Where are all of the Labour voters in real life?!

[PBEEBIES]

I grew up on a council estate. I would say the majority of the people here were very “I’m happy for people to come to this country, but those who come over and don’t work/don’t assimilate are unwelcome” as their main political belief. Despite being a poor area with the majority of people on some form of benefit, they believed that people who work shouldn’t have to pay super high levels of tax and people should be able to keep what they earn etc.

I went to university and associated with “posher” people for the first time. I would say the political beliefs held by these people were very similar to those held by the people I grew up around. I met a few people that were stronger to the left and right here, but to generalise, the majority were all pretty middle of the road/right leaning in the same way that they were on my council estate.

I now have a well paid professional job and live in quite a “posh” area. The people here again, generally hold the same views as everybody at my university and the council estate I grew up on. Probably slightly more right leaning, but all pretty similar on their thoughts on immigration, taxation, government spending priorities etc. We’ve recently completed a house renovation and if ever the topic of politics came up with the tradesmen we were using (eg. If the news was on when we were in the same room), the general consensus was still the same. I have also noticed that 99% of people I have spoken to all seem to be anti Covid vaccine/think that there was some kind of government conspiracy with hiding the negative effects of the vaccine - this is ranging from the drs I know, to the tradesmen, shop assistants, students etc (not just a small section of society).

I’m suprised that considering I’ve lived in multiple cities in both rich and poor areas, socialised with and have friends in professional careers as well as tradesmen, students, across all ages… most people I encounter seem to all hold the same political views.

I have genuinely only ever met a few truly left wing people in my life, in real life. For example, I’ve never met anyone in real life who has stood up and said “I think that we should take asylum seekers as they’re at risk in their own countries” even though this isn’t extreme! I’ve never met anyone who has said “I think that our taxes should be raised so that we can improve public services”, or “I think it’s really important that we spend on making our country more energy efficient as this is important for eradicating climate change”. How is this possible?! Everyone I’ve ever discussed politics with across a wide range of social classes , careers, ages, locations has always been centre/right.

Please don’t focus on the fact that I’ve used immigration as an example throughout this, it was just one of the stronger examples that I can think of! Another example would be the trans issue - I’ve never met anyone who thinks anything other than “trans people are free to do whatever they like, but sex is a biological fact that you cannot change”.

I didn’t grow up in the UK but went to university here and now work here. After living in 3 cities, I’ve encountered people from all ends of the political spectrum other than far right in person (that I know of I suppose). I find it quite odd that you haven’t to be honest.

I live in Makerfield and haven't met anyone who voted for AB in the By Election...

“99% of people I have spoken to all seem to be anti Covid vaccine/think that there was some kind of government conspiracy”

99%? And you say that includes doctors? I think that’s quite unusual - where do you live?

I’ve lived in Birmingham, London, Northampton, Cardiff, Bath and Oxfordshire. I’ve lived in the nice areas, council estates, student accommodation, flats and houses and would say that 85% of people I’ve met are centre right, 10% centre left and 5% further left or right.

Yes it is! My DH is a Dr too. He is based in Oxfordshire at the moment but was previously in Solihull. The vast majority of health care professionals who I’ve spoken to wouldn’t recommend a Covid vaccine if talking off the record.

My SIL family (her siblings, her, her parents) are very vocal about being labour supporters. When we had a conservative govt they would be clear in their belief that the only way to save public services was to vote labour. They are all teachers and NHS workers

Wow, you’re meeting all the people I’d like to meet

It does seem odd though. Normally there is huge variation in what people think and at the moment I feel as if right wingers don’t exist in real life. Obviously they do 😂 I just never seem to meet them.

I have over 15 family members who work for the NHS. They all agree that the NHS is on its last legs and that we’ll end up with some kind of a private or tiered system. But I believe they are all either Conservative or Reform voters!

I know lots of medical professionals-lots of friends and family. None are Covid anti vaxxers or believe it was all a government conspiracy!

I know plenty of Labour voters.

I’m left wing. Happy for you to come over for coffee if you like.

i don’t beleive that 99% of people you meet think Covid vaccines are a government conspiracy

As others I’ve countered people of all political persuasions

I know some Reform voters - beyond that more left wing people than right leaning. And others who have voted for a number of parties over the years

Have some anti vax acquaintances (one in particular), some who are more sceptical than before and the majority are still glad there was a vaccine

I live somewhere that swings between Tory and Lib Dem. The left-leaning people I know would vote Lib Dem of those two. So I don't know many actual Labour voters here.

