Politicians are ignoring women at the Heart of Britain

The women at the heart of Britain say they feel their real needs and the day-to-day issues that affect them have been ignored by parties in their general election campaigns, a survey from TI Media reveals.

Previously dubbed as mass-market women – or ‘housewives’ – the Heart of
Britain population refers to the 14.2 million women in the UK aged 35+,
social grade C1C2DE, and account for over half (54%) of all women eligible
to vote in the UK (26.1m).

A significant majority (64%) say that the general election campaigns have
so far failed to address their needs, with the top five issues most
important to them being the NHS (76%), crime (50%), the environment (42%),
the economy (38%) and terrorism (38%). However, says TI Media, this
selfless group aren’t just thinking about themselves and their family, with
47% saying the greater good of society will also influence their vote.

Voting intentions of this audience currently put Labour and Conservative
neck-and-neck at 31% and 30% respectively, but 12% remain undecided,
leaving a potential 1.6m votes still to be won. While a third (32%) would
have preferred a second referendum to a general election and with Brexit
only rating as the 12th most important factor in their decision making,
sorting Brexit out is the top reason (61%) given for voting Conservative.
However, 55% put the NHS as the number one reason for voting Labour and 68%
say they are concerned about the potential for Trump to use the NHS as a
bargaining tool in trade negotiations.

Angie O’Farrell, group managing director of TI Media brands that speak to
the Heart of Britain audience, says: “These women are hugely influential
within our society, with friends and family often turning to them for
advice, so if they don’t think that politicians are addressing their
concerns, then there’s a gaping hole in their campaigns.

“In these last crucial days, political parties of all persuasions need to
focus squarely on the issues that are key to the women at the heart of
Britain to secure their votes.”

Key National Findings

32% would have preferred a second referendum to a general election

64% say the general election campaigns have not dealt with the real, day-to-day issues that affect them

68% are concerned about President Trump using the NHS as a bargaining tool under a Conservative government

Top five reasons for voting Labour:

55% say they have the best interest for the NHS at heart

41% say social welfare and benefits will be best handled by this party

39% say they are on the side of people like me

35% say they generally have trust in this party

28% say housing will be better under this party

Tope five reasons for voting Conservative:

61% say they will sort out Brexit

36% say they are best placed to look after the UK economy

29% think they will sort out crime in this country and support the police

28% say they generally have trust in this party

28% say they will sort out immigration

Voting intention:

31% Labour

30% Conservatives

12% don’t know

8% The Liberal Democrats

7% not voting

5% Scottish National Party

The survey was carried out with a nationally representative survey of UK
women aged 35+ with a sample size of 800.