Divide between towns and cities 'fundamentally reshaping politics'
2 min read
Cities and towns have become the new dividing line in British politics, with Labour dominating metropolitan areas and the Tories sweeping up votes in smaller towns.
A report released this morning shows that the least prosperous areas are now more likely to vote Conservative, with urban voters benefiting from globalisation more likely to go for Labour.
The analysis from the New Economic Foundation (NEF) and academic Will Jennings shows that since 2005 the Tory share of small town votes has risen from 34.5% to 48%.
Meanwhile the snap election in June saw a 10.2% shift from Tory to Labour in England’s largest cities.
The change was particularly pronounced in London, where Jeremy Corbyn’s party made huge gains, both winning seats and transforming marginal areas into safe Labour constituencies.
Prof Jennings said the research showed the town/city divide was “fundamentally reshaping politics”.
“This research shows the extent of the political divide between towns and cities and the speed with which it is growing,” he said.
“It demonstrates that places which are not doing well economically are both more likely to have voted Brexit and increasingly likely to vote Conservative.
“To truly understand British politics today, we have to look beyond demographics and attitudes and examine where people live. Place is where the true divisions in our society lie.”
The NEF has produced its own 'manifesto for towns', calling for more local infrastructure support and devolution of power to help areas left behind by globalisation.
“The vote to leave the European Union in 2016 laid bare some of the urgent problems in our economy. For millions of people, these problems are expressed most clearly in their home towns," said the NEF's Will Brett, who co-authored the report.
“Many towns are being left high and dry, disconnected from global growth and sidelined by our economy. These are places which people call home. They are infused with history and meaning, they serve as anchors for people’s identity, and yet they are being left behind."
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