Workington man

Last updated

Workington man is a political term that has been used by polling companies in the United Kingdom. Named after the Cumbria town of Workington, the term was first used ahead of the 2019 general election. Workington man describes the stereotypical swing voter who it was believed would determine the election result. [1] [2] Their support of the Conservatives in the 2019 election helped the party break the Labour Party's Red Wall of safe seats. [2]

Contents

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.

Abolition of constituency

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. The town of Workington itself was combined with the majority of the also-abolished constituency of Copeland to form Whitehaven and Workington. The remainder, comprising the majority of the electorate, was reformed as the new seat of Penrith and Solway. In February 2023, Workington's MP Mark Jenkinson announced that he had been selected by Conservative Party members for Penrith and Solway, which was considered to be the safer seat. [5]

Rebuilding of the Red Wall

In April 2023, a Labour Together report suggested the Conservatives' vote share among 'Workington man' voters had dropped, from 49% at the 2019 general election to 15%, with Labour's vote share among the group increasing in turn to 56%, a lead of 41 points. [6] 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". [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Essex man and Mondeo man are stereotypical figures which were popularised in 1990s Britain. The "Essex man" as a political figure is an example of a type of median voter and was used to help explain the electoral successes of Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. The closely related "Mondeo man" was identified as the sort of voter the Labour Party needed to attract to win the election in 1997. Basildon man and woman are narrower terms being used synonymously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workington (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918-2024

Workington was a constituency in Cumbria represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaton, Cumbria</span> Human settlement in England

Seaton is a large village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. Historically part of Cumberland, near the Lake District National Park in England. It is home to around 5,000 people and is one of the largest villages in England. The population of the parish was measured in the 2011 Census as 5,022. Historically a part of Cumberland, it is situated on the north side of the River Derwent, across from the town of Workington, and close to the smaller village of Camerton. Seaton forms part of the Borough of Allerdale.

Worcester woman is a political term used by polling companies in the United Kingdom. It profiles or describes a type of median voter, a working class woman in her 30s with two children who worries about quality of life issues and has little interest in politics. Not necessarily hailing from the West Midlands city of Worcester, Worcester woman has been described as an important swing voter when it comes to deciding elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United Kingdom general election</span>

The 2010 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 6 May 2010, to elect Members of Parliament to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom under the first-past-the-post system. The election resulted in a large swing to the opposition Conservative Party led by David Cameron similar to that seen in 1979, the last time a Conservative opposition had ousted a Labour government. The governing Labour Party led by the prime minister Gordon Brown lost the 66-seat majority it had previously enjoyed, but no party achieved the 326 seats needed for a majority. The Conservatives won the most votes and seats, but still fell 20 seats short. This resulted in a hung parliament where no party was able to command a majority in the House of Commons. This was only the second general election since the Second World War to return a hung parliament, the first being the February 1974 election. This election marked the start of Conservative government for the next 14 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bassenthwaite</span> Village and civil parish in England

Bassenthwaite is a village and civil parish to the east of Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, within the Lake District National Park, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 412, increasing to 481 at the 2011 Census. There is a Church of England Church, St John's Bassenthwaite and a tiny Methodist chapel. The village contains many elements of the archetypal English village including a green, primary school and a stream that runs through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowness-on-Solway</span> Human settlement in England

Bowness-on-Solway is a village in Cumbria, England. It is situated to the west of Carlisle on the southern side of the Solway Firth estuary separating England and Scotland. The civil parish had a population of 1,126 at the 2011 census. The western end of Hadrian's Wall is a notable tourist destination, though the Wall itself is no longer to be seen here above ground. The west end of the Hadrian's Wall Path is marked by a pavilion on the small coastal cliff at Bowness. The village is part of the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Holby City woman (HCW) was a voter demographic which was identified by Conservative Party strategists in the United Kingdom as a key group of voters for the Conservative Party at the 2010 general election. The term is taken from the fictional BBC hospital drama Holby City, set in South West England. The character of Faye Morton has been described as an example of a typical "Holby City woman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosby Villa</span> A village in Cumbria, England

