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General election 2024

To not understand why people vote Conservative

164 replies

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:23

I'm in my late 30s and don't understand my relatives pretty much all voting Conservative.
Aren't they a bunch of upper class twits, plus most are racist, homophobic etc etc
And Conservative in nature.
The ones that obv hardly know anything other than for tax reasons, are tedious.
That's the only thing I knew when I was about 13...
Labour don't male average salary people pay loads of tax right?

OP posts:
Spendonsend · 01/07/2024 09:31

Well conservative with a small c means traditional values and small changes.

Then in a more political way you are into free markets and small state and personal responsibility.

So maybe they believe in those things.

I tend to find racist people in most parties. Don't know about homophobia

schloss · 01/07/2024 09:33

I wonder how many more threads there will be between now and Thursday questioning how on earth can people have opinions which mean they will not vote for Labour?

Bigredpants · 01/07/2024 09:35

I think you should ask your relatives.
Very often it’s because the alternatives seem so unpalatable.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 01/07/2024 09:37

I'm in my late 30s and don't understand my relatives pretty much all voting Conservative

Have you actually asked them?

Aren't they a bunch of upper class twits, plus most are racist, homophobic etc etc

Scrub that, it appears you've already made your mind up. I'm assuming this is a serious question but the wide eyed innocence makes me wonder.

user1492757084 · 01/07/2024 09:38

Spendonsend · 01/07/2024 09:31

Well conservative with a small c means traditional values and small changes.

Then in a more political way you are into free markets and small state and personal responsibility.

So maybe they believe in those things.

I tend to find racist people in most parties. Don't know about homophobia

This.

And I would add in that conservative voters try to live and let live, without too much negative judgement.

FeelingHotHotHotFeelingHotHotHot · 01/07/2024 09:39

I think the Tories are a horrible political party who hate poor and disabled people - and I would never vote for them. And I don't get why people would vote for them (OR Reform!)

But this type of thread is just plain silly.

People have many reasons for voting for who they vote for, and it's a bit narrow minded and rather immature to start a thread saying 'but whhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy?' No-one has to explain themselves to anyone.

And your 'all Conservatives/Tories are upper class twits - who are all homophobic and racist' comment speak volumes about you really.

.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 01/07/2024 09:41

I've never understood why peope eat prawns, they look like big pink wood-lice to me. (the prawns not the people who eat them!).

FeelingHotHotHotFeelingHotHotHot · 01/07/2024 09:45

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 01/07/2024 09:41

I've never understood why peope eat prawns, they look like big pink wood-lice to me. (the prawns not the people who eat them!).

Pink wood-lice! 😬😆 Glad I have never eaten one now! How can anyone eat anything that still has its eyes?!! 👀 Shock

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:51

The only reasons they gave were money. Or to avoid Labour getting in. Weird eh.

OP posts:
eggplant16 · 01/07/2024 09:52

Greed.

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:54

One person made out the NHS was good under Conservative about always being able to get an appointment.
I wasn't sure if that was sarcasm..

OP posts:
usernother · 01/07/2024 09:55

schloss · 01/07/2024 09:33

I wonder how many more threads there will be between now and Thursday questioning how on earth can people have opinions which mean they will not vote for Labour?

I agree. These posts are very dull.

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:56

eggplant16 · 01/07/2024 09:52

Greed.

Yeh a very narrow view saying I don't agree with paying more tax if you earn more.
We pay loads of tax regardless and often those people don't even earn more than 40k anyway.

OP posts:
Gettingbysomehow · 01/07/2024 09:58

Probably because they remember how awful Labour was at the end of their last tenure.
This happens every time, Tories have the country for a long time and royally fuck it up and then Labour win the next time and royally fuck it up.
Any idea how many times one or the other has promised to fix the NHS. Well I can tell you none of them have improved it one iota in the 43 years I've worked there.
The last Labour party claimed everyone opposing immigration was a huge rascist (Gordon Brown and his "That rascist woman") and now Labour are going to tackle immigration because it's what people want to hear before the election. There will be a swift about face the minute they get in.
I'm not voting for the first time in my life because I don't believe one word any of them say.

OptimismvsRealism · 01/07/2024 09:58

The trans stuff
The private school VAT stuff
Contrarianism
Idk a really sexy local candidate?

OptimismvsRealism · 01/07/2024 09:59

Oh yes and immigration (although the last govt managed that appallingly too)

Tilly22222 · 01/07/2024 10:09

Perceptions that Conservatives mean lower taxes, encouragement for people to stand on their own two feet, that hard work should be rewarded, that the moral duty to support others lies at the individual level and not at the state level (and indeed that people on the left often abnegate their individual moral duties in favour of some vague idea that "something should be done"- see Thatcher's retelling of the parable of the Good Samaritan).

Respect for tradition, the idea that change should be incremental rather than radical- Chesterton gives a good example of this thinking:

There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”

I'm not a Conservative and I don't think the current government provides a good example of conservative thought. But conservatism done properly is not about hating poor people or being intolerant- it's about taking care, looking before you leap, viewing moral duty as primarily an individual matter rather than a collective one.

TheColourOutOfSpace · 01/07/2024 10:17

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:23

I'm in my late 30s and don't understand my relatives pretty much all voting Conservative.
Aren't they a bunch of upper class twits, plus most are racist, homophobic etc etc
And Conservative in nature.
The ones that obv hardly know anything other than for tax reasons, are tedious.
That's the only thing I knew when I was about 13...
Labour don't male average salary people pay loads of tax right?

