Lord Ashcroft Survey: Blue Collar Tories? In Pursuit of the Strivers

Lord Ashcroft Survey: Blue Collar Tories? In Pursuit of the Strivers PR Newswire LONDON, October 5, 2012 LONDON, October 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lord Ashcroft: "Suspicious Strivers" hold key to Tory election prospects Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC has today published his latest polling report, Blue Collar Tories? In Pursuit of the Strivers. The full findings and analysis are available at ConservativeHome.com. Lord Ashcroft's commentary on the research is below. Most analysis of the electoral battleground is based on people's voting behaviour. In my latest research I have taken a different approach to building the Conservative voting coalition - breaking down the electorate by their attitudes to opportunity, personal responsibility, and the role of government in their lives. Is there a definable group of people whose outlook on life ought to make them Tories, but who vote for another party? My research identifies five distinct segments within the voting public. Just under a third of the population are "Optimistic Individualists". Broadly, they believe hard work rather than social factors determine success, want a limited role for the state, dislike redistribution, are optimistic for themselves and the country and value strong leadership over empathy. They account for two thirds of current Tory support. "Downbeat Dependants", one in seven of the population, overwhelmingly vote Labour.