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’ve said for a number of years - we need a Mumsnet Party! There are enough posters across the country to field one in every constituency and enough breadth of experience (teachers, doctors, business owners, lawyers, financial experts, etc) that we could easily form a cabinet. Based on the (mostly) civilised discussion on this thread we’d have little issues with infighting and would work well to garner cross-party support.

J K Rowling for Leader!

@BIossomtoes absolutely- what we need are some pragmatic solutions that aren't airy fairy and are useful and practical for 'all' income levels -but without the undercurrent of racist or totally woke niche markets- having been a nurse many years ago , worked in HR, worked in entertainment and worked for quite a lot of years in banking too - as well as run a business , I've seen a lot of sectors- lol! Also lived in Denmark for 20 months which gave me plenty of food for thought on things that could work in the UK ( and things that wouldn't- and why not) the massive difference is most Brits are self interested - whereas most Scandinavians take it Asa bigger picture on their society- but don't feel as threatened by social measures- because the social inderpinning for 'all' is in the background - be it better pensions, cheap childcare, more affordable housing, healthcare etc

My father in law always said I should have gone into politics but to be honest I'm not tough enough mentally at 62 (nor have the 24/7 energy) I guess to have them 'bin rooting' through my background and don't these days have the skin of a rhinoceros-

@Crikeyalmighty over the years (I’m 64), several people have suggested I go into politics too. I wouldn’t have the patience required to keep my mouth shut when required, or the thick skin needed for the insults. If I did, I’d be more like Jess Philips than the others I think.

No to JK Rowling for leader.

@AnnieSnap that's my other failing - as my H said- 'you would be too frank' -

Latest YouGov poll breakdown: https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/49809-second-yougov-2024-election-mrp-shows-conservatives-on-lowest-seat-total-in-history

So, who’s going to take over running the Tory Campaign now?! It’s all a real shit show isn’t it. I mean how stupid do you have to be to put a bet on something that is obvious you would have access to inside information on?

Whoever it is has got to make a better job of it.

Also concerned about Labour and Libdems lack of plans or what could be going on that remains unspoken so far including the immigration ‘plan’.

Agree also of the planned loss of the green belt but i doubt developers will be cramming houses in. More likely they will continue with their max profit modus operandi and build lots of detached properties with more houses for cars than humans. We need flats and terraces and council housing near good transport routes, not houses which are unaffordable to most churning up the green belt. That’s just a disgrace!

😂

Shambles that cost over a billion pounds.

What that could have bought for social care or the NHS but they chose to waste it instead. 🤔

For heaven’s sake, only two weeks before the GE and yet another scandal- Tory insiders placing bets at Ladbrooks on the date of the election, the day before it was announced 🙄 Is their no end to Tory Government corruption. I can’t imagine how decent Tory people are going to change the self entitled, corrupt culture that has developed since Johnson was elected leader. It seems so established now. It must make them so angry and depressed to have their party taken over by this!

What a surprise

As a long time Tory. We failed so we deserve to lose and we need to be replaced.
Thames Water and The Post Office Fujitsu problems illustrate Tory mistakes that spread all through society.
A monopoly with the water companies and a deliberately weak Regulator was bound to cause chaos.
Failure to strengthen legislation so that regulators could investigate and prosecute the directors. It was all blatant cronyism.
I shall rejoin the Conservatives after the GE. We have time to correct things. Ten years or 2 parliaments before we stand a chance.

I hope that you will find yourself able to influence the Conservatives enough to steer them back towards the political centre, but it's going to be a long hard slog. Right now their instinct will be that after their election defeat, they must go even harder right, with all the extreme wingnuts fully in charge. It's a real shame.

I agree with @pointythings I wish you well in your efforts in the Conservative Party. It would never be my party, but I recognise that there were and I guess still are, decent people with integrity and compassion in the party. Their voices are no longer heard under the screaming right wing. I also think that after the election, your party will move further to the right with Bravermann, Patel et al

I also think that after the election, your party will move further to the right with Bravermann, Patel et al

i agree

Thank you for your responses to my post at 17:10. I fear you are correct about the slide to the right.

Let us hope there are cleverer people than me who only want to win by doing the 'right thing' not at any cost. Personally, I reject the argument that we may have to compromise our ethics to get power because without being in power we cannot put into action any of our policies.

Is there something about Labour that would stop you from voting for them, rather than the Tories at this point.

@AnnieSnap Brief answer is the power of the Trade Unions. Labour supported the Unions led by Arthur Scargill at the time of the pit closures. As I understood it, at the time it could have been a gradual process pit by pit. Scargill forced a confrontation. The Labour Party offered no mediation, they joined with the Unions
That was a long time ago but I hear similar arguments and similar vocabulary from Unions over the Rail Strikes now.

Railways could be improved but there are always Unions want more power to conserve the status and wages of their members at the expense of the public using them. It seems they are now objecting to quite practical changes 'on principle'.

Interesting that you mention the miners strikes. I was talking about them with my dc the other day (one is concerned about skill loss in their profession), and how those skills in that industry were being passed along in a community. Maggie didn't like community and ripped the heart out of that one.

If we ever need to return to coal, after 40 years we've lost the skillset.

Having worked in some shitty jobs, and holding management to account as a union rep, I would rather the government listen to them, than multi billionaires who want to take the countries resources. I would also want a government whose sole purpose is to enrich their mates e.g baroness Mone.

@Gtfto2024 I don't want to rerun the miners strike, but I will comment that communities could not be maintained by subsidies when the only commodity they produced was x2 or x3 cost of imports. Many were close to being worked out and in very narrow seams.
There are sources of coal around UK that could be cut mechanically or in open quarries. Around the world there are many very large deposits near the surface. Colombia, USA. Botswana. Because Carbon Capture does not work, let's hope we never ever need it.
My main reason for talking about it is that present Unions are trying to provoke confrontation to prevent changes in working on the railways in similar ways. Negotiation and compromise is looked on as a weakness.

I don't get that vibe at all. I see a trucculent, inflexible government who are unwilling to compromise as they see it as a sign of weakness not strength.

I agree with you. I see a government prioritising lining the pockets of their wealthy friends over negotiating with people who need and deserve a payrise - see also the junior doctors; the government's stance over that issue is a disgrace.

I sincerely hope that Labour when they get in will look at the deal struck with the junior doctors in Scotland and copy that. Unions are there to protect workers and they are more needed than ever.

I agree that the Conservatives will swing right after the election. God forbid they take in Nigel Farage (who is only in it for Nigel) but my suspicion is in 2029 the Tories will run on an even further right-wing agenda and lose (barring spectacular Labour cock-up of course), go away, regroup then move back to the centre ready for 2034.

Regarding the Miners strike, that was 40-years-ago. Think about how much your party has changed since then! As for the Rail Unions. They have a valid case. The case being supported by Labour isn’t about pay, it’s about staffing. The plan of the rail companies is to remove all staff from stations (just having ticket machines) and to remove guards from trains, just operating with the driver alone. The mind boggles! It’s great for profit of course, but what about the customers, people who need help for a variety of reasons. The disabled, those with children, buggies etc. Who should passengers turn to if someone feels ill on a travelling train (or for that matter at a station. The public don’t want this. These companies only prioritise their shareholders and services are being decimated as a consequence. Unions were too powerful in the 1970s. That had changed dramatically and is not the case anymore. The right wing press (Daily Mail, Express, Sun etc), always twist the story.