That's quite a sweeping and juvenile generalisation about people who have a different political approach and mindset to you. It doesn't sound like you are genuinely interested in understanding various political outlooks, and maybe you believe there is only 'one true' political view which conveniently happens to be yours?

The FPTP system has an unfortunate downside that it effectively turns into a two party state. So the Labour party will attract all kinds of left wing people - from fairly mainstream left leaning people to far left nutjobs and cranks. Similarly, the Conservative party will attract all kinds of right wing people - from fairly mainstream right leaning people to far right nutjobs and cranks.

Both parties tend do well when they appeal to the broader and more centrist views of the general population, rather than niche, radical ideological purists. But of course when you try to be all things to all people, this can end up leaving everyone frustrated. The Conservative party doesn't seem to be genuinely conservative these days.

Left wing approaches tend to favour bigger government, more public spending, while right wing approaches tend to favour smaller government and less public spending with more private investment and a belief that the market can solve issues better than the government.
Both left wing and right wing people can care about similar issues, but have different values and approaches to how they think socioeconomic problems can be solved.

For example, in terms of lifting people out of poverty, left wing approach tends to be focused on government giving money with additional bureaucracy to handle the administrative system required to deal with all the payments.
Whereas the right wing approach might be to reduce government bureaucracy and loosen up business rules and trading restrictions. This can make it easier for people to set up new businesses and can encourage small and large companies to expand and create more jobs - and they will hire more people, which means the economy will grow and people will be gainfully employed and therefore able to earn their way out if poverty.

There are pros and cons to each kind of approach. And there's plenty of literature and analysis to read if you are interested.

But you're better off talking to your relatives and trying to understand their concerns and why they feel they need to vote Conservative. Everyone tends to vote for what they feel is the least worse option. That's the downside of the two party system.
Maybe they have some valid justifications, maybe they have some concerns but are under the misguided impression certain policies will work, but there's no evidence to indicate such issues will be resolved etc. Rather than being preachy or making sweeping judgements about them or the policies they vote for - you might have to learn that you don't always have to agree on everything in a family.

Mairzydotes · 01/07/2024 10:18

Some people vote for them ( and this applies to all the other parties too) because th the mp in the constituency they live in does works to improve the local area.

Trees6 · 01/07/2024 10:25

I’ve never voted Conservative but I don’t ageee that C voters are racist and homophobic. Some are, some are not. The party has more PoC in senior roles than the other parties if anything, and Badenoch seems popular. I think that the majority voted in favour of same-sex marriage back in the day, although I don’t know for sure.

I have a real dislike for the party but it’s not fair to accuse its supporters of this.

andymary · 01/07/2024 10:29

OP... it sounds like you missed the entire point of being able to vote... it means that people can vote for WHO THEY WANT TO VOTE FOR whether that be who they personally like, who they think will be the best fit, or who's mandate they prefer the sound of.

"Aren't they a bunch of upper class twits, plus most are racist, homophobic etc etc"
-Yet you're the one here bad-mouthing a political party and having a complete lack of respect for your parents.

"Labour don't male average salary people pay loads of tax right?"
-Did you completely miss the two National Insurance reductions that the Tories pushed out this year?

Thanks for coming.

RampantIvy · 01/07/2024 10:29

There are plenty of conservative voters on MN. They live in their ivory towers are wealthy and use private education and private healthcare.

Their concerns are different from yours and mine.

Also it could be that their local MP is the best of a bad bunch.

pizzaHeart · 01/07/2024 10:30

Aquarius1234 · 01/07/2024 09:54

One person made out the NHS was good under Conservative about always being able to get an appointment.
I wasn't sure if that was sarcasm..

Basically people are different so they vote differently. I don’t know why your relatives are voting conservatives but in my experience people are rarely 100% agree with the political party they just choose issues the most important/ relevant for them and vote based on these issues. What these issues are depends very much on age/ stage of life/ health / financial situation. People are generally selfish (and it’s a good thing in a way, we need to look after ourselves).
Im voting Labour. I absolutely hate Conservatives who didn’t care about NHS, social care and education. My child has disability and I myself has health issues. A friend of mine has neither of these, she is more focused on different aspects of life . None of her family has significant health problems and they are comfortable financially to go private if needed for minor issues. So yes, she votes conservatives because in other policies they are closer to her.
Simple.
I wonder if your relatives have their reasons but don’t want to share with you as they don’t want to discuss them. Maybe in the past you were too argumentative about it or maybe they don’t respect your opinion as you are younger. As to appointments availability - it might be their personal experience. It’s absolutely not mine. But my other friend lives in a village and she hasn’t got a problem with getting GP appointments at all, hospital waiting list is another matter but Gp appointments are available the same day at her place. She was surprised when I described the extent of problems at our GP surgery. So it’s all very subjective and down to your experience.

But I know how frustrating it is when you disagree so strongly and fundamentally with your close family.

WilmaFlintstone1 · 01/07/2024 10:48

Nope, plenty will vote for them.

What I don’t understand is the people complaining about poor public services who then say…but I will vote Tory.

Helloooooo! Do you hear yourself?

Im 58 now and the world is a mystery to me, they won’t get my vote as I am hugely unimpressed with them. Not sure Labour will be much better though.

However in my area they’d vote in a chimp of it wore a blue rosette.

That said ..the local Tory MP is very good and responsive to people…not a cabinet toff.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 01/07/2024 10:50

‘ You will, Oscar, you will’.