SNP voters more left wing than Labour voters

[Fide]

http://www.thenational.scot/politics/labour-voters-are-more-right-wing-than-those-who-back-the-snp-research-finds.16930?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_term=Autofeed#link_time=1461909702

 

This is not new to me and is something SNP voters know, but now studies have proved that SNP voters think to the left of Labour voters in Scotland.

 

I thoroughly expect a few Labour desperadoes and Ad Lib to mention the fact that the article was in The National, but it's taken from the findings of a poll of 10,000 people undertaken by Strathclyde University researchers:

 

"

LABOUR’S standing as the party of the left has been called into question by academics who found that less than half of their voters back left-wing policies.

Strathclyde University researchers found the party’s voters are not as left-leaning as they claim to be and are considerably less left-wing than those who back the SNP.

The findings were based on the responses of more than 10,000 people who completed an online voter guidance tool, which asks for users’ party preferences and political leanings before quizzing them on policies.

Just 44 per cent of Labour supporters backed policies deemed left-wing while nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of SNP supporters gave left-wing responses. Users were asked to rate themselves left- or right-wing on a sliding scale.

Almost the same proportion of Labour (59 per cent) and SNP voters (62 per cent) described themselves as far- to centre-left, but Labour voters were less likely to give a “left-wing response†to policy choices. Academics described the mismatch as a “paradoxâ€.

Labour has pledged to “keep university tuition fees free†and described paid fees as a dishonest “stealth taxâ€.

But two-fifths (40 per cent) of Labour voters said students should pay tuition fees and less than half (47 per cent) think they should be free.

In contrast, 83 per cent of SNP supporters back fee-free education and 12 per cent oppose it.

Labour has pledged “radical†land reform to “tackle the concentrated pattern of land ownership†and also to “empower crofting communitiesâ€.

However, nearly a third (32 per cent) of Labour voters did not think crofters should be able to force the sale of private estates.

Slightly more Labour voters (42 per cent) said crofters should be able to force sales, considerably fewer than SNP voters (68 per cent).

About one in 10 Labour voters oppose raising benefits while little more than half back a benefits hike, compared with almost three-quarters of SNP voters who backed raising benefits.

The study stated: “Across all of the relevant items in the tool, 73 per cent of SNP voters can be classified as left-wing while 44 per cent of Labour supporters fall into this category.â€

John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde, said: “On a number of key issues, Labour voters are apparently less keen than SNP supporters on government intervention. The electoral battle between Labour and the SNP at this election is apparently not just about whether Scotland should or should not be in the UK, but also reflects a divergence of view on how big a role voters think the government should play in Scotland.â€

Meanwhile, the latest poll published yesterday continued to put Nicola Sturgeon’s party in a dominant position ahead of next week’s election.

The TNS survey found support for the party on the constituency vote stands at 52 per cent – down four percentage points since the company’s previous poll last month and down eight points from a peak of 60 per cent, recorded two months ago.

Labour, which on Wednesday was being forecast to come third in a poll for STV, was yesterday being predicted to narrowly hold on to second place with 22 per cent support in the constituencies, compared to 17 per cent for the Tories. The Liberal Democrats polled seven per cent.

Support for the SNP has also dipped slightly on the regional vote, down two points to 45 per cent compared with last month’s TNS poll.

Meanwhile, Labour is up one point to 22 per cent, the Tories are up three points to 18 per cent, the Lib Dems have dropped a point to five per cent and support for the Greens remains unchanged at eight per cent.

The poll of 1,035 people was conducted between April 1 and last Sunday, and found 67 per cent of people claim they are certain to vote.

Tom Costley, head of TNS Scotland, said: “The polls suggest the Labour Party is still struggling to match the share of the vote they achieved in 2011, let alone begin a recovery.

“The Conservative Party do not yet appear to be in a position which will see them replacing Labour as the official opposition.â€

Those polled were also asked about their voting intentions in the EU referendum.

Support for staying in the EU has dropped three points from last month to 48 per cent, while 21 per cent back leaving – up two points. The remaining 31 per cent said they did not know."

 

[mrcat1990]

In other news the ocean is wet.

[Wee Willie]

Jeez, I've just said in another thread that I might vote for Slab (under another name) in an Independent Scotland.

I'll have tae think again.

[Ad Lib]

Having more left-wing policies and being more left-wing != The people who vote for you being more left wing.

[Bishop Briggs]

This research will be very valuable to party strategists. 10,000 is a huge sample so the margin of error is very small. 

