Long-standing Conservative voters thread

[Katypp]

Any one else who has - up to this point at least - been a Tory voter?
I have voted Conservative at every national election (I am late 50s). This one is probably the most likely to change. Purely because I think new blood would be a good idea. I live in a very Labour area and have never shared my colours with anyone from being in my early 20s.
Given the fact that the Tories usually win, I suspect there are a lot like me.
I know it's a big ask, but I hope thar this might be a sensible thread for other natural Tory voters to discuss the election and not be called names and shouted down like we are on every other thread.
If you are a Labour voter, please don't hijack the thread and tell us how wrong we are. There is free speech in the UK and we are just as entitled to hold our opinion as you are to hold yours.

I have been shunted into a new constituency, Surrey Heath, and just looked up the list of candidates..... sigh. It's a pretty meagre bunch. Only the Lib Dem and the Reform candidate are local. The conservative is at least tied to the area, army background, but lives in Putney, the labour candidate is from Croydon FFS, and has a dodgy back story, I think they have parachuted her into our area, as Labour have no hope anyway. The Green is from Sussex. I am a bit stuck now.

Its a bad look on the face of it. However, we did have a rather large contingent already in attendance, a King and Queen, a Prince, Foreign Secretary, opposition MP's. Did other countries have a similarly large presence??

No but they did send their leaders who stayed for the entire thing. Including Zelenskyy - whose country is at war.

I think the D Day situation is a sign that he's actively trying NOT to win, surely? It contradicts the national service idea since I'm pretty sure there is a very big overlap between the groups that D Day is super important to, and that want national service.

I'm not terribly bothered about it myself, but I think it was an unskilled decision and will be brought up repeatedly. There was no need to give ammunition to Labour.

Without wishing to throw shade on Zelenskij the man's main function right now is to be seen everywhere to remind people about the Ukraine war. I'm fairly anti-monarchy, but isn't the point of them to be our representatives at these sorts of international flag-waving events so that the government can crack on with the actual work?

There is no actual work in political terms going on in the UK. Parliament is prorogued for the election and no legislation is being developed or enacted.
Campaigning was suspended on the 5th and 6th by agreement. The calendar was clear for Sunak to do his job as PM and represent the UK at the last milestone D Day commemoration where living veterans were in attendance. And yet Sunak chose an electioneering interview, not even for a live broadcast, in which by all accounts he repeated the tax lies about Labour.

However loyal a conservative you are, there's no excuse. And yes, I would say the same if a Labour PM acted like this.

To say Zelenskiy was only there to be seen is crass, by the way. His country is under occupation - what better and more appropriate place for him to be than the place where Europe's liberation from occupation started?

Most countries locked down just like we did, it’s inflammatory to say we copied communist China.! 🙄 @ladybirdsanchez

No it's not. The virus came from China and China locked down its citizens as a response. Other countries like Spain and Italy copied that model when the virus arrived on their shores and the more countries did that, the greater the pressure was for all countries to follow suit.

It was pure autocracy to tell people to stay at home, that they weren't allowed out of their homes except for very specific purposes, that they couldn't see their family, friends, people they were in committed relationships with, couldn't leave the country unless for specific purposes, couldn't even go for a fucking walk in a park unless that walk met criteria for distance and who you walked with.

Are you trying to say that any of those things are things that you would expect to happen in a modern, western democracy? Because I woke up every day of that time in disbelief that not only was our government imposing those rules on us, but that so many of my fellow citizens embraced living like that. I found it deeply alarming, particularly those who called for ever greater restrictions, who seemed to relish the control being places on themselves and others, and the way people just blindly went along with ever crazier rules. Remember 'the rule of six' where any six people from any six households could meet up, but if you were a family of six, tough luck! You couldn't see anyone. Or the travel rules that changed every Thursday and that people had to scramble back from France or Greece or wherever, because if they didn't leave a country deemed 'amber watchlist' by 4pm on a Saturday then they'd be placed under house arrest in their own homes for two weeks - unable to go to work or even visit the supermarket. It was utter insanity!!!

Extremely insensitive decision on Sunaks part and he should rightly be condemned for it.

However….yes there is a however!

Im more appalled that there is so much discussion on this and none that Starmer agreed that Israel had a right to turn off water and electricity in Gaza and enforce a siege.
Later backtracking of course once his advisors told him this was an act of genocide.
Anyone with such thoughts should be condemned and yet ‘ how quickly people conveniently forget ‘

I tend to agree with @MrsBobtonTrent tbh.
It was a poor decision in today's social media goldfish bowl, but Labour are obviously delighted to have something they can hurl at the Tories to allow them to avoid the spotlight themselves.

