Rightwing Voting movements are struggling to build support among university
graduates, as education has emerged as the single most powerful dividing line
shaping political attitudes in Britain, according to new research. The findings
suggest that the education divide politics dynamic now outweighs income, job
security, or class in predicting views on voting behaviour, diversity, and
immigration.
The study, published by the independent National Centre for Social
Research (NatCen), indicates that people without higher education
qualifications are significantly more likely to support rightwing parties than
those with university degrees, regardless of their financial circumstances.
NatCen’s Demographic Divides report found that individuals with
qualifications below A-level were more than twice as likely to vote for parties
of the right compared with those holding a university degree or higher. This
applied to support for both the Conservative Party and Reform UK.
“A person with no educational qualifications had around two times the
odds of voting for either the Conservatives or Reform UK than someone with a
university degree,” the report noted. Crucially, this pattern remained even
after adjusting for financial precarity, highlighting education as a dominant
predictor in the education divide politics landscape.
Researchers concluded that educational background alone provides a
strong indicator of whether a voter is likely to support rightwing parties in
the UK.
The results are similar to what is happening in the US in some ways.
Voters with a high school education or less were twice as likely to support
Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. election as voters with a
college degree.
However, the report stresses that while the education divide politics
phenomenon exists in both countries, it plays a more decisive role in the UK.
“Rightwing movements in both countries share a common difficulty in gaining
support among those who have been through higher education,” the study said,
but added that education is far more central to political alignment in Britain
than in the U.S.
It was found that education had a bigger impact on people's views on
race and diversity in the UK than in the US. In the UK, 65% of people with a
degree or higher said that diversity makes society stronger. Only 30% of people
with A-levels or less agreed.
In the U.S., the gap was narrower but still significant: 74% of college
graduates believed diversity strengthens society, compared with 54% of people
educated to high school level or less. These figures reinforce the argument
that the education divide politics framework is deeply linked to
cultural and social values, not just voting behaviour.
When asked if white people have advantages that Black people don't have,
60% of degree holders in both countries said "a great deal" or
"a fair amount." Only 30% of people in the UK with less than A-level
qualifications agreed, while 50% of people in the U.S. with the same level of
education agreed.
People's views on immigration were similar. In the UK, 55% of people who
didn't have A-levels thought that immigrants who lived in the country without
permission shouldn't be allowed to stay. This was true for only 36% of people
who had a university degree. In the U.S., 32% of graduates agreed with this,
while 40% of people with a high school education or less did.
Researchers observed that in the U.S., education constitutes one of
several intersecting predictors of right-wing support. Race, gender, location,
and financial instability all play a big role. White voters, men, people who
live in rural areas, and people who are having trouble making ends meet are all
more likely to support Trump.
According to Alex Scholes, the research director at NatCen, the results
help explain why political polarization seems different on each side of the
Atlantic. He said, "In Britain, education is the most important dividing
line, especially when it comes to immigration and diversity." “Support for
the right in the U.S. comes from a much wider range of people.”
As debates over inequality, migration, and culture intensify, the report
suggests the education divide politics dynamic will remain central to
understanding how and why voters align the way they do in modern democracies.
Also Read:- Education Excellence Magazine For more information