Media Coverage for Politics of Belonging

30th October 2019

The Sun

WORKINGTON CLASS Boris Johnson must steal voters from Labour in Northern rugby towns like Workington for General Election success

Will Tanner – Tories must pledge more than tax cuts to win over Labour’s ‘Workington Man’ — they must end low pay and insecure work

Daily Mail

The battle for the ‘Workington Man’

Election to be decided by ‘Workington Man’: Older, white men in Leave-backing rugby league towns will be the key targets in the battle to win Westminster, say pollsters

We’re not all simple northerners without degrees who like rugby league’: Workington Men reveal what they REALLY think after being singled out as Boris Johnson’s target voters… and how they feel about Brexit

The Times

General election: Converting rugby league towns is key for Tories

Matt Chorley – This. Is. Not. A. Normal. Election

James O’Shaughnessy – General election view: Brexit is not enough to get Tories over the line in rugby league towns

Financial Times: Risks for all parties as leaders battle to win over voters

New Statesman

Will Tanner – The Conservatives must break with free-market liberalism or they will perish

The Daily Telegraph: Boris Johnson will target 40 marginal seats in General Election

Daily Express: ‘Workington Man’ holds KEY for Boris swing vote: Older white men without degrees in North

PoliticsHome: Boris Johnson must target ‘Workington man’ to win general election, says Tory think tank

The i Newspaper: General election 2019 polling: voters in industrial, rugby league-playing towns ‘key to success’

Metro: How tactical voting could have a massive impact on election winners and losers

ITV: Tories must target “Workington man” to win election, says think tank

31st October 2019

Daily Mail:

Will these men REALLY decide the election? Tough-talking residents of the Cumbrian town bristle at Westminster Bubble stereotyping of ‘Workington Man’ as the Tories’ target swing voter

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn trade blows at fiery last PMQs before election battle: PM draws battle lines for December 12 poll with promise of ‘unprecedented NHS funding’ and attack on Labour leader over ‘flip-flopping’ Brexit stance

The Telegraph

Meet the real Workington man: the voter demographic Conservatives hope are going to propel them to victory

Matthew Lesh – Forget “Workington Man” – if the Tories want to win a majority, the only way is Essex

The Guardian

Editorial – The Guardian view on a volatile electorate: disunited and unpredictable

Lisa Nandy MP – Workington man is London’s latest stereotype for northern voters it neglects

Daily Express

Labour voters have had enough! Corbyn torn apart over Brexit strategy in party’s key town

Election 2019 odds: Will the Brexit Party damage the Tories and steal seats from Boris?

The i Newspaper

Workington Man: a history of the general election target voter from Mondeo Man and Worcester Woman

‘People are tribal’: Baroness Warsi doubts there are ‘lots of angry white men in northern seats’ ready to vote Conservative

The Sun: WORKING CLASS CITIZENS Workington Men on disliking Corbyn, voting for Brexit and putting their trust in Boris Johnson

Financial Times: ‘Workington man’ is just the latest depressing political caricature

Metro: Workington men hit back at think tank for suggesting they are ‘simple northerners’

Daily Mirror: What did the Tories ever do for Workington? Voters ‘patronised’ by stereotypes

The Independent: So who is ‘Workington man’?

The Spectator: Election 2019: how the Tories plan to break Labour’s ‘red wall’

The Economist: What happened to Britain’s median voter?

New Statesman: Forget Workington Man, meet Bookcase Billy and Facebook Mum

ConservativeHome

Clark Vasey – Workington Man could make the dream of a Northern county without a single Labour seat a reality

Reaction

Jack Dickins – Winning over Workington Man will be tough for the Tories

James Blagden – Tories targeting Workington Man can’t afford to alienate the South of England

Unherd

Freddie Sayers –What about Workington Woman?

Will Tanner – Workington man must be one part of a coalition

Yahoo News: Who is the ‘Workington man’? Think tank identifies key voter Tories will target to win election

Quartz: The UK’s general election is the most unpredictable in a generation

Sky: General Election: ‘Workington man’ and other voter stereotypes

1st November

The Guardian: Rugby league is a rebel sport – its northern strongholds will never turn Conservative

New Statesman: Forget Workington Man, meet Bookcase Billy and Facebook Mum

The Times: General election 2019: Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour isn’t working for Workington man

2nd November

The Guardian – Workington is a Labour town on the brink of change. They voted Leave and they’re fed up

3rd November

The Sunday Times

In St Helens, my home town, Labour’s remain MP is shedding voters — including Dad

Adam Boulton – General election 2019: Boris Johnson eyes Labour’s rugby league towns, and prays a majority comes loose from the scrum

Rod Liddle – General election 2019: Meet Workington Man. He’s every London media prejudice made flesh

Mail on Sunday

Jolley Cartoon

The Spectator

James Kirkup – The hole at the heart of Tory economics

The Observer: 10 key marginal seats that may define the general election

4th November

New Statesman: The split between Rugby League and Rugby Union is the story of national class division

5th November

The Times: Ignoring women is a risky game for Johnson

Conservative Home: John O’Connell: In an age of socialist-lite spending policies, what has become of the low-tax Tory?

