Reasons why people on lower-incomes vote for Nigel Farage / Reform
The Reform company has made gains in the UK local elections. Which is prompting disappointed progressive-types to ask “Why are people voting for Farage?” Here are a few reasons why.
Years ago, I often vox-popped the fine citizens of Birmingham, speaking to people similar to Christine and Steven in this Financial Times article published in the run-up to the local elections:
”According to analysis by the FT, drawing on the British Election Study, many of Reform’s strongest supporters are from working-class backgrounds. Some suffer from higher than average levels of financial insecurity… supporters of Reform are more likely to be retired than voters of any other party except the Tories”.
But the article presents their “diverse” explanations, without much interrogation.
When attempting to explain why less affluent voters in poorer areas of the UK opt for political parties that were set up to further the interests of grifters and billionaires, here are the underlying reasons I return to first:
A sense of inequality / neoliberal deceit. They can see that their local area has deteriorated, compared to other areas, and that the deterioration is politically priced-in (somehow). Established politicians often won’t / cannot address the deterioration because of “market forces” - which is partly why they are regarded as dishonest - as the rich are exempt from the mythical market.
Us humans are not evolved to live in such complicated societies. Too much change, too much information.
Often the voters are older, and there’s an intersection between restricted income, reduced prospects, loneliness and nostalgia.
The voters often attended schools that did not encourage critical thinking or political analysis.
Status within these voters’ hierarchical zero-sum idea of society depends on there being people “beneath them”. Makes them more open to racist / veiled racist messaging.
Largely unregulated social media profits from, and incentivises conflict and polarisation. Many voters have few defences against highly sophisticated information warfare / behaviour modification controlled by foreign billionaires.
Friend / peer groups getting their fake news from social media, creating social pressure to believe entertaining lies.
Many c/Conservatives experience an empathy gap or parochial empathy: they only take an interest in an issue if it is personally relevant.
A lower level of education can be associated with “authoritarian personality” - a disposition to treat authority figures with unquestioning respect.
When some of the above elements are present, the stage is then set for populist politicians to receive support from the non wealthy, because:
They tell simple stories.
They provide tacit permission not to hide unreconstructed views - bigotry etc.
A number of very rich people want less regulation for their businesses, smaller gov and more cryptocurrency, so will fund extensive ongoing propaganda to persuade voters to choose parties such as Reform.