Labour’s traditional working class voters are turning to the Conservatives and ‘will help Theresa May win back a majority’, report claims
Brexit is the reason why working-class voters are ditching the Labour party in favour of the Conservatives, according to a think-tank
LABOUR’s traditional working class voters are turning Blue and hold the key to Theresa May remaining in power, a bombshell report claims.
A think tank said the Tories and Labour were neck and neck among manual workers at 39 per cent in the Election. The Tories led 47 per cent to 35 per cent among people with no qualifications.
And the report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation claims the Tories can win back a majority if they commit to helping low-income families and strivers on less than £20,000 a year.
It said that much of the Tory success among working class so far has been down to Brexit.
The Tory vote share at the Election in 140 Labour seats that voted Brexit rose by an average of 8.3 points.
But Labour still leads among poorer voters on the economy.
The report comes amid growing fury from Tory MPs at the party’s failure to address issues such as fuel duty and solving the housing crisis.
Report author Matthew Goodwin – Professor of Politics at the University of Kent - said: “The clear message of this report is that low income voters are conflicted.
“On the one hand they instinctively agree with the Conservatives on Brexit and immigration but on the other they want more done to improve their living standards.“
Prime Minister May would do well to speak to ordinary workers not only about Brexit but how she is going to curb inequality, increase their wages and inject a new sense of fairness into the economy.”
Overall, Labour held a lead of 42 per cent to 37 per cent among people on low income, JRF said. But the Tories led 54 per cent to 22 per cent at the Election among people who were pro-Brexit.
The most substantial advances by the Tory party came in “struggling non metropolitan, pro Brexit and Labour held areas”.
