Why does England not shifting left like other countries?

[Hairbrush123]

Germany, USA, Scotland and other nations have been voting for left wing parties but England appears to be the exception. Any reason why?

Because of our voting system.

Also wait until the Millennials are old enough to be in a position of power. My knowledge of them is they hate the right.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

Because of our voting system.

Also wait until the Millennials are old enough to be in a position of power. My knowledge of them is they hate the right.

Most people move gradually to the right as the get older.

I know this is meant to happen. But I’m 57, and l don’t know anyone this has happened to.

And also the Millennials have been proper shafted. Student loans, generation rent, and low wages.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

And also the Millennials have been proper shafted. Student loans, generation rent, and low wages.

I and my friends are in the millennial generation yet I don't think we feel have been shafted. Student loans are really a non issue and wages are not as low as many like to claim. We have never faced mass unemployment of those who were adults in the 70s or 90s, we have never faced 15% interest rates on mortgages, food is cheaper than at almost any point in history (even with the recent 5% rise). I understand that some people are frustrated, but by historical standards we have it pretty good and even now, there are more job vacancies than unemployed.

Four main reasons :

1, A predominantly, and fiercely right-wing print media. There are only two left-leaning national newspapers ; the Mirror which struggles to compete with its right-wing rivals and the Guardian which preaches only to the converted.

2, An ageing population with huge disparities in likelihood to vote between generations. The old go out and vote for the Conservatives en masse, but many of the young appear to believe that whingeing & virtue-signalling on social media is a substitute for actually voting.

3, The FPTP voting system in which the centre-right vote is largely united behind the Tories but the centre-left vote is fractured.

4, Labour has been a divided shambles with an unelectable leader for so long that many have simply given up on it. Brexit smashed the party’s previous coalition of traditional, socially conservative working class voters who oppose uncontrolled mass immigration & university educated pro-immigration middle class liberals, most of whom work in the public sector. These groups now have so little in common that it hard to see how the party can represent both.

I'm surrounded by Tories everywhere and I feel in the minority. It's only on mumsnet that some posters make me feel as if I'm not a freak of nature!
They are everywhere.
I doubt that essex will ever vote Labour again.

I think the current Democrats under Biden are to the Left of the labour party (or equally as left wing) Biden is bat crazy , Alexandra Ocasio Cortez is to the left of everyone including Corbyn ! The quite incredible nonsense coming from the USA , where Biden made Johnson look like a World leader in comparison . Biden handlers would not let him answer any questions. The only words Biden speak is 'Come on Man'.

Secondly I don't think the current Government is right wing, rubbish useless totally devoid of sense . They are probably out for themselves and mates. For anyone else I don't they are not particular right or left wing ! In terms of economics, Furlough £20 Universal Credit Uplift i just think their only aim here was to avoid "RIOTS" hence why they left out the Disabled by thinking they won't be able to RIOT !

I think this Government are not clever enough to have any strategy past the next ten minutes!

At each election my default setting is to find enough justification to vote Labour. I search and search for reason to do so, but just can't do it.

The Conservatives have an easy ride because they don't have a viable opposition.

The best thing I can think of to say about Starmer, is that he isn't Corbyn.

But it's just not good enough.

Our left is extreme, that's the problem. I know our right is too, but actually it's not as extreme as the left IMO. The fact that we actually elected BJ is a measure of how unelectable the left is. The choice was bad or worse. So people chose bad.

Because our right wing isn’t particularly particularly right in the grand scheme of things

yes that's correct. I mean BJ could be up on a platform saying he's going to ban abortion etc.

I think we might end up with Labour next. My politics has always swung with whoever I thought would do the best job. I know everyone here is saying about how our right is moderate but all you have to do is talk to people that work in the NHS or look at the state of schools to know the truth. As for Boris, everything he touches turns to shit. I don't think anyone will forget how much damage he's done to this country.

The UK is controlled bu the middle-classes and though some of them claim to be left leaning, they are desperate to keep the status quo. Any real change to social mobility or levelling up plus hugely threaten their grip on their wealth and children’s prospects. Despite their claims to be socialist, they don’t actually care about issues such as child poverty. Their only concerns are whether their dc are likely to get into a Russell Group university.

Have you read 1984?! There is no need to vote for the communist party anymore when our leader is Kim Jong Johnson. We have a supposed conservative government that has destroyed the economy, spent much of the last 18 months paying people not to work and currently intent on trying to control and monitor every aspect our lives.

All really interesting comments. Thanks all for taking the time to explain your reasons

Next time then I start a thread about how my father gave to me a great knowledge and love for 1960s Soul and 1970s Disco and Hi Energy Music !.

Sorry wrong thread....

@Libertaire

Four main reasons :

1, A predominantly, and fiercely right-wing print media. There are only two left-leaning national newspapers ; the Mirror which struggles to compete with its right-wing rivals and the Guardian which preaches only to the converted.

2, An ageing population with huge disparities in likelihood to vote between generations. The old go out and vote for the Conservatives en masse, but many of the young appear to believe that whingeing & virtue-signalling on social media is a substitute for actually voting.

3, The FPTP voting system in which the centre-right vote is largely united behind the Tories but the centre-left vote is fractured.

4, Labour has been a divided shambles with an unelectable leader for so long that many have simply given up on it. Brexit smashed the party’s previous coalition of traditional, socially conservative working class voters who oppose uncontrolled mass immigration & university educated pro-immigration middle class liberals, most of whom work in the public sector. These groups now have so little in common that it hard to see how the party can represent both.

This is an excellent and accurate summary of it all.

@the80sweregreat

I'm surrounded by Tories everywhere and I feel in the minority. It's only on mumsnet that some posters make me feel as if I'm not a freak of nature! They are everywhere. I doubt that essex will ever vote Labour again.

Jesus, you're surrounded by people even more Tory than mumsnet?

@Rooksink

As many have said, I feel there here is no longer a "left" for women. The left left me; I didn't leave the left!

This.

Labour have betrayed women and women’s rights.

@Hdhdjejdj

The UK is controlled bu the middle-classes and though some of them claim to be left leaning, they are desperate to keep the status quo. Any real change to social mobility or levelling up plus hugely threaten their grip on their wealth and children’s prospects. Despite their claims to be socialist, they don’t actually care about issues such as child poverty. Their only concerns are whether their dc are likely to get into a Russell Group university.

There's a lot of truth there.

The left in the west is becoming rather authoritarian. Enforcing fair outcomes rather than merely fair chances requires that. Insisting people believe correct opinions rather than facts requires that.

The English have been classical Liberals since the Empiricists. The present government is not stellar, but they won’t insist you pretend to believe a man is a woman, etc.

So interesting