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EXCLUSIVE: Poll points to nurses' political leanings ahead of general election

Nurses overwhelmingly want a Labour government, Nursing Standard poll suggests.
poll results graphic

The profession is overwhelmingly in favour of a Labour government, a poll by Nursing Standard suggests.


If nurses were the only voters in the election, a Labour landslide might look likely

A Facebook poll on the RCN Students group showed 85.2% of the 706 respondents intend to vote Labour in the June 8 general election. 

The group has more than 18,000 members, made up of nursing students, registered nurses and others. One vote was allowed per Facebook profile.

Tories a poor second

The Conservative Party came second with 53 votes and 7.5% of the vote, followed by the SNP with just under 3%. The Liberal Democrats had just eight votes, while UKIP had five.

In the comments section, one group member wrote: 'Can't see how a nurse would vote for any party other than Labour.'

Another said: 'If you work in the public sector and you vote Conservative, you don't get to complain about cuts affecting your job, or pay.'

A third person said she had been intending to vote Tory until recent policy announcements by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Bucking the trend, one person said: 'We need the Conservatives to get us through Brexit and then we can work on pay.'

Politicians at congress

Mr Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron will speak at RCN congress, which starts this weekend, but the Conservatives are yet confirm they will send a speaker. The party has, however, promised 10,000 more mental health staff by 2020.

The RCN will use its congress to reveal the results of a poll of NHS members, asking whether it should take industrial action over the health service pay restraint that has lasted seven years so far.

Today, Labour announced it would scrap tuition fees, having already committed to reinstating nursing student bursaries.

There has been a drop in applications to undergraduate nursing programmes since it was announced the bursary would be abolished in England this September.

The Nursing Standard poll ran from 8-10 May.

In other news:

Cast your eye over the RCN election manifesto before you vote on 8 June

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