Crosby Villa is a hamlet in the civil parish of Crosscanonby in Cumbria, United Kingdom. It is located on the A596 road, 3.75 miles (6.04 km) north-east of Maryport and 3.75 miles (6.04 km) south-west of Aspatria. The village of Crosby is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the south-west, and the hamlet of Oughterside is 2.25 miles (3.62 km) to the north-east. Cumbria's county town, Carlisle, is 24 miles (39 km) to the north-east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelutho</span> A hamlet in Cumbria, England

Pelutho is a hamlet in the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, historically in Cumberland, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siddick</span> A village near Workington, England

Siddick is a village in Cumbria, England, historically part of Cumberland. It is situated on the A596 road, approximately 2 miles (3 km) north from the town of Workington. It lies within Workington civil parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mealrigg</span> A settlement in Cumbria, England

Mealrigg is a small settlement in the civil parish of Westnewton, close to the boundary with the civil parish of Holme St. Cuthbert in Cumbria, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Jenkinson</span> British Conservative politician

Mark Ian Jenkinson is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the abolished seat of Workington from 2019 to the 2024 general election. He stood for the newly formed constituency of Penrith and Solway. In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he contested Penrith and Solway but was defeated by Labour candidate Markus Campbell-Savours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Hudson (politician)</span> British Conservative politician

Neil Peter Hammerton HudsonFRCVS is a British Conservative politician, academic, and veterinary surgeon who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Epping Forest since 2024, and previously for Penrith and The Border from 2019 to 2024. He served on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for four years, beginning in 2020. He is the first vet elected to the House of Commons since 1884.

The 2019 United Kingdom general election of 12 December 2019 saw many new pieces of politics-related jargon enter popular use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red wall (British politics)</span> Constituencies that typically vote Labour

The red wall is a term used in British politics to describe the UK Parliament constituencies in the Midlands and Northern England that historically supported the Labour Party. At the 2019 general election, many of these parliamentary seats were won by the Conservative Party, with the media describing the red wall as having "turned blue".

Onward is a British centre-right think tank producing research on economic and social issues. It has been described as "close to Rishi Sunak's Downing Street". It was founded in 2018 by Will Tanner, Martyn Rose, and Neil O'Brien. The think tank's advisory board is chaired by Daniel Finkelstein. The founders state that Onward would operate in the mainstream of conservative politics, and is a reaction to the "lack of energy on the centre right". It is explicitly aligned to the Conservative Party and is not a charity.

<i>Stevenage woman</i> UK electoral stereotype

Stevenage woman is a stereotypical voter identified in the United Kingdom, similar to Workington man or Worcester woman. It profiles a suburban mother in her early 40s who is disillusioned with politics. Identified with the Hertfordshire new town of Stevenage, Stevenage woman has been described as an important swing voter for the Labour Party in the 2024 general election. Such voters are identified as typically struggling with stagnant wages and the cost-of-living crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea wall (British politics)</span> British political term

The Sea wall is a term used by psephologists to refer to battleground constituencies along the UK coastline. The sea wall is predominantly Conservative voting but is home to many marginal seats that are vulnerable to Labour according to opinion polls. Along with Red wall and Blue wall, the Sea wall overlaps both and has been used in coverage for the 2024 general election. There are thought to be 108 such constituencies. In the 2019 general election, Labour won just 24 of these seats.

References

  1. ↑ "Tories win Workington for first time in 40 years". BBC News. 13 December 2019.
  2. 1 2 Miscampbell, Guy (18 December 2019). "How the Tories won over Workington Man". The Times. ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 Burrows, Tim (22 November 2019). "So farewell then, Workington man … we hardly knew you | Tim Burrows". The Guardian– via www.theguardian.com.
  4. ↑ Cooper, Bob (30 October 2019). "What do Workington men think of 'Workington Man'?". BBC News.
  5. ↑ "Mark Jenkinson selected as Conservative candidate for new Penrith and Solway seat – Cumberland and Westmorland Herald". 5 February 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "Red Shift". Labour Together. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Savage, Michael (1 April 2023). "'Stevenage Woman' vital to Labour success at next election, analysts say". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2023.


Flag of the United Kingdom.svg

This article related to the politics of the United Kingdom, or its predecessor or constituent states, is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.