candidate who was sidelined by the PLP because their face didn’t fit. It really left a bad taste in my mouth as a Labour Party member who has since resigned for that and other reasons. I voted Labour because they are better than the alternative but it was a case of holding my nose and voting for them rather than with enthusiasm.

But the assumption that Rayner is disliked simply for being a woman is wholly untrue. Her political stance in certain areas are damaging and it’s ok to say so.

This can't be a real post. There's zero thinking behind your decision. Any functioning adult surely knows that if you're so embarrassed to do something that you keep it a secret then obviously it's wrong.

Is this one of the many weird planted posts I've seen so often recently? There's so many truly odd voting posts on here at the moment. Is this meant to sow a 'seed of doubt'?

If you do, and it is drawn completely inside a candidate box, it will be counted as a vote for that person I believe. There was a similar story in a paper years ago.

If not, a very tired person in the early hours of tomorrow morning will put it to one side and carry on counting properly marked votes. It will be a mild irritant to them at most. No one is bothered.

I agree, it isn't just because she is a woman. It is her class background as well.

And yes, of course it is OK to disagree with some or all of her policies. That isn't the point. It is the tone of that criticism that so often reflects the underlying prejudice against her.

You certainly wouldn't be the first and you won't be the only one!

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 think you need to be honest with yourself about what you are embarrassed about.

OP I don't agree with your vote but your reasons for it are perfectly reasonable ones.

I hope that reading some of the comments on here hasn't made it harder still to own your vote.

The freedom to disagree is a really important one.

Have the last 14 years convinced you that Tories know what they’re doing, have strong values, and respond women’s rights?

She’s anonymous though. She doesn’t want to be bullied irl perhaps by some of the posters who have posted their anger at her opinion on here.

The party has done the country in. I don't understand it.