Labour / Tory 'stereotypes'

[afleitch]

I was sent this, slightly funny look at ‘archetypal’ Labour and Conservative supporters/members. None are flattering, and some parts, while overplayed are unfortunately accurate!

Roy Eccles, 47. Lancashire.

He’s a working class, salt of the earth, stand out Labour man through and through. He goes to church on Sunday with the family, gives money to charity. Well some charities, usually just animal charities in fact if he’s got change in his pocket. Except for cats, he doesn’t like cats. Doesn’t like immigrants much, or gays for that matter. Working class folk like him don’t have the time to be gay he says. Still, at least he’s not his mate, the ‘Tory’ with his mortgaged ex council house, holidays to France and his graduate daughter. ‘Bloody sell out’. They used to collect for the miners together in ’84, well his friend did most of the work but now he’s nothing more than a traitor he says. He hates benefit cheats; ‘I’m a working man, through and through’ he says proudly ‘well I would be if it wasn’t for me back.’

Derek Swann, 39. Swindon.

He’s bright and cheery. Doesn’t listen to the ‘lies’, nor reads anything controversial in the paper. He likes to take people on, those who say Labour hasn’t been any good. He’s got stats up his sleeve to prove the opposite and talks about low inflation and low mortgages to anyone who will listen. Not that he’s got one himself, can’t afford it, his job doesn’t pay much, his qualifications don’t stretch as far as they used to and his pension has gone to pot. But that’s neither here not there. His friend is a nurse, thinks she complains too much about her pay and conditions. It can’t be that bad given ‘the £X billion investment.’ He likes Blair, thinks he should stay on till the end of the term, maybe more; he can ‘go on and on.’

Francis Flyte, 61 and Rosemary Flyte, 59. Surrey

‘Cameron should talk more about Europe.’ This couple elaborate on each others sentences ‘and all those Polish criminals.’ She likes Cameron, though wishes his wife would dress better and he hates him; ‘Commie-Ron’ he calls him. He calls him ‘Commie-Ron’ so much that it’s became quite annoying. ‘He’s no David Davis, too soft on single parents’. She wears a big gilded cross outside her turtleneck and has done since the BA controversy. They both think Christians are being ‘persecuted’, though when pressed can’t say why, though he thinks it’s probably some ‘Brussels directive.’ Mr Flyte says he’s voting UKIP next time, though ‘he’s not voted since 1992 and probably won’t get round to it again’. She’s part of the Bramley Heath Local Conservative Womens Association which came first in the Somerfield ‘Best Kept Local Park’ competition in 1999. ‘There’s an Asian in the association now’ she says while sipping her tea ‘wears lovely dresses.’

Jonathan Flyte, 29. London.

Jonathan loves London, he and his partner (and their dog Sadie) thrive in the city he says. He has four recyclable bins outside his flat and a giant pop art painting of a yawning Boris Johnson on the living room wall ‘just thought it was fun.’ He talks politics to his friends in the pub at the converted church. They all like Cameron, and Jonathan pretends he backed him from the start even though he was a ‘Portillista’. Still, the party is back where it belongs he says, and it’s the ‘in’ thing at the moment. He voted Labour in ’97 when he was a student but he laughs saying ‘well it was the in thing at the time.’

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The first Labour stereotype has been around, in various forms, for ages; whoever did it missed out the bit about the flat cap and whippets though. Really a stereotype of someone on the traditional Right of the party; stereotypes about people on the Left of the party tend to revolve more around the "fact" that "they're all teachers"

Not really come across the second Labour stereotype (either in real life or as a joke); have heard other ones about New Labour types though.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

The first one sounds republican in the US.

[afleitch]

The first Labour stereotype has been around, in various forms, for ages; whoever did it missed out the bit about the flat cap and whippets though. Really a stereotype of someone on the traditional Right of the party; stereotypes about people on the Left of the party tend to revolve more around the "fact" that "they're all teachers"

Not really come across the second Labour stereotype (either in real life or as a joke); have heard other ones about New Labour types though.

I quite like Jonathan Flyte and his 'partner' Particularly contrasted with his probable parents above. I've met 'Mrs Flytes' before, some mean well but are a bit dotty, others have opinions that take second palce to their husbands,

[Cubby]

Francis Flyte, 61 and Rosemary Flyte, 59. Surrey

‘Cameron should talk more about Europe.’ This couple elaborate on each others sentences ‘and all those Polish criminals.’ She likes Cameron, though wishes his wife would dress better and he hates him; ‘Commie-Ron’ he calls him. He calls him ‘Commie-Ron’ so much that it’s became quite annoying. ‘He’s no David Davis, too soft on single parents’. She wears a big gilded cross outside her turtleneck and has done since the BA controversy. They both think Christians are being ‘persecuted’, though when pressed can’t say why, though he thinks it’s probably some ‘Brussels directive.’ Mr Flyte says he’s voting UKIP next time, though ‘he’s not voted since 1992 and probably won’t get round to it again’. She’s part of the Bramley Heath Local Conservative Womens Association which came first in the Somerfield ‘Best Kept Local Park’ competition in 1999. ‘There’s an Asian in the association now’ she says while sipping her tea ‘wears lovely dresses.’

Oh so your country is infested with intolerant Christians too I see, tres triste indeed. I always knew Surrey was a very right wing place, not sure where I learned that.

As for the last example, coming from America as I do, its very strange to see a gay couple support the (or any) Conservative Party. I do like David Cameron though. I'll probably support him over Gordon Brown. I think the Tories have changed enough to get the Thatcher stain off the party as a whole.

[Serenity Now]

They're all obnoxious, but in very different ways..

[Democratic Hawk]

I can only deduce that I'm a fine blend of Roy Eccles and Derek Swann

Dave

[minionofmidas]

Not really come across the second Labour stereotype (either in real life or as a joke); have heard other ones about New Labour types though.

I've come across a guy once who was a bit like that about the Social Democrats... but who has NEVER IN HIS 31 YEARS ever actually bothered to go and vote.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I've come across a guy once who was a bit like that about the Social Democrats... but who has NEVER IN HIS 31 YEARS ever actually bothered to go and vote.