Unchecked UK’s Red Wall Realists Project
Unchecked UK’s ‘Red Wall Realists’ project is an in-depth audience insights project in former ‘Red Wall’ constituencies that changed hands from the Labour Party to the Conservative Party in December 2019. The project included ten teleforums, as well as a number of participant video-selfie ‘pretests’. All of the participants in the teleforums had voted Conservative for the first time in December 2019, usually having voted for the Labour Party in the past.
Most, but not all, had voted to Leave the European Union in 2016. A total of 52 swing voters recorded video-selfies for the project, and 40 of these voters then took part in 75 minute long teleforums.
The first wave of research in the constituencies of Heywood & Middleton and West Bromwich East took place in June 2020. These conversations covered a range of topics related to regulation and deregulation. In September 2020 we carried out further teleforums with voters in Burnley, North West Durham, and Wrexham, with a tighter focus on food and farming, and on climate change mitigation.
The project was delivered for Unchecked UK by KSBR Brand Futures.
Meet the Red Wall Realists
The swing voters in our teleforums were patriotic and pragmatic, focused on getting by day-to-day. They are focused on their local area, and very keen to see the towns where they live prosper in the future, after what many feel has been a period of decline. When it comes to leaders they admire strength and decisiveness. We found these voters to be pro-government, and keen to see cuts to public services reversed, but also very cynical and distrusting of politicians. There was strong scepticism about the motives of large corporations, with more enthusiasm for local small and medium-sized companies.
A strong majority of our teleforum participants had voted to leave the European Union in 2016. When we asked them about the issues which concerned them in their local area they often talked about the death of the High Street, about crime and anti-social behaviour, increasing homelessness, and a lack of opportunities for young people. Few regretted their decision to vote Conservative in December 2019, albeit for many this was a vote against Jeremy Corbyn and to “get Brexit done”, rather than an enthusiastic endorsement of the Conservative Party.
Key characteristics
Attitudes to regulation
These voters strongly support effective rules and regulations, and identify five reasons why regulations are needed in every day life:
Protect people
“I think we need to have rules there, to protect our families, and individuals, so we look after each other. We shouldn’t obviously break any rulesor regulations. That’s what the law is there for, to look after us.”
– Adam, 38
Uphold British high standards
“It’s all about keeping the country moving in a positive direction. I think without them…[rules], a growing minority of people would allow it to slip back into something less desirable.”
– Andy, 37
Level the playing field
“Otherwise we’d be a lawless society wouldn’t we? If you play the game and you haven’t got rules, there isn’t an end results is there, and it doesn’t become fair.”
– Mary, 57
Enforce respect and decency
“If you live in a civilised society, and that civilised society, no matter where it may be, has rules and regulations, and they’re policed properly, and everyone adheres to those rules, we’ll all get on.”
– Tom, 51
Educate ‘others’ to live better
“The people who fly tip haven’t been told the rules of the country, so if you’re going to allow people to come in, we should explain how we live and they have to live by those rules.”
– Maureen, 57
Common ground: how to talk to Red Wall Realists about regulation
Talk about regulation as: