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’m a natural Conservative (probably small c) but the lunatics are now running the asylum. I think the party had a choice to appease either the centre ground or the frothing at the mouth Reform mob, and its chosen the Reform lot. I can’t in good conscience vote for them.

Brexit was a disaster and they have fucked education, and in our local area they put the kibosh on any kind of public transport because they are incapable of seeing any other picture than cars=good, even in the face of atrocious congestion. They simply don’t have any credible people left in the party, and haven’t for a long time.

I’m naturally centre-right and have only ever voted Tory or Lib Dem, never labour but am going to vote for them this time just to get this government out as it’s been a terrible 5 years. All economic credibility was lost via the headless chicken spending during covid and then the Truss debacle. The restraint of civil liberties during the pandemic was unforgivable in itself but made worse by the hypocrisy of partygate. I would vote for a serious plan to curb immigration but the Rwanda thing is just a gimmick and won’t achieve anything. Sunak has also gone flakey on the environment and is coming up with policies that seem designed to appeal only to pensioners. At least Starmer is trying to appeal to the centre ground and act like a PM for the whole country rather than just pandering to his base. I’m happy to give them a go this time

I've usually found the Conservative manifesto closer to my own ideals than anyone else's, although, as with all manifestos, never a 100% fit. I just think they've reached their natural expiry date for this continuous run in power. It all just feels flat and stale and out of ideas.

I've been reading manifestos, and truthfully I think it might be the SDP who get my vote this time. I absolutely refuse to vote for any of the other big three, they have pledges in their manifestos that's are absolute red lines for me. I live in a safe Labour area though, so won't make a jot of difference! I think KS is very much a weaker Blair, but I'm hoping he'll grow a bit of a backbone once he actually has to do things rather than pander to lobbyists and endlessly dump on anything the Tories do.

This is such an interesting thread.

As a natural Labour voter I'd do anything to GTTO but I can't vote for anyone this time.
The Tories can define what a woman is, and none of the other parties can. This is very problematic for me.

We have an SNP MP at the moment and he's not impressive. I just don't know what to do.

National Service has been mooted to appeal to the far right only. No middle of the road Tories approve of it.

I confess to being puzzled when some people say that the Tories have become left wing lately. In what way?

High tax, high immigration would be two reasons I would think.

Another right-of-centre voter here. I’ve voted for all 3 main parties at some point over the last 25-ish years and this time I am at a total loss of where to turn.

LibDems are a bin-fire over their stance on women’s rights.

Ditto Labour, as well as their “aspiration tax” on parents using independent schools (disclaimer we are considering private secondary for our kids, we are not “rich” though I accept better off than the majority. The only reason we can even contemplate the idea is because we had an inheritance that allowed us to massively reduce our mortgage)

And then there’s the Tories 🤯

Right now the best thing to happen for the Tories would be for the party to split after the election, get rid of the Reform/Brexit nutters then spend the next 2 terms regrouping and getting back to what they’re actually about.

There's nothing actually conservative about the conservatives. They went all in on neoliberalism starting with Thatcher and now there's nothing left to conserve.

New Labour did the same.

I'm struggling with your description of Mrs Thatcher as a neo-liberalist.

Huh?

They have frozen tax thresholds for higher rate taxpayers and so therefore we have the highest tax burden in 70 years. They support net zero

Higher taxes (instead of cutting services though tbh there isn't much to cut) and green legislation are traditionally associated with the left..

.........and green legislation is traditionally associated with the left

Good grief, not nowadays, surely?

@Opalfleur2025 we need green legislation though. Or we do if we want to leave a viable planet for future generations. And of course there are huge opportunities to make money from green technology.

I agree but I always thought left wing voters are more likely to support green legislation. See london and ulez.

Everyone needs to support green legislation.
It isn't dependent on your political party nowadays.

I agree. Have decided to just look at our local candidates + vote for the best one there & close my eyes as national

Afraid not. The Tories round here are anti everything that’s not driving your car everywhere, anti cycle lanes, anything like that.

I'm a middle ground voter who has voted Conservative and Labour depending on their postures. Having said that, there's no way I could ever vote Conservative again in the foreseeable future. I think they need to be almost obliterated at this GE and then regroup and find the middle ground ditching all the ultra right nonsense and find the honest that they used to have. The new Conservatives need to be a party that puts country first.

