‘I’d never date a Tory’ is a familiar line on dating apps, but new research shows younger singles are surprisingly more open to Reform UK voters than Conservatives
For many on the left, the idea of dating a Conservative supporter remains a nightmare.
Yet, new research suggests that younger daters are surprisingly more open to Reform UK voters, despite their right-wing leanings.
A joint study from the University of Southampton and Harvard University enlisted 2,000 participants between 18 and 40 years old to swipe left or right on 20,000 simulated dating profiles. Each profile featured an AI-generated photo alongside details about the individual’s profession, interests, education, and crucially, their voting history.
Findings highlighted a sharp divide along ideological lines: those on the left were far more likely to reject profiles identifying with the right than the other way around. However, an interesting trend emerged: profiles indicating support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK enjoyed more success than those signalling allegiance to the Conservative Party.
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Is dating being Reformed?
No, the nation is not suddenly head over heels for Reform voters. And it’s important to note that overall, Labour, Green, and Liberal Democrat supporters still have higher chances of matching, especially because there are more socially liberal users on dating platforms altogether.
But, Conservative voters seem more comfortable swiping right on Reform supporters than on those who voted Labour.
Speaking to Metro, the study’s lead author, Dr Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, clarified: “This isn’t about falling in love with the radical right, it’s about Conservative voters being more comfortable dating someone they disagree with on some things than dating someone from the opposite ideological camp altogether.”
Psychotherapist Lucy Beresford told Metro that Reform UK voters benefit from a “clean slate” because Conservatives’ reputations have been “tarnished” in recent years, allowing people to project positive traits onto Reform supporters.
Whilst, Dr Alberto López Ortega, co-author of the study, said dating Reform voters is now more accepted, though support for either Reform or the Conservatives is still a “red flag” for leftwing daters.
Lucy Beresford advises being open to dating outside your political circle to learn and grow, but stresses that shared values are imperative for long-term relationships.
TikTok’s take on politics and dating
In a video posted by JOE.com on TikTok, which asked for people’s views on right wing voters including potential supporters, one woman asked about her opinion said: “Reform UK… I don’t think they should be like banned, but I think it’s perfectly justified for the rest of us to maybe socially isolate them a little bit.”
While the study shows Conservative voters are open to dating Reform UK supporters, in the depths of the manosphere, another hypothesis being concocted is that left-leaning women are often drawn to men with right-wing views.
Self-titled men’s coach Olly Dobson, whose TikTok bio reads “Privileged White Coloniser Misogynistic Toxic Male” and has racked up over 4.5 million likes, shared his take in a video titled “Why left women want right men.” He argued that although many liberal women say they’d never date right-wing men often citing traits like patriarchy or sexism they’re still drawn to qualities commonly linked with right-wing men, such as ambition, strength, and self-reliance. Despite quoting research Olly doesn’t share any.
However, research from 2013 suggests that when men feel their masculinity is threatened, they tend to overcompensate, which raises the question: does the performance of masculinity make right-wing men seem more traditionally masculine, or just more performative? Dobson also doesn’t fully address why these traits couldn’t equally apply to or be embodied by men on the left.
The video’s comment section saw a mix of reactions. One woman asked: “Who are these women” with multiple crying emojis. Another wrote: “The left wing have de-masculinised our young lads.”
It seems political beliefs remain a significant factor in modern dating, but the lines have blurred for some with Reform UK’s newer outsider appeal is easier to swallow than Conservative baggage.
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