ITV: Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage begins his nationwide General Election campaign tour

Nigel Farage: ‘Patronising London thinktank rubbish’

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: Do we really need to choose between Freedom and Security?

VICE: All The Voting Tribes You’ll Encounter This General Election

6th November:

The Sun: Nigel Farage confronted in street over Brexit by ‘Workington Man’ but tells him ‘we must implement the referendum’

The Times: Nigel Farage loses his Workington man at start of election tour

LBC: Nigel Farage accosted by angry voters on visit to meet “Workington Man”

BT: Farage labels concept of ‘Workington man’ patronising cobblers

Times and Star: Nigel Farage addresses the people of Workington

Daily Mail: Nigel Farage meets Workington Man! Brexit Party leader takes on northern Labour voter and tells him ‘you’ve got to honour the FIRST referendum before having another’ on his electoral rampage through Leave heartlands

7th November

I News: General election 2019: SNP has to choose if it is the party of Scottish independence alone or a broader church

The Jewish Chronicle: How Corbyn could reach Number 10

The Week: Instant Opinion: Tories’ botched game plan ‘could cost them election

The Sun: Nigel Farage says Boris Johnson has 10 days to seal Leave pact with Brexit Party or see Tory hopes of majority destroyed

Times and Star: Brexit Party criticised for HS2 stance

8th November

New Statesman: The voters that politics forgot

The Spectator: John McDonnell’s big offer to northern voters

The Spectator: Do ‘Workington Man’ and ‘Worcester Woman’ decide elections?

10th November

The Daily Telegraph: The Tories’ failure to grasp that Workington Man wants tax cuts could cost them crucial votes

The Observer: In the Tory heartlands of the commuter belt, remainers may revolt

11th November

Daily Express: Corbyn crisis: Northern towns to ‘turn blue for the first time’ as Labour faces ‘collapse’

12th November

Daily Mail: Forget Workington Man. It’s Walsall Man that could be crucial to swinging this General Election, writes NEIL TWEEDIE

14th November:

I News: General election 2019: Workington Man is the most cut adrift from the digital economy

15th November

The Guardian: It’s Tory remainers – not Labour leavers – who are the real key to this election

16th November

Daily Telegraph: The split in the Remain vote could be enough to loosen Labour’s grip and hand the Conservatives a majority

18th November

I News: We have been affected by poverty, but our expertise is being ignored in this general election

International

Axios: U.K. election: Boris Johnson’s path to victory resembles Trump’s in 2016

Sydney Morning Herald: Trick or treat? Expect plenty of both in the uncertain British election

France 24: Workington Man: The swing voter in Britain’s Brexit election?

Klassekampen: De konservative vil vinne valget med arbeiderklassevelgere i Nord-England: «The Workington man»

Regional

News and Star: Tories set target Workington Man

St Helens Reporter: Northern rugby league towns should be in Conservatives sights for general election says think tank.

Warrington Guardian: Workington man election stereotype leaves locals unimpressed

Wigan Today: Northern rugby towns should in Conservatives sights for general election says think tank

In Cumbria: Look beyond the stereotype of the “Workington man”

Darlington and Stockton Times: Workington man election stereotype leaves locals unimpressed

Halifax Courier: Tory party to target ‘rugby league middle England’ Halifax men for December election

Birmingham Mail: Tories urged to focus on ‘rugby league’ strongholds to clinch poll win

Yorkshire Post: Why the North will be where Boris Johnson is handed an early election Christmas present – or a lump of coal

The London Economic: Farage accused of ‘politics of fear’ on campaign visit to Cumbria to meet ‘Workington Man’

Irvine Times: Farage accused of ‘politics of fear’ on campaign walkabout

Runcorn and Widnes World: Halton Council leader blasts Tory ‘rugby league towns’ strategy

Yorkshire Post: Tax cuts must be general election priority for Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn – Sam Packer

Broadcast

Sky News: 6:50

Sky News: 7:09

The Telegraph:

Sky News in Workington:

Will Tanner on The Spectator Podcast

Political Thinking Podcast with Laura Pidcock

The Andrew Marr Show 20:20

Radio 4 2:44:25

Sky News:

Radio 4

BBC Radio Foyle 1:21