I don't really talk about the Covid vaccine any more with people, but when it does come up, pretty much everyone would be supportive of it. Not ongoing vaccines, but at the time.

How do the 99% of the people you know think that the whole world managed to collude on the vaccine conspiracy? It wasn't just our Tory government of the time.

I live in Edinburgh. I’ll always vote Labour as they are the only ones in my constituency who have a chance of beating the diabolical SNP. Couldn’t care less what their policies are. Getting the SNP out is the ONLY thing I care about. And it works. Labour MP here. He’s great.

Probably 95% of my colleagues although they are far quieter about it now than in 2024.

We have been Conservative party members since 1978 and find that many Conservative activists and indeed MPs do not share the views you have stated.

I think some immigration is essential because British people have neither the required skills nor the willingness to undertake some types of work. Mostly I hear concerns about the welfare atate and getting people with the right to work, either due to birth or acquired, to work.

Most people I know would be prepared to pay a little more tax for social care, healthcare and education but it is contingent upon an acceptance that those public services must be made fit for purpose, with the dogma removed.

I always comment that online, you would think that the country was split between mega racist reform voters who hate trans people, hate immigrants, hate asylum seekers, want to strip all disability benefits and then people who think the complete opposite way in that we should up taxes, eat the rich, ADHD is a debilitating disability that needs PIP, trans women are women etc etc.

But everyone that I meet in real life seems to be a very sensible middle of the road kind of person! I would say 90% of people I meet think that;

Taxes are about right as they are now
There are too many people claiming disability benefits and criteria needs to be stricter
Skilled immigrants from all over the world are welcome as are asylum seekers who are prepared to integrate and not rely on benefits
Trans people should be allowed to present as they wish but you cannot change sex
We need more spending on public services and less on foreign aid
Prison sentences are too lenient
To free up prison space, stop custodial sentences for first time non violent offenders
British born people should have a higher priority for social housing

Which would put them centre-right?

Just to add, I’m a fairly centre person myself and am not the sort of highly political person who would make people feel that they couldn’t discuss more extreme political beliefs with me.

Sorry, I probably worded this wrong. Not so much a conspiracy, but think that the vaccine caused harm.

I think what you’re encountering/describing is proof that the left/right dichotomy is false. It doesn’t exist. People have a range of views on a range of issues and, increasingly nowadays the parties available to vote for do not reflect the nuances of the issues people are concerned with.

Sorry, I think I worded this too strongly.

I would say that the vast majority of people who I have discussed the Covid vaccine with in the past couple of years are now anti-Covid vaccine and slightly more vaccine hesitant in general. This includes my DH’s healthcare professional colleagues.

The general belief seems to be that the vaccine may cause more harm than good in the general population and that lots of people have long lasting side effects that could have potentially be caused by the vaccine.

I am I Scotland. I always vote labour in general elections as I detest the SNP. In local elections I vote Lib Dem as they have always held office and they work well for our local area. Most people I know are supportive of Covid vaccinations including doctors. I grew up working class but am firmly university educated, middle class now.

Yeah, I was thinking that you probably phrased that badly

I tend to joke a lot about being a conspiracy theorist because positions that seem normal now were considered outrageous at the time

A lot of what you’re describing is just totally centrist so now I’m confused overall.

But I may be oversensitive because I feel as if everybody is left-wing. In reality when somebody mentions one political view, you’re not going to then sit them down and quiz them about their others. I think most people believe a certain level of immigration is necessary, sure. I don’t even think that’s a particularly left or right position. Just a statement of fact.

Yes, I think this is what I mean. The media seems to want to portray our country as left vs right and that’s how it seems online. But in my experience across a wide range of social demographics, the vast majority of British people seem to actually agree (or nearly agree) on most policies.

I can’t vote Lib Dem anymore because they believe in the female penis but used to in local elections.

I was brought up with the no politics or religion approach.

30 years ago, I would have ignored this and argued my views. Today, if someone brings ‘issues’ up, I tend to give a non-committal grunt, and hope the conversation moves on. I rather suspect that a lot of the people who ‘agree’ with you are actually doing the same as me.

I really object to the idea that 'British people have neither the required skills nor the willingness to undertake some types of work'. I don't disagree that view exists, just that we seem to accept it and use it as an argument for more immigration.

It's also deeply disrespectful to the countries whose workforces we poach. But that never seems to come up in the immigration debate.

How many shop assistants have you talked to about the Covid vaccine??