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Yes Eoin, Red Labour is now making the argument for Blue Labour

Dr. Clarke again:

In 2010, Labour actually increased its vote in raw terms among those ranked as AB on the social grade [NRS]. Labour\’s vote also held up well among those at the bottom of the social grade [DE]. The real loss for Labour actually occurred among their skilled & semi skilled workers. They lost practically all their votes in the C2 category. As you can see from the graph, Labour lost a combined 1.3 million votes in the C grade.
     So what does this mean? Well the concept of chasing middle England is surely daft when you consider that  it is C2s who are most disgruntled. I think the leakage points in a party\’s support gives a clue as to why they are losing voters. If one readily accepts that a C2 is typically more likely to embrace ordinary Labour policies, then by inference you may deduce that these types of concerns must not have been heard in the Labour party manifesto. If one by inverse logic considers that the ABs stood by Labour then perhaps you can surmise that cosying up to the filthy rich pleased this group of voters. In conclusion, if Labour wishes to increase its share of the vote, reconnecting with working class voters is a greater priority than chasing Middle England.
Now\’t wrong with the analysis.
It\’s just very strange to see this being spelt out by \”Red Labour\”. For, you see, that\’s the ground that is being staked out by Blue Labour, Maurice Glasman\’s lot.
The C1 and C2 lot, they\’re, culturally at least, a very conservative (small \”c\”) lot. Their concepts of fairness seem to extend to everyone having a fair go, not whacking an 80% slice off those who make a success of their go. Immigration\’s, well, let us say that they\’re not all entirely squeakily cleanly signed up to the idea that jobless Somali\’s on every street corner are the green and pleasant Britain that they desire. The wilder shores of feminism, race mongering and welfarism leave them entirely cold.
These are absolutely the people that Maggie won over with a bit of bash the unions, buy your council house and standing up to the Argies. Europe\’s a great place for a holiday but do we actually want to be ruled by them (yes, much of UKIP\’s Midlands and Northern vote comes from this grouping)?
As I say, nothing wrong with the psephology here: it\’s the proposals to win them back that seem a bit lacking.

7 thoughts on “Yes Eoin, Red Labour is now making the argument for Blue Labour”

  1. In truth I suspect Labour realise there is a lot more to be gained by their continuing to seduce the public sector beneficiaries of middle England than from the more conservatively minded ranks of white van/Mondeo man (there must be a new term by now).

  2. “Immigration’s, well, let us say that they’re not all entirely squeakily cleanly signed up to the idea that jobless Somali’s on every street corner are the green and pleasant Britain that they desire.”
    Why does anyone like that? Somali has got loads of Muslim neighbours why don’t they go there?
    Fair enough the 0.0001% who are not Muslims coming here but why don’t the rest go somewhere
    where the religion of peace reigns?

  3. The refugees are jobless because New Labour decreed that they were not allowed to do any jobs to earn money in case some economic migrants were disguising themselves as refugees.
    I should think that it was obvious to the meanest intelligence (a lovely phrase my mother picked working in a research lab) that any refugees who put up with being dumped in the empty flats that homeless Glaswegians chose not to occupy and required to survive on benefits half (or less) of those given to native jobseekers were genuine refugees. Sadly New Labour were not convinced and wanted to repatriate some of them to such lovely places as the “Democratic Republic of the Congo” and Iraq where their families had been brutally murdered by agents of the regime.

  4. It’s also the C2’s who see their meagre wages taxed to buggery so some seventeen year old slapper can sit on her arse and churn out chav’s whilst enjoying a higher standard of living.

    Lob in the immigrants, and it’s not surprising that they feel Labour’s abandoned them.

    They are quite correct in this assessment; Labour has abandoned them in a fit of pique after they voted for Maggie a couple of times. Hence Labour’s three pronged voter base, Benefit claimants, public sector workers and immigrants.

    Unfortunately for Labour (and the rest of us) economic reality will do for their cash spraying desires….

  5. @John77
    “I should think that it was obvious to the meanest intelligence (a lovely phrase my mother picked working in a research lab) that any refugees who put up with being dumped in the empty flats that homeless Glaswegians chose not to occupy and required to survive on benefits half (or less) of those given to native jobseekers were genuine refugees.”
    Possibly true. Of course they could be just unemployable in their own country ( which is very sad but not being a real refugee)
    and still better off living in Glasgow.

    @Johnnydub // Sep 1, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    It’s also the C2?s who see their meagre wages taxed to buggery so some seventeen year old slapper can sit on her arse and churn out chav’s whilst enjoying a higher standard of living.”
    Seeing the same but a bogus refugee slapper helped me to join UKIP.

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