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 don't know any Labour voters IRL, amongst people who might discuss this kind of thing at least. I guess they're keeping quiet at present, like Conservative voters did for years, so they wouldn't get slagged off.

I know quite a few people in public services who vote Labour (NHS and social services) if that sheds any light for you op.

Not it wasn't meant as a sneer at "posh girls". It was my response to Dollymylovesneering at left-wing people called Jemima or Annabel.

Apologies - I hadn’t read it.

Agree, Labour are the ones in power now...
I don't think people tend to identify as a Labour supporter/Conservative supporter as much as they do in other places anyway. I know plenty of people who would vote Labour but also complain about stuff Labour do they don't like, as much as they complained about things the conservatives do they don't like. There are a few people who are very tribal and you would expect them to be the most vocal about the party they like/don't like. But broadly I don't think it's normal to have the PM up on a pedestal the way half the population of America at any given time will be supporting "their" president (while the other half talk of him as the devil incarnate). The two things that unite us as a country is complaining about the weather and complaining about the current PM.

Thanks!

I voted for Labour in the last general election. In the past I have voted for the Lib Dems and the Greens.

Unless you go around asking everyone who they voted for, how would you know? Very few people know how I voted last time and I expect they've forgotten by now!

I'm surprised that many NHS staff would vote Conservative or Reform, as over a decade of Tory austerity brought the NHS to its knees and Reform's anti-immigration hostility wouldn't work well for our NHS trust as it employs staff from more than 80 countries.

Maybe I'm just older than you (mid-forties), but I've met a real mix of people over the years, including a small number who were openly racist, supporters of trans activism, people who enjoy blood sports, hunt saboteurs, a butcher's son who turned vegan, a few upper class people with titles, a few millionaires, hundreds of people from council estates, rough sleepers and the occasional celebrity. I have no idea how most of them voted, as I didn't ask.