Social workers will desert Labour in their droves in next week’s general election in revolt against its policy on asylum seekers and the Iraq war, a Community Care survey has revealed, writes Mithran Samuel
The poll finds that just over one-third of social workers plan to vote Labour, compared to over 60 per cent in 2001.
The Liberal Democrats have been the main beneficiaries of the shift, with 28.9 per cent support, up from 16.8 per cent in 2001, while the Green Party’s share has risen from 2.7 per cent to 6.6 per cent.
There has even been an increase in support for the Conservatives, who look set to pick up 7.4 per cent of the social work vote, up from 5.2 per cent last time.
The change reflects disillusionment across the profession with the government’s social policy, with particular opposition to Labour’s asylum stance.
Sixty nine per cent of respondents thought the government’s asylum and immigration policies were poor, with 61 per cent taking the same view of Labour’s mental health and homelessness programmes.
However, it also represents a protest against the war in Iraq. Of those who voted Labour in 2001 and will not next week, two-thirds cited foreign policy as a reason for their change of heart.
Of those planning to stick with Labour, 62 per cent said this was because the party was “the best of a bad lot”, with just one-third saying this would be a decision based on the government’s social policy record.
Social workers remain significantly more politically engaged than the general population, with just under 90 per cent planning to vote, a similar figure to 2001, and well above the 59 per cent turnout at the last election.
Community Care surveyed 1096 social care professionals.
