Enid Blyton: Did she vote Labour or Conservative?

[Yak]

I often amuse myself by reading the same story online in both the Wail and the Guardian. It's fascinating to see how many different slants can be put on one story.

[emmajo]

I suspect she may have been a Liberal. She was very harsh on characters with abundant wealth, that where snobbish, flashy, spoilt.. The schools she portrayed were not about social climbing but good education beyond what is learnt from books. The Naughiest Girl series is set in a very progressive school, where they pupils govern themselves, very much like a school like Summerhill.

[Moonraker]

You may well be right, emmajo - great logic!

[Paul Austin]

Enid would probably have described herself as a Liberal Unionist after the people who started as members of the Liberals and then joined the Tories later.

[Moonraker]

The Liberal Unionists and the Conservatives formed a coalition government in 1895 but kept separate political funds and their own party organisations until a complete merger was agreed in May 1912. As Enid would have only been fifteen when the two parties merged, wouldn't have voted for that party. I agree with you, Paul, that Enid would probably have voted Conservative when she was allowed to vote.

[Enikyoga]

I do not know about the UK but in the USA, it is easier to find out if a known personality voted e.g. Democrat or Republican. I guess they keep those pre-computerized electoral rolls somewhere. For instance, former President, Ronald Reagan voted Democrat four times before switching over to Republican.

[Anita Bensoussane]

In the UK, voting is a private thing "between you and the ballot box" and there's no record of who voted for which party.

[Ming]

The US voting records being stored and publicly available is a bit scary. There's a lot of room for misuse, I think.

[Katharine]

I'm all for freedom of information, but I'm glad they don't keep records here, definitely something a person should be able to keep private if they want to.

[Paul Austin]

I would think Enid would have a sentimental fondness for some aspects of the Liberal Party but vote Conservative. Look at John Simon - he called himself a "National Liberal" long after that party had merged with the Conservatives.

[Deej]

Enid strikes me as being a Conservative with some liberal traits. The Famous Five books are clearly written in a way which conveys England and Wales in a positive manner. It is very old fashioned with children freely playing in the countryside, seemingly running into danger without the supervision of adults, and eating homecooked food. I think the book paints a very aspirational picture of how society should be and how children should behave. They are clearly well brought up children who aim to do well in life and make a career for themselves.

I think the book that makes Enid stand out as a Conservative the most is Five Go To Smuggler's Top where she clearly opposes the bad guys in the book trying to avoid the building of housing in a bid to hang on to the moors.

You could argue that she is quite sexist as well with the clear hierarchy and patriarchal power struggle between the children, well at least three of them. Dick battles with Julian to be the leader of the group, George attempts to be a boy (something Dick pokes fun at her for), and Anne is the passive character who is seen as being physically weaker at swimming and the best at cooking and washing up. I think this is a reflection of the time, and Blyton could very well have been using this sexism to show her dissaproval and possibly show her liberal traits.

Another reinforcement of her liberalism is the way the quite well-off children are perfectly happy to integrate with gypsies and circus folk. Or maybe even the children's distaste at how boastful Richard Kent was because of his riches and the dad he had. On the whole, I would say Enid was a Conservative voter with quite a few liberal beliefs.

[Moonraker]

I think the book that makes Enid stand out as a Conservative the most is Five Go To Smuggler's Top where she clearly opposes the bad guys in the book trying to avoid the building of housing in a bid to hang on to the moors.

I understood "the bad guys" wanted to "hang on to the moors", although it was marshland, not moorland. The "bad guys" wanted the marshlands to remain with their secret ways and paths to aid them in their smuggling ventures, not because they were anti-housing.

[Deej]

Correct.

Do you think the fact the book is even about a housing development shows her Conservative traits? Stereotyping here a little bit, but aren't left-wing people more likely to oppose development? Would the marshland have been green belt land? There is a mention at her opposition towards marshlands in Five Go On A Hike. Cleary though, marshlands aren't exactly flattering areas of land and are potentially very dangerous. I'm probably looking in a little too deep here.

Back to another point about any potential sexism. I hear many mentions of Uncle Quentin wanting Julian and Dick to become scientists or mathemeticians, yet there isn't much talk about the careers of George and Anne. George is viewed as this girl who would be quite happy to live on her island with her dog for the rest of her life, and Anne, this passive and quite submissive girl happy to grow up doing the housework.

These are just my own analogies, and any potential sexism would clearly be a sign of the social order at the times. The sexism is notable, but it certainly didn't deter my enjoyment of the books. I don't think they should be considered too politically because they are children's adventure books at the end of the day.

[Moonraker]

Do you think the fact the book is even about a housing development shows her Conservative traits?... aren't left-wing people more likely to oppose development?

Not at all. The Labour Party is a staunch advocate of retaining council houses.

Back to another point about any potential sexism.

There was no sexism in the 40s. Men ruled and women (and girls) obeyed.
Halcyon days!

[Katharine]

I don't know a great deal about politics, but I've formed the opinion that Conservatives aren't opposed to house building, as long as it's large luxury housing. Or if it's 'affordable' housing, then it should be built as far away from them as possible.