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”.

This was everything I wanted to write so thank you! And no it isn’t at all credible that so many Drs and nurses thought the Covid vaccine was harmful - whatever OP’s doctor husband thinks! My dh is a hospital consultant who worked on the Covid wards, and all his colleagues whether Drs, nurses, cleaners, or porters were all bloody grateful when they eventually got that vaccine! “Vaccine hesitant” Doctors? After 30 years of moving in the medical circles (I was a specialist nurse consultant myself) I’ve never met one. So I’m calling bullshit on that.

It doesn’t because I’m discussing a relatively small sample of people within the world of academia which is historically left wing anyway… I think recent UK elections prove the country is pretty right wing, even with Starmer’s win which seemed simply a case of trying to get the useless Tories out rather than liking Labour. Ditto the George’s flags everywhere.

The ‘most of the people you know’ will just be a reflection of that small group. Electorally immigration matters to Labour a lot. Enough to switch on major policy.

But I speak to people outside work too. Until recently it was relatively unusual for people living in affluent rural Oxfordshire to vote other than Conservative.

And I still maintain that while it is not unsual for an economist in a university to be moderately left wing, it is not exactly a fertile breeding ground for socialism. The moderate bit it is important!

I’m centre left. Have always voted Labour but not sure I will next time. Depends who stands in my constituency. Many of my friends are trad Labour voters, but a small minority are Tories or have become more right wing as they’ve got older. I’m v middle of the road, hate Farage and Polanski. Would be happy w centrist Labour or Tory at this point.

I wasn’t anti covid vaccine - I had it, but wouldn’t take it now the virus is just in regular circulation. I’m not eligible anyway but I took the flu jab when they rolled the age back a couple of years ago. The govt were tests about it, but I’m no conspiracy theorist.

I live in a middle-class London suburb - and apart from uni and living w dh in a flat about 5 miles away(!) - I’ve been here all my life.

One of my DC turned v left wing at uni and is voting Green. we don’t discuss it in my house for want of a harmonious family atmosphere

I’m a Labour voter. Can I help you in some way?

Yeah thats also how the lecturers and university status quo is dont challenge the narrative. Else you ll be ostracized and others may see you as selon moi
At least your not part of the norm. Well done !

have been called a Nazi, Mao and a bigot

I thought Mao was considered a compliment by some of those on the left.

Have they switched? They have never had an open door immigration policy and peak net migration levels were reached under the Tories.

Tax rates aren’t the sole reason banks are located where they are (I am in financial services too).

They have yes. Enough to change from Cooper to Mahmood and see that Starmer was electorally disastrous on the issue.

Visa policy was prior to the GE.

What total bollocks

Can you share a link to any Labour policy for open borders?

Why were the highest net migration levels not under Labour and why did border controls exist under Labour when the policy was open borders?

I am a London hospital doctor. I voted Labour in the last election. My dr friends were a mix of Labour and Libdem. Nurse friends voted Labour. Husband votes Tory. One friend will vote Reform. I find the right wing homogeneity of your NHS group unusual.

Because the conservatives changed policy later, just before the GE. It was their visa changes though.

On Labour - Cooper emulated the mood with ‘refugees welcome’. Starmer realised he was in the shit electorally and changed to Mahmood. It didn’t stop him being ousted.

Blair, the 90s and free flowing labour has been pretty consistent. As said Labour want to survive so they’re moving to a place they wouldn’t have previously.

Whether it works for them we’ll see at the next GE.

I find this odd. I have a very mixed circle of friends but broadly left-leaning. I grew up in the countryside - and all my friends from back then are left-wing, we were fairly alternative I suppose - and now live in the Home Counties.

I think the UK is a centrist country and most people don't want either hard right or hard left policy. They just want things to be the same but a bit better. The obsession with immigration is just the hard right (funded by its Russian overlords) stirring the pot for decades. Of course people who are struggling/working hard don't want to see people who don't even come from here seeming to do better than them, but that's not really what's happening.

I think you can tell who is racist and who is not by the language they use, when discussing the same topic.

I'm from an NHS family and it's about 50-50. The older ones are largely Tory and the younger ones Labour.

Racism to people of colour very much exists. Sometimes it’s direct and sometimes it’s covert. But it has not disappeared unfortunately.

What do you mean conservatives changed policy later?

I am questioning your claim that Labour made open borders a policy. If that is so where is it stated and why levels highest under the Tories not Labour? If Labour had an open door policy why has no Labour government ever done away with border controls?

I don't recall Cooper ever saying 'refugees welcome' either while Home Sec - happy to stand corrected if there's a link for that?

It’s very common. In reality but especially online. There was a brief period when it was better but it is reversing again

🙋🏻 hello, you’re describing me. I grew up in a single parent family household, struggling for money but very happy, this was in Manchester, I’ve lived in London, Glasgow and now leafy Cheshire. I have 2 degrees, am a professional, married with children own a nice house, a couple of holidays a year and although not flush, I recognise were comfortable. I would pay more tax, despite being higher rate tax payer, but for the right reasons. I recognise the aging population, and the problems this will bring. So we do need to encourage immigration. I also believe we should lift up those struggling, be it here, around the world or anywhere. I work hard but I also know I’m lucky. Lucky to have been born where the climate is ok, I’ve lived a life in peacetime and not worried about food on my table. There are millions who can’t say the same around the world so why shouldn’t we help others? I find the selfishness of society today just appalling.

100% this.

But people are more free online. A poster on another thread said (paraphrasing) that she doesn’t agree with any immigrants being here, from windrush onwards as it’s changed our country too much. Others agreed with her. Given the ethnic make up of the country, she may not have felt able to express that (?racist) view in real life.