 

The key point that "Labour voters were less likely to give a “left-wing response†to policy choices. Academics described the mismatch as a “paradoxâ€...“Across all of the relevant items in the tool, 73 per cent of SNP voters can be classified as left-wing while 44 per cent of Labour supporters fall into this category.â€

 

John Curtice was the pollster who ran the BBC's General Election exit poll which predicted the result and the Lib Dem collapse. He said 

 

“On a number of key issues, Labour voters are apparently less keen than SNP supporters on government intervention. The electoral battle between Labour and the SNP at this election is apparently not just about whether Scotland should or should not be in the UK, but also reflects a divergence of view on how big a role voters think the government should play in Scotland.â€

 

But it's not a straight battle between the SNP and Labour. The Tories and Labour are almost tied and fighting for second place.

 

The Conservatives should be targeting the 56% of Labour voters who do not favour left-wing policies. If they get their act together, Labour's vote could squeezed even further. If Slab swings to the left, it risks losing voters, especially Unionists, to the Tories. If it swings right, it will lose voters to the SNP. 

[John Lambies Doos]

Labour )

[Fide]

Having more left-wing policies and being more left-wing != The people who vote for you being more left wing.

 

And that was after you edited your post?

Christ's trousers.

[Fide]

Having more left-wing policies and being more left-wing != The people who vote for you being more left wing.

 

And that was after you edited your post?

Christ's trousers.

[Ad Lib]

And that was after you edited your post?

Christ's trousers.

Irony of you posting this twice.

I edited to amend the order of "!" And "="

[MarkoRaj]

You should have look at social attitudes surveys and you'll also discover that the differences in political outlook between scots and those in the rest of the U.K. Are slim to non existent when it comes to issues on the left-right spectrum. But that doesn't fit with your agenda....

We've done this before. There are significant differences

[Fide]

You should have look at social attitudes surveys and you'll also discover that the differences in political outlook between scots and those in the rest of the U.K. Are slim to non existent when it comes to issues on the left-right spectrum. But that doesn't fit with your agenda....

 

For non existent see a large and marked difference.

[MarkoRaj]

Utter rubbish and one which completely defies the interpretations of the social researchers in Scottish Governement who actually conduct, analyse, publish and report the figures...... one of the key messages from their latest figures was that differences between Scotland and rUK are negligible.

OK

[RedRob72]

If that's their true ideological calling (SNP supporters) why do so many of them come across as intolerant, xenophobic right wingers!?

[Wee Willie]

If that's their true ideological calling (SNP supporters) why do so many of them come across as intolerant, xenophobic right wingers!?

Rob surely that's your job

[RedRob72]

Rob surely that's your job

Live and let live, you know me Willie!!😉

[MarkoRaj]

Based on 2015 figures

Income Tax:

6.8% of English and Welsh voters thought that the government should reduce taxes and spend less on the public sector, while 4.7% of Scots agreed with this

So that's different

52%) of voters in England and Wales wanted levels of taxation and spending to remain the same, compared with 47.7% in Scotland

36.4% of voters in England and Wales wanted tax and spending to rise, alongside 43.8% of Scots.

So that's different

Tuition Fees:

9% of Scots believe that all students or their families should pay their university fees, compared with 11% in England and Wales;

64% said some students or their families should pay, compared with 67% in England.

26% of Scottish voters said no one should pay for their university tuition, compared with 21% in England.

That's different

Attitudes on inequality, income distribution, welfare reform etc all follow the same trends. Scots are very slightly more left leaning but distributions of stances on issues are very similar on all and rise and fall over time in line with the rest of the UK.

So more left leaning in every area.

Not sure what your point was there

[Fide]

Utter rubbish and one which completely defies the interpretations of the social researchers  who actually conduct, analyse, publish and report the figures and Scottish Government Social Research who rely upon the data generated ...... one of the key messages from their latest figures was that differences between Scotland and rUK are negligible.

 

For a recent practical example, see how how MPs voted on welcoming 3000 child refugees to the UK.  There are many, many more.

 

If that's their true ideological calling (SNP supporters) why do so many of them come across as intolerant, xenophobic right wingers!?

 

Um. because you're absolutely fucking crackers, as has been displayed time and again?

[Wee Willie]

 

For a recent practical example, see how how MPs voted on welcoming 3000 child refugees to the UK.  There are many, many more.

 

 

Um. because you're absolutely fucking crackers, as has been displayed time and again?

 

That's a good point.

I was going to ask the Kid is there any data on Trident or wanting to bomb other countries?

What's the rUK position on these issues?

[Wee Willie]

Live and let live, you know me Willie!!😉

Aye fair do's.

 

Whit dae ye think o' my new signature - I'm chuffed cos I've always wanted one - and this seemed most appropriate.

[Antlion]

I think it's quite clear what my point is. Your ilk love to exacerbate and exaggerate differences between Scotland and the rest of the U.K. When the differences are minimal and mirror each other through time.

You love to think and pretend we are so different in outlooks that no joint approach would ever work when the reality is completely different.

By "joint approach" do you mean Scottish minority, Uncle Tam?