Previous Tory voters

I have always voted Conservative in general elections, local elections usually an Independent if I know them and think they will do a better job than the Conservative candidates, same in County Elections.

I will vote Independent at the next GE if the person who is being backed and encouraged locally stands. If not I will see who the other candidates are and make up my mind when the manifestos are launched.

Something has got to be done regarding immigration.
Given the current state of the world we need to know who is entering the country and why as soon as possible, not have migrants here for months or years whilst waiting for confirmation.

Tax burden is higher than many many years.

Education needs more money and less fiddling with

NHS needs more money on the proviso it sorts out its wastage and buying. Centralised buying would save millions, a simple example is paracetamol and ibruprofen in Aldi approximately 50p for 16 the NHS pays well over £1.

Unusual for a Tory I want the safety net of Universal Credit, Disabled Benefits etc., application process to be less complicated and provide enough for a decent life.

I’m a previous Conservative voter who has every intention of continuing to be one in the next GE. In local elections I vote for our current LibDem chap simply because he’s excellent at dealing with local issues. I wouldn’t vote for him in a GE, not wanting a LibDem (or Labour) government.

germanshephard mum:
why do you still want a tory govt after 14 years of austerity and misappropriation?

I'll be voting Tory again at the next GE. There's been nothing I've heard from Labour to make me vote for them, in fact there's a lot against. The calibre of the Shadow cabinet gives me no confidence that they have any ability to make any difference to the country. How many times over can they spend the nom dom tax they plan to raise? Handing even more power to trade unions will hold the country to ransom more than they do already. Their plan to come down hard on people smuggling gangs to stop illegal immigration is nothing new - it's already in place. I could continue. Certainly the Tories have made mistakes, but I don't trust Labour to run the country.

Thanks twinnytwin. I also don’t trust Labour not to raise higher taxes on the backs of those of us who have worked hard for what we’ve got.

twinnytwin

I'll be voting Tory again at the next GE. There's been nothing I've heard from Labour to make me vote for them, in fact there's a lot against. The calibre of the Shadow cabinet gives me no confidence that they have any ability to make any difference to the country. How many times over can they spend the nom dom tax they plan to raise? Handing even more power to trade unions will hold the country to ransom more than they do already. Their plan to come down hard on people smuggling gangs to stop illegal immigration is nothing new - it's already in place. I could continue. Certainly the Tories have made mistakes, but I don't trust Labour to run the country.

I won’t be voting Labour as they have an open door policy on immigration and they promote wokery.

I say this as someone who voted Labour most of my adult life.

I don't think that there's any suggestion of more power being given to the unions. Furthermore the unions are not the LP's main backers. In the 2nd quarter this year the unions gave £896k whilst private donations were £6.5 million including £3 million from Lord Sainsbury.

I used to vote Tory but I don't believe either party, Tory or Labour is capable of pulling us out of the mess we are in any time soon.
I live in Wales and we have a Labour government. Not impressed.

I have never voted for either of the major parties and I cannot see that changing anytime soon.

I think all put party dogma ahead of common sense and both let the extreme ends of the party wag the more moderate body - and this tendency is getting worse rather than better.

Germanshepherdsmum

Thanks twinnytwin. I also don’t trust Labour not to raise higher taxes on the backs of those of us who have worked hard for what we’ve got.

This, although I cannot bring myself to vote Tory, I do agree. I will consider very carefully who to vote for.

Germanshepherdsmum

Thanks twinnytwin. I also don’t trust Labour not to raise higher taxes on the backs of those of us who have worked hard for what we’ve got.

I've seen no reason to trust Labour regarding raising taxes either. Government needs no more of our money to waste, imo.

I have often voted Conservative, though also UKIP, Lib Dem and Green in recent years. Only if Labour fully commit to Proportional Representation would I consider voting for them, as I feel all majority Government over the years has been to detriment of the British people.

The country needs money to get it going again. As Maizie has said, taxation comes after money invested.

The UK is very much a country of ideas and small entrepreneurs. Although many people lost businesses as a result of covid and others decided to retire, maybe earlier than they had anticipated, closing their businesses, there will be others, younger people, coming along who want to start a business. There may also be people who have taken early retirement because they want to start up themselves.

Right now there are small shop owners who are closing their shops because of the spate of shop lifting. They cannot afford to lose their stock or to pay for security (from humans). They are also worried about their employees and, as we know, the police don't have the time or the manpower to deal with these thefts.

The UK has a history of excellence in the various arts, subjects which many schools have now dropped. I remember that in the 60s and 70s many graduates from the RCA worked as designers in the German car manufacturers. They also worked as designers in the European fashion houses and there are still many heading up long established couturiers.

Many big budget films are filmed in the UK studios, rather than America.

In order to facilitate all these enterprises the UK needs investment in the infrastructure and services. This has to come from somewhere.

So basically fancythat, what you want is an extreme right-wing government that doesn't do democracy.

Isn't that what they have been trying to get to for 13 years? And isn't that what people are turning their back on in favour of democracy?

You keep pushing these policies. I will personally be very glad to see the death of the party of wealth driven Oligarchy and the more you push your chosen policies the more, I believe, that is likely to happen.

I voted Liberal in the last election, the Tory got in.
I voted Labour in the Welsh Senedd elections and wished I hadn't. The Tory got in.

Think I'll just not bother.

They can't offer PR until they are in government dayvidg. Personally, unless they swing to the extreme left, I will vote to enable a Labour government - once. They would have to offer PR for me to vote them for a second term though.

You cannot hsve a Scandinavian style social welfare state on a USA taxation system.

I am happy to pay hgher taxes, to see better public services and social welfare.

Unfortunately in this country there is no guarantee that higher taxes will lead to greater social benefit and not be wasted on aborted projects like HS2, which should never even have been started, at least not from the south-north.

I love your summing up of the Tories DaisyAnneReturns
--*the party of wealth driven Oligarchy*. It has taken many years for me to see how wedded to to big business the Tories are. The situation has now arisen where the majority of of the populace feel that politicians are very detatched from the every day difficulties experienced by many.

So basically fancythat, what you want is an extreme right-wing government that doesn't do democracy.

How on earth do you make that leap?!

fancythat

*So basically fancythat, what you want is an extreme right-wing government that doesn't do democracy.*

How on earth do you make that leap?!

Experience of 13 years of tory government?

Democracy is about much more than voting in elections. We have a Parliamentary democracy, which is meant to mean that all views can be represented to the government to inform lawmaking. Over the past few years Parliament has been managed in such a way as to completely marginalise our democratically elected MPs so that they have little or no input on legislation.
They've done much more anti democratic things but I can't write an essay with one finger...😆

Tell me where I have got it wrong fancythat.

Are you say you are the moderate, centre-right Conservative of the Rory Stewart varity. Someone who can embrace the environment, climate, gender, race, social justice, doing much more on poverty, much more on social care, much more on prisons, but also be fiscally responsible.

If so you are not making it clear in your OP.

Experience of 13 years of tory government?

Oh I see.
Actually no I dont see.

I dont have the headspace right now to explain myself at this point. Sorry.
I will come back to all this in a day or two.

May I just point out that the Trophy Hunting Bill, which was supported by all parties in the HoC, was scuppered by the unelected Lords.

I do like it when we agree Maisie.

I am seeing myself, more and more as a Democrat. You can have left and right leaning, liberal and centrist Democrats. What seems impossible is extremes.

Maybe I have misunderstood what fancythat's said in her OP. I am sorry if that is the case. It would be good to hear that some have returned to a demomocratic politics. I do appreciate my bias against the current iteration of that party makes it difficult to see that happening.