Over the past five years, I have conducted ethnographic research in Mansfield, a former mining town in Nottinghamshire, to study its changing politics. The recent local elections saw Labour lose heavily across the Midlands and the north of England, reminiscent of the 2016 Brexit vote. Once again, England's post-industrial towns are cast as angry, reactionary counterparts to booming cities. However, Reform UK voters in these areas often hold surprisingly progressive views.
Voices from Mansfield
Martin, an ex-miner, and his wife Diane, who worked with disabled children, voted Labour in 2024 but now regret it. “They haven’t got a clue how we live,” Martin says of politicians. Both are appalled by politicians' perks and pay, including the £98,000 salary, second jobs, and lobbying scandals. Martin plans to vote Reform next time, while Diane remains skeptical of Farage.
Martin earned a good salary as a bricklayer down the pit but struggled after his colliery shut in the late 1980s. He now works as a gardener, earning half his previous wage. The couple has cut back on luxuries due to the rising cost of living. “We only go and see tribute acts now,” says Diane. Martin blames politicians: “You are getting poorer, actually, that is what you are getting – poorer. That is what they want.”
Supermarket Prices and Daily Struggles
Debbie, a mother of four working in the prison service, now takes a different path through the supermarket, focusing on discount aisles and budget items from lower shelves. Her daily routines have been upended by the cost of living crisis.
To describe these views as mere anger undersells their coherence. Many interviewees believe the price of food staples should be capped, regardless of consequences. While experts often recommend against food price controls, the crisis highlights the need for a broader range of economic tools to deal with future price shocks.
Political Reform Desires
On political reform, interviewees support a proper second-jobs ban, stronger lobbying legislation, and a new approach to MPs' salaries. They question why MPs are still allowed second jobs, why town centres decline, and why life has become so expensive.
Some Reform voters hold rightwing views on taxes and benefits, and some express concerns about immigration. However, not all sympathisers are like that. Jasmine, a nursing associate from another post-industrial town, voted Reform because her sister told her to. “She said voting for Reform was going to help her children’s future and I thought, right, OK,” she said. “So I went along with it. Which I probably shouldn’t have.”
Political Paradox
This is the political paradox of post-industrial England. While Reform builds its base in former mining and manufacturing areas, many local people can be won over to progressive politics by being less like Reform, not more. Winning requires connecting with popular radicalism.
“A lot of working-class people, they don’t want a lot,” says Martin. “They want enough to get by and to have nicer things in life. To go on holiday and to have good food and things like that. They are not bothered about yachts and aeroplanes. They are just happy enough to get through in life with a job, a secure job to pay the mortgage and to look after their family.”
