Labour voters….

[CurlewKate]

…… what do we do now?

You're in the same boat as Conservatives now. Unable to vote for the party that you've always voted for because the party no longer stands for what you believe in. Presumably.

That seems to be the way politics is going.

Form a new party and give Labour back to the people it was created to serve: the British people from the working classes, maybe?

Wait in hope that the leadership gets replaced and the party returns to normal asap. Which is pretty much what @Jackrussellsaremad said I guess.

I'd say that the first thing to do is contact your MP (assuming they are Labour) and get their stance on the things which matter most to you and/or challenge them on their stance is they are at odds with your own values.

I find They Work For You and excellent resource for examining your MP's track record and voting behaviour.

The point is that politicians are susceptible to public opinion, whether rightly or wrongly; if enough people raise concerns, and enough MPs repeat those concerns, then there is a small chance of change.

If your Labour MP, like mine, just follows the party line and does as they're told then it might be time to accept the party no longer represents you and consider changing your political allegiance.

Wait for the next general election, and vote for whoever you feel most represents you at that time?

Unfortunately I did and they did a 360 on everything now they have pissed off the local granny's and all our local councillors are now reform

Someone said the world ended during covid we are now in hell got to admit on a personal basis not a lot has gone right in the last five years

It was always going to be bad post covid. I remember thinking at the time the state spending was going to come back and haunt us not to mention keeping our kids out of school, the effects of long covid, mental health, civil service WFH. We've wrecked our finances and the immigration of hundred of thousands of low/non earners that need state services had made matters worse as we don't have the money to build their social housing let alone the people already here.

So as a non Labour voter I can see that Starmer had to say what he said. But I don't believe he means that he will reduce immigration fundamentally as it goes against everything he's ever said (so I won't vote for him) and those on the left that do believe he means what he said are clearly also appalled but for opposite reasons. And for what he actually said. So they won't vote for him either. The former Red wall Labour voters are now Reform. So where does starmer go for his voting base?

I didn't vote for them, but I don't think it's that bad. Immigration down by considerable margins (if that's what people want), winter fuel allowance removed for people who don't need it (the bar is in the wrong place, but the principle is good), removal of bureaucracy in the NHS, and quite a few other things that the previous lot didn't do.

Ultimately, I don't think they are any worse than the previous lot. Bottom line is that our economy is in the toilet due to Brexshit, public services have been underfunded for years, and Starmer has to move further to the right to catch the disenfranchised Conservative voters, without pissing off the usual Labour voters. He can't possibly balance that, and quite frankly, I'd rather he did what he's doing and lose you who may be unlikely to vote Reform, than to let the Conservative voters go to Reform.

I've always voted Labour, but I can't get on-board with starmer. Honestly, I'll probably have to vote Tory. Why aren't the lib dems stepping up and capitalising on this chaos, and providing a real alternative? They just seem to sit back and say nothing!

As a lifelong Labour voter I’m not going to make any decisions now about how I vote in 2029. There’s a lot of road to travel before then. If I do decide to change the way I vote I’d be inclined to go Green. However I live in Tory central so I’m effectively disenfranchised anyway.

I don't think the working classes exist in the same way they once did. Not since Thatcher. Besides, they are pretty much behind Reform.

@HappiestSleeping

Bottom line is that our economy is in the toilet due to Brexshit.

I remember that you are the only poster on MN to agree that if those who voted remain in 2016 had voted for the Liberal Democrat’s in the 2019 general election, Brexit would not have happened.

I have this question many times and receive replies such as:

Brexit was a single subject

General election covers many subjects

No, they dont. That's why even on here, as a Labour supporter, I find myself disagreeing with other Labour voters continuously - there are huge divisions between us ' old, traditional '(aka working class)Labour voters and the 'liberal elite '(aka middle class/leafy suburbs)Labour voters. Labour itself is floundering because it doesn't know who it's trying to appeal to anymore. It can't speak for both of us, because our priorities are vastly different and dependent upon where in the class structure we sit.

Very true.

Lib dem voters did that in 2010!

Labour voters did that in 2024!

It's no guarantee that they'll actually follow through their manifesto and not bring in things that weren't in their manifesto.

Once they get a whiff of power, all bets are off.

It's mostly Tory voters who've moved to Reform, not Labour.

Lots of Tory voters were small business owners, tradesmen, self employed, etc., for whom Labour don't represent them anymore, now Labour have shifted to being the party of the unionised workforce rather than all workers.

Sunak screwed over 3 million small businesses, freelancers, tradesmen etc with his ridiculous covid support exclusions, so that's 3 million votes that Tories lost to Reform in 2024 as those excluded would never vote for Sunak!

Tories also appeal to OAPs, other non unionised workforces etc (staff in small businesses etc).

Labour's core support is now public sector workers and heavily unionised workforces (mostly public sector), and those who've retired from public sector.

They're really not been the party of choice for other workers for a long time.

I think all the things that need fixing have just been allowed to spiral out of control for too long now and probably are beyond fixing. Immigration, benefits, NHS, too many people not working, law and order seemingly out of control. No idea how we come back from the brink.

Hold your nose. He's posturing no elections for ages now so sit tight. He's also doing a lot of good stuff particularly on the world stage, economy is growing etc. Time to sit tight ...

Political parties should be held accountable to their election pledges and should be fired and ineligible for any government position for lying.
the problem is from 1 speech 10 people hear 10 different things.
regardless of party affiliation there is only so many options possible with the income generated.

I remember that you are the only poster on MN to agree that if those who voted remain in 2016 had voted for the Liberal Democrat’s in the 2019 general election, Brexit would not have happened.

You must have me confused with someone else as I was never of that opinion.

I do agree that a GE covers many subjects, I was merely pointing out to the OP that not everyone thinks that Labour have done a terrible job, or sold their voters out. Politics is a complex business, and now Labour are in, they will try to stay in by whatever means necessary. Time will tell if they are successful.

Indeed. That's how politics works.

I am not sure that any winning party has ever followed through their manifesto. Not in my lifetime anyway. And they all bring in things that weren't in their manifesto.

That's also how politics works. As is the whiff of power. The manifesto gets them elected, what they do after being elected is designed to keep them elected.

I think the difference this time is that I don't actually believe that Labour won the election. It was more that the Conservatives lost. It's a slight nuance, but that hasn't happened that I am aware of (again, speaking about during my lifetime).

There’s a very old adage that oppositions don’t win elections, governments lose them. It didn’t come from nowhere. It was certainly true of the revolving door of elections in the 70s.

I agree. So many services simply no longer fit for purpose - police, healthcare, social care, public transport, roads, etc etc. I really can't see things getting any better. Too many people not working, too many working in the black economy, so too little tax being collected, hence the ever increasing debt and us paying more in interest on national debt than education.

I agree, recent history proves it - Brown and Sunak "lost" rather than the coalition and Starmer "winning". It's really been "best of a bad job" for the past 2 or 3 decades sadly.

@HappiestSleeping

I remember that you are the only poster on MN to agree that if those who voted remain in 2016 had voted for the Liberal Democrat’s in the 2019 general election, Brexit would not have happened.
You must have me confused with someone else as I was never of that opinion.

Check your post 07/12/2023 14.09 on the thread

Can someone give me one positive of Brexit