The “shy capitalists” want more of their own money, not toxic culture wars
Forget Mondeo Man or Basildon Barry, there’s a new electoral figure on the scene: the ‘shy capitalist’ millennial.
That, at least, is the conclusion of the latest bit of research by Onward, the newly revved-up Tory think-tank.
In short, millennials – those between the ages of 25 and 40 – appear to be the first group to not become more right-wing, and therefore more sympathetic to the Tory cause, as they age.
Per Onward, though, that’s not necessarily a generational shift; those millennials are still more inclined towards lower taxes, and see businesses as a force for good not ill, at least compared to the younger, statue-tearing-down and never-off-TikTok generation succeeding them.
They want to buy a house, they want to keep more of their own cash, and they don’t want public services to fall apart: thus, far from being rampant left-wing crazies, millennials are just shy capitalists.
The lesson the Tories should take from this is not an overly complex one. The rest of the research suggests millennials think they’re incompetent, tired, and out of touch – and that they waffle on about culture war issues more than the economy.
Instead of changing the narrative, of course, some members of the Conservative party are currently turning themselves inside out to start a civil war over the fate of their previous leader Boris Johnson. Keir Starmer and the Labour party are some way away from winning the next election – but unless the Tories focus on delivering for the shy capitalists, they’ll hand it to them.