Here’s what we know about the Conservative Party membership - the people selecting the leader who will shape the future of the country during a time of unprecedented change.
- 97% are white
- 7 out of 10 are male
- Their average age is 57, with 4 out of 10 aged over 65
- 86% fall into the top social class grouping (ABC1) used by market researchers
- Nearly 60% live in London, the South East or South West
- The average Tory party member considers himself more right wing than the average UKIP member
- 85% believe that government should not redistribute income from the better-off to those who are less well-off
- Three quarters believe young people don’t have respect for traditional values
- Nearly 6 out of 10 support the death penalty
- Two thirds back a no-deal Brexit, and 84% oppose a public vote on any deal
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48395211Z
Here's the complete study the report is based on.
https://esrcpartymembersprojectorg.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/grassroots-pmp_final.pdf
Off topic: Who chooses the next PM?
posted on 23/6/19
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 2 hours, 52 minutes ago
Stamp duty I agree, I don't agree with it. Inheritance tax I do.
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Interesting to see you disagree with stamp duty.
Could it be that there is a possibolity for you being caught up in this tax hence your dislike for it?
posted on 23/6/19
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 4 hours, 10 minutes ago
Well we could focus on people who also work hard for minimum wage, or people who are rich but don't work hard.
There are only so many top jobs available, if every person in the country worked hard there would still be the same disparity in income.
And that doesn't include unearned income.
There are tens of thousands in the home counties whose parents bought houses when it was possible, as they die a cascade of money passes on to the next generation who can now by their holiday home in Cornwall or France which in turn will be inherited.
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Wages are determined by demand and supply.
This country provides equal opportunity for every child to achieve according to the best of their ability.
Are you advocting that we bin that and instead just provide equal wages to all regardless of skills and qualifications?
Maybe you should read about the Kulaks and see how that Soviet policy went.
posted on 23/6/19
I meant what my words said, not your extrapolation of them.
I don't believe in communism.
No, not every child has an equal opportunity.
Not all wages are set by supply and demand.
Where did I say everybody should get the same wage? It would be ludicrous to say an engineer would get the same as the man who drives the digger. But it is also ludicrous for a merchant banker to earn ten times the wage of a doctor.
Perhaps you could do a little reading yourself, start with the Guardian for example;
Capitalism works so long as the wage disparity is not too large.
posted on 23/6/19
Regarding stamp duty, I have only been caught up in it to the degree anyone has been who buys a house.*I think a second house should be liable, but your first home not. Seems reasonable to me.
posted on 23/6/19
comment by mancini (U7179)
posted 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 4 hours, 10 minutes ago
Well we could focus on people who also work hard for minimum wage, or people who are rich but don't work hard.
There are only so many top jobs available, if every person in the country worked hard there would still be the same disparity in income.
And that doesn't include unearned income.
There are tens of thousands in the home counties whose parents bought houses when it was possible, as they die a cascade of money passes on to the next generation who can now by their holiday home in Cornwall or France which in turn will be inherited.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wages are determined by demand and supply.
This country provides equal opportunity for every child to achieve according to the best of their ability.
Are you advocting that we bin that and instead just provide equal wages to all regardless of skills and qualifications?
Maybe you should read about the Kulaks and see how that Soviet policy went.
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Of course this country provides equal opportunity LMAO
posted on 24/6/19
comment by rosso is facking happy (U17054)
posted 1 day, 3 hours ago
comment by Shugs (U14253)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by rosso is facking happy(U17054)
posted 19 minutes ago
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I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned Portugal on here beforebut it’s a beautiful example of how PR can deliver a democratically-representative and stable legislature that is reliant on - and succeeds in employing - a process of public engagement, discussion and debate, and constructive compromise.
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It also was born out of overthrowing a dictatorship though?
Not that it matters to how the system works... I mean that the people and politicians involved in its conception were in a different mindset and more open to making a change than politicians in the uk would ever be
Maintaining the status quo and influence/power (and income) is likely more important than real governance for our parties
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Absolutely. It was much easier to implement, because they had a clean slate and were determined to put in place a progressive democratic system.
We’ve got hundreds of years of entrenched, if-it-ain’t-too-badly-broke-don’t-fix-it, and sadly now anachronistic tradition to try to shift.
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Portugal is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe lol
posted on 24/6/19
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by rosso is facking happy(U17054)
posted 1 day, 3 hours ago
comment by Shugs (U14253)
posted 25 minutes ago
comment by rosso is facking happy(U17054)
posted 19 minutes ago
----------------------------------------------------------
I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned Portugal on here beforebut it’s a beautiful example of how PR can deliver a democratically-representative and stable legislature that is reliant on - and succeeds in employing - a process of public engagement, discussion and debate, and constructive compromise.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It also was born out of overthrowing a dictatorship though?
Not that it matters to how the system works... I mean that the people and politicians involved in its conception were in a different mindset and more open to making a change than politicians in the uk would ever be
Maintaining the status quo and influence/power (and income) is likely more important than real governance for our parties
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolutely. It was much easier to implement, because they had a clean slate and were determined to put in place a progressive democratic system.
We’ve got hundreds of years of entrenched, if-it-ain’t-too-badly-broke-don’t-fix-it, and sadly now anachronistic tradition to try to shift.
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Portugal is one of the most corrupt countries in Europe lol
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According to Transparency International, Portugal is the 30th least corrupt country in the world of 180 ranked, in front of 23 other European countries and improving year-on-year.
https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018
This is a country that has a democracy that is less than 50 years old and is close to as transparent as the US and France.
posted on 25/6/19
I work with two Portuguese and the hold their government with utter contempt (as most of us probably do to be fair). Only a couple of years back their former PM was done for fraud and money laundering.
posted on 25/6/19
comment by gratedbean (U4885)
posted 50 minutes ago
I work with two Portuguese and the hold their government with utter contempt (as most of us probably do to be fair). Only a couple of years back their former PM was done for fraud and money laundering.
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Absolutely; I am literally surrounded by people who hold the Portuguese administration in contempt.
You’ll find that in every single country you visit.
I’m assuming you’re referring specifically to José Socrates, former PM here. Two years ago he was formally indicted on money laundering charges relating to some of his activities in the mid-noughties. I’ve not read a lot about the evidence, but the case is yet to get to trial.
posted on 25/6/19
- 86% fall into the top social class grouping (ABC1) used by market researchers
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You make it sound like this is some sort of elite category, in fact it is the sum of half of the categories A, B and C1 - the other half being C2, D and E