@Katypp I'll say it again: Rishi Sunak was not busy governing the country, because there is no governing going on. He has no valid excuse. People who try to defend him on the grounds that he must have been busy are missing the point. The D-Day commemorations on the 6th were the single most important thing on the calendar - did you see how many heads of state turned up, people who were busy because they had a country to govern? But our Rishi couldn't be bothered because he preferred a bit of cheap electioneering. If you can't see how bad that is, you aren't paying attention.

And yes, if the positions had been reversed and it had been Keir Starmer pulling that stunt, people would have been just as furious. More so, in fact.

This. 100% this.

As a leader there are some things that you need to do whatever you think or have planned. It's a bit like going to aunty Doris' 90th. Do i want to go - absolutely not. Will I, 100% because I'm expected to.

We owe our freedom to those soldiers who died for us and he showed so much contempt by leaving early. Just look at the turnout for remembrance Sunday's and it speaks volumes as to what the nation thinks about remembering the dead who fought for us.

Maybe you are right. Whoever advised him certainly did not read the room

I guess I just hate the pile-ons and hysteria that modern politics seems to run on these days.

Not at all crass to say Zelenskij wants to be seen. It is his most important function at the moment - to be a visible reminder of the war. His constant appearances keep public opinion (and therefore governments) on the side of supporting him against Russia. ROW support for Ukraine is essential to their survival as an independant nation.

Sunak leaving early was unwise. Many people will feel strongly about it and it hands the narrative over to the opposition parties. To have a leader and his team so unable to read the room is definitely an issue and it is that which bothers me more than the D-Day thing.

Quite liking Starmer's pledge on dentists. It's a disgrace that dentists won't take on NHS patients (presumably because of funding), especially children. I would have concerns about the practicalities - as usual - and the costings - as usual - but that pledge has definitely piqued my interest.
Still can't stand Rayner though - although she was not too bad in the debate last week.

Thought I'd try to resurrect this thread to see where we are three weeks down the line.
Still nothing to excite me from Labour - Angela Rayner dodging question after question in last week's debate was a complete turn off for me. I could probably get on board with some of their policies but it's the lack of detail that turns me off, plus the seeming reliance on pretty substantial growth to pay for a lot of it.
Although my kids (2 state and one privately educated) are mostly finished education now, the virtue signalling and spitefulness of adding VAT to school fees riles me too, especially when there seems little benefit apart from allowing Labour to say 'that taught them'.
I find the fact that Reform is the only party acknowledging the NHS needs more than just money and immigration is a problem quite refreshing to be honest. I think politics needs a shake-up every now and then.
Thoughts?

Yup if you’re a racist. And like hopeless liars.
Virtue signalling and spitefulness. Any spiteful Tory policies ever or is it just nasty Labour.
What’s your opinion on the Government’s record ?

Have you seen any interviews of prominent Conservatives lately? The only thing they tell us is that Conservative Central Office has been working very hard training them in the art of not answering questions - they're obviously terrified of what would happen if anyone actually tried. It's interesting that they seem unable to move on from the tax rise allegation despite the fact that the electorate knows it's a lie. They just don't seem to have anything else.

Labour may not be perfect but to be honest the Conservative party has had 12 years to get it right and have failed so why should I vote for another 5 years of the same? Change is needed but who?

Angela Rayner dodging question after question in last week's debate was a complete turn off for me.

I thought she did pretty well given that she was under constant attack from the other six. Mordaunt did nothing more than bellow “higher taxes” at all the others. It was very unedifying.

Pardon? I don't think you'll like it on here. We are largely debating intelligently without knee-jerk name-calling.
You'll find plenty of other threads where you can do that.

I can't disagree with this. Neither are covering themselves in glory.

Yeah, it wasn't brilliant, was it? I quite like the PC leader but unfortunately I don't live in Wales!

Yes, this has been a really good thread. It helped that the OP requested that it be respectful So thank you.

That is indeed the question @Owl55 .

@Katypp the IFS isn't impressed with the Reform manifesto in terms of its finances. It's all wishful thinking and fairytales.

And of course when Nigel Farage talks about scrapping 6,700 EU laws, that will include our rights to paid lieave, sick pay, not being dismissed willy nilly and a host of other workers' rights. I don't think that's refreshing, I think it's disgusting.

Their abandonment of environmental aspirations is also immoral. I want there to be a livable planet left for my children and their children - don't you?