Workington man
Workington man is a political term used by
The term was invented by Onward, a centre right think tank, with a Guardian article describing the characteristics of Workington man as a northern male over the age of 45 without a university degree, who enjoys rugby league, and who had previously supported Labour but voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum.[3] The Financial Times described the term as "just the latest depressing political caricature".[3] The term is similar to political stereotypes used at previous elections, such as Worcester woman, who were thought to define the characteristics of a key target voter.[4]
Labour had held the Workington constituency for most of its 100-year history, with the exception being the period following the 1976 by-election, which saw a Conservative candidate elected against a backdrop of Labour in government at national level. Less than three years after this by-election victory, the seat returned to Labour at the 1979 general election. Going into the 2019 general election, it was seen as a key marginal seat for the Conservatives to win from Labour. On a 9.7% swing, it fell to the Conservatives on election night, marking the first time the seat had elected a Conservative at a general election.
In April 2023, a Labour Together report suggested the Conservatives' vote share among 'Workington man' voters has dropped, from 49% at the 2019 general election to 15% at present, with Labour's vote share among the group increasing in turn to 56%, a lead of 41 points.[5] Analysis by The Guardian said that should the level of support that Labour "currently receives from this group [be] mirrored on election day, Labour would win back every one of its 30 lost red wall seats".[6]
See also
- Essex man
- Worcester woman
- Holby City woman
- Soccer mom
- Reagan Democrat
- Squeezed middle
- Stevenage woman
- Yuppie
- Motorway man
References
- ^ "Tories win Workington for first time in 40 years". BBC News. 13 December 2019.
- ^ ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ a b Burrows, Tim (22 November 2019). "So farewell then, Workington man … we hardly knew you | Tim Burrows". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Cooper, Bob (30 October 2019). "What do Workington men think of 'Workington Man'?". BBC News.
- ^ "Red Shift". Labour Together. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ Savage, Michael (1 April 2023). "'Stevenage Woman' vital to Labour success at next election, analysts say". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2023.