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?

This.

If the party represent your values, why are you embarrassed?

I wonder if what you mean is the party used to represent your values, but no longer does, but you are a tribal voter so can't switch.

Hear, hear.
Northern, working class, worked her way up through the ranks, female and authentic.

She might not have the intellect as some, but she's as sharp as a tack.

Talented 😂

100% this!

This lady is an inspiration, rather than being born with a silver spoon, ha hem Sunak etc! Oh but he went without sky TV 😂

Yes she is-anyone who had her start in life and has got where she is deserves recognition. I’m not particularly a fan-the voice and attitude I find off putting g but I bloody admire her.

We vote for a local representative, and if you think the local Tory candidate is better at that, then you've made the right decision.

It's never C/conservative voters insulting and shouting down Labour voters, is it?

Always such aggression and sneering.

Ladies and gentlemen, the kind, tolerant Left.

Has she confirmed that she suffered the hardship of growing up without Sky tv though?

Rather more than a one emoji person like you I'm sure.

😂😂😂

All this criticism of labour for supposedly having no plans. What are the Tory plans? I mean really, what are they?

And if they're good plans, why hasn't the government already been doing them?

Also, what are Tory values? Corruption? Cheating? Doing as much damage to the environment as possible? Making a show of ourselves on the international stage? Encouraging othering and blame of people on benefits and migrants?

Not quite true-am not tribal and a floating voter but I see lots of sneering from both sides. Tories who label the whole working class thick, workshy, all on benefits and who want everything for free. Then of course left wingers who label Conservative voters as cruel, uncaring, out for themselves etc etc. It’s like politics as football.

I really don't think it is that. The Tories have taken the inhumane greed of the very rich at the expense of ordinary people to extremes that make Victorian Industrialists look humanitarian. They are more than just cruel and incompetent. They are blatantly self-serving and amoral and don't care who knows it.

I am left wing but don't support the current Labour party. I am a feminist but couldn't vote Tory just because they pay lipservice to Women's Rights.

No party in the UK is fit for purpose right now, in my opinion. But only one party is brutal and obscenely greedy. It has brought the UK to its knees for the sake of, as Zadie Smith so accurately said, making multi-millionaires into billionaires.

Our health service is failing. Our schools are failing. Our universities are failing. Our roads are full of potholes. Our trains run only about 50% of the time due to issues with staffing, signalling, electrical faults. Our opportunities for growth have died with Brexit, which was mooted in the first place as little more than a schoolboy dare, with zero serious forethought about its impact on trade and employment opportunities.

They are the shoddiest government in living memory. How anyone could vote for them is beyond me. Yes, the rest are ridiculous. But at least they are not amoral.

@readingmakesmehappy , me too. I vote for the best candidate not the party.
Fortunately we have a good Labour MP, and I hope that will continue.

I'm sorry but religious groups have faced FAR worse discrimination than Tory voters ever have. Countless people have been murdered because of their faith.

I'm quite shocked your friend would make such a comment to be honest - it completely minimises the sheer suffering of religious minorities.

God no ! Thankfully I would never vote for them so will never have to feel that shame !

OP, your vote so you can vote for whoever you think represents what's important to you, others or for the future country - doesn't matter whatever anyone else thinks. I don't think you're necessarily embarrassed, just feel a bit uncomfortable as you know you'll get slated for it - you won't be the only one, other choices will get slated as well.

@VoteLabour and my local Labour MP is entirely invisible and complacent! So he does not have my vote

YNABU. The Tories have been lacklustre on some important issues (immigration, NHS, Education, housing), but Labour don't have a credible plan to improve any of that. They're two faced about Women's rights and their vat on school fees policy is just reckless and the callous politics of envy. Huge potential for unforeseen consequences. The Lib Dems are hopeless and Reform are just a symptom of Tory failure.

If I was in a constituency where the Tories had a chance I'd still be voting for them. "best of a bad bunch" is a far better reason to vote for a party than "anyone but the Ttories" in my opinion.

As it is I'm in a strong Labour seat, so I'll just save myself the walk probably.

You think they’re suddenly going to get better at running this shit show for 14 years?

now you really SHOULD be embarrassed!

I don’t agree. She claims to have been a care worker but in fact was a union representative most of the time. She also benefited from buying her council house at a huge discount paid by the taxpayer when all indications shows she lived elsewhere. Then she wants to take away that for others which is pretty hypocritical.

she also doesn’t know what a woman is and happily supported corbyn while he was spreading antisemitism in the Labour Party.

I don’t think she has principles or political convictions. I wouldn’t vote for her.

The Tories intentional underfunding of the CPS, police and NHS has failed women for over a decade. There is a reason women are experiencing horrendous treatment on labour wards, dying in childbirth and experience awful treatment - because healthcare staff have been cut as have beds.
Whilst people were arranging funerals and fighting to keep loved ones alive the Tories were throwing parties in downing street and giving their billionaire friends money for free.
Rishi Sunak has gone back on his last pledges, is threatening to get rid of the echr which protects women and is a clusterfl**k for women

Saying you're voting Tories for their position of women's rights is embarrassingly uneducated and you should keep it to yourself if you vote them again.

I have always voted Tory and will continue to do. I honestly dread what Kier Starmer and Labour will do when they win. They have plans that they don't seem to have thought through especially the NHS waiting list one where they plan to increase appointments by opening them up on evenings and weekends where on earth will they get the qualified staff to run this. Staff are already working long hours and overstretched now.

I'm so surprised that on Mumsnet, of all places, Labour is an acceptable option given their position on gender. I find this unbelievable.