Sophy Ridge, Sky Presenter

You see the T-shirts proudly on sale at Labour Party conference, splashed across with the words: "Never kissed a Tory." Anti-austerity protests are often full of hand-painted signs lambasting the dastardly breed of voter.

I'm not talking about legitimate protests or concerns with positions taken by the government. I'm talking about the vehement feeling among a minority of Labour supporters that anyone who backs the Conservatives is somehow a wrong'un.

Hating Tory voters can seem like a badge of honour among some Labour supporters. But if Jeremy Corbyn's party are to have any chance of winning an election they need to reach out to Conservative voters, not drive them away. This matters now more than ever.

Voters are increasingly promiscuous, happy to flit between one party and the next. When I'm out and about speaking to people across the country for Sophy Ridge on Sunday, I'm often struck by the generational difference in attitude towards politics.


The old spectrum of right to left feels outdated, Remain or Leave are the new political identities. Labour supporters can be "right wing" on immigration, while Conservative backers can be "left wing" or liberal on social issues.

The older generation often say that they have always voted a certain way, or refer to themselves as having a natural affiliation to a particular party: "I'm Labour," or "I'm Conservative."

The young seem far less bound by party ties. Younger voters often say that although their parents have always supported a certain party, now they are not so sure. They frequently tell me that they voted for different parties in different elections.

The EU referendum has created a whole host of different alliances. The old spectrum of right to left feels outdated, Remain or Leave are the new political identities. Labour supporters can be "right wing" on immigration, while Conservative backers can be "left wing" or liberal on social issues.

Image: Jeremy Corbyn's party need to reach out to Conservative voters, not drive them away

In the current general election campaign, the Conservatives are being boosted by many people switching from UKIP. Many of these former 'Kippers used to back Labour.

At the last election they broke the link with the party that they used to support, or that their families have always supported, to vote for UKIP. Now that the link with their old party has been broken, it's all too easy to switch again. As a result, many people who may have struggled to switch directly from Labour to the Conservatives are doing so via the gateway drug of UKIP.

The referendum has exacerbated this effect. Tony Blair has urged Remainers to back any party that opposes Brexit. The campaign group Open Britain is set to announce a list of about 50 pro-EU candidates who will be supported with cold, hard cash and come from a range of political parties.

It's as though the whole pack of cards has been thrown into the air and nobody has any idea where it will all land. This potential political realignment is a huge opportunity for all parties - if they want to take it.

If Labour are serious about winning elections they need to stop bad-mouthing Conservative supporters and start trying to win them over. Rather than refusing to kiss Tories, they should hug them close.

Sky Views is a series of comment pieces by Sky News editors and correspondents, published every morning.

Previously on Sky Views: Greg Milam - Is Facebook to blame for depravity?