I think the same here. I am not a tory voter but had I been this would be the nail in the coffin for me. It's as if they just pandering constantly to their core vote and no-one else matters.

I am a floating voter. I went to visit my mum yesterday and the Conservative Party MP arrived as we were getting out of the car to her block of apartments (assisted living - probably mainly conservative voters but I can't speak for all of them Obviously) The local MP was in the party of 14 (I counted) people who were trailing behind. The man at the helm (not the MP) was the most pompous and unapproachable person ever. They went to ring on everyone's intercom in the block to speak to them which I thought was quite unappealing. It was more about this person leading the campaign than the MP

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.

@Katypp bit ironic to use free speech as the argument to silence other people.

@Opalfleur2025 I'm a 70 to 80 year old voter. I care very much about the younger generation. Please don't paint us as all the same.

It seems to me that the 16/17 year olds (and younger) have got the shitty end of the stick. Their education, and in a lot of cases their mental health, was, at best put under strain, at worse ruined by lockdown. Their current chance of owning their own home is diminishing, if not disappearing. They no longer have the liberty of free movement across most of europe, they are required to pay a lot of money to get what I could access for free, place at university.

and now, when they seem to be one of the group's who have been asked to sacrifice the most for our collective good, they are targeted as a group who should give more to society?

They've given enough, in my view. It's time people like me, well off pensioners (well off in comparison to a lot of families with kids) did our bit. I'd be happy to be taxed more to help these teenagers. I would not be happy if pensioners who live on only state pension were taxed more, but they wouldn't be. They dont, by the way, benefit from the tax threshold increase currently proposed. Only those who receive more than £12,500 (which is less than my state pension, and i worked and paid NI for 39 years) will benefit.I

But of a rant, sorry/ not sorry

I'll keep off this thread now, I'm not it's target audience. I only opened it to find out what conservative voters were thinking. Sorry

I have been a Tory voter through and through. I believe in low taxes, sensible means tested welfare (kind state but zero tolerance for benefit scroungers) light but competent regulation to encourage business & trade, Conservative economic policies (non excessive amount of borrowing), continuous investment in infrastructure and the future (education, healthcare) and a open, competitive economy that should still be part of the EU.

I also believe in having upward social mobility and education is key to this - I don't think current state education is up to scratch and private school is so expensive but still better. All schools should offer private/grammar level of education for free for all British children and specialist schools for special needs. I don't mean in facilities but in management, teaching, pastoral, extra curricular provisions etc.

I cannot stomach both current Tory and Labour. This Labour is bound to spend a lot on nothing (think pouring money into schools and hospitals bu5 no delivery of any effective improvements). They will up taxes significantly to fund that, thereby gouge the hardworking middle class who is now perpetually suffering a cost of living crisis. Prices do not come down and wages have not increased anywhere near the rate of inflation. Both sides seem corrupt, self-serving or for the elite only, and untrustworthy.

I'm thinking about Lib Dem, something more progressive the country needs right now. But I'm not sure how competent the party is.

I'm very confused.

@user1471453601 you sound like my mum. What a lovely attitude and post. I agree with everything you say,

@user1471453601 it's so nice to hear someone of your generation saying this. It can be easy to assume all older people are like the self serving people the Tories seem to be pandering to. It's lovely to be reminded that isn't the case. Thank you

@user1471453601

What a lovely post- my father in law thinks the same- and he's 84 - he sees the amount my son has to pay for a 2 bed flat in London with 3 of them in it (couple plus a single person) - plus bills- the fact that 'paid' overtime has gone out the window in lots of jobs - yet they expect extra if needed to get the job done, Almost £170 a month for student loan , they go out once a week modestly for a few drinks as a treat ( this isa mid 20 something couple- no kids ) they both have London centric jobs due to the industry -

My father in law did vote Brexit and hugely regrets it- feels they were sold a pile of pup on the 'nothing changes' and was horrified by partygate and the sheer amount of contracts given out for many millions seemingly unvetted .

For first time in 14 years he is not voting Tory.