I Am Black And This Is Why I Voted Tory

Among many in Caribbean communities, there is actually an active aversion to being middle-class, and enjoying the benefits of this accomplishment. It’s as if there is invisible pressure to uphold the values instilled by our grandparents and parents – values largely born of societal inequality. Class, by definition, is not related to race. But working class values were inherent in the Windrush and migrant generations. They were comparatively poor and I suspect it was this poverty in the UK that led the majority of the Windrush generation to vote Labour, the party that would traditionally help poor people. This cultural attitude is still prevalent with many Black friends saying that they voted for the socio-economic position of their poorer family members instead of themselves.

It’s important to recognise that Black and Asian people are, and can be, middle class. That said, I’ve found the Labour party’s socialist policies alienate those that sit somewhere in the middle, when it comes to income. On the one hand, it feels like the Labour party has set out to make the middle classes feel guilt-ridden for having a decent job and a steady income. I’m neither wealthy nor poor, but Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto was aimed at helping the poorest and most marginalised members of British society, thus penalising success with their proposed tax plans. When it comes to Brexit, despite voting to Remain, I think it’s important that we respect the result since the vote was democratic. The Conservatives seemed to be the only party prepared to prioritise moving forward with Brexit in order to remove the uncertainties hampering business investment and economical growth.

There seems to be an angry and bitter tone from Black Labour supporters across Twitter, with most citing racism as a key factor in their disdain for Johnson and the wider Conservative party. However, it’s important to recognise that the race card was peddled by Labour to garner support from Black and ethnic minorities, assuming that all Black people are poor and disadvantaged.

Culturally there seems to be an invisible pressure to uphold the innate values instilled by our parents and grandparents. While family and Black friends continue to remind me of the racist comments made by Johnson and the wider Conservative party, I found myself voting for factors that directly impact education, employment, business and the wider economy.

Diana Young is co-founder of Fashion and Beauty Insight and founder of WeSocialis.