Right-wing in the wrong place: what it's like to be a student who wants David Cameron to win

Branded as 'posh' and out of touch, my moderately conservative views are considered offensive within the student bubble

Students take part in a protest march against fees and cuts in the education system (Carl Court/Getty Images)

Sheffield is a beautiful city, and its university, at which I am a second-year Politics student, is one of the best in the country. I’ve met some of my best and closest friends in the eighteen months I’ve lived here. I am proud to be a student here.

But something strange occurs when you enter the "student bubble". The tiresome vilification of Nick Clegg, the decent and hard-working Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam, is now wearily marching into its fifth year. The "occupation" of university buildings by recalcitrant students has become a routine inconvenience. Bottled water remains (by popular consent) banned from sale in the Students’ Union. And god forbid you mention Thatcher…

Forgive my slightly disparaging tone here. There is nothing objectively wrong with any of these things, of course. I merely disagree. Any gaggle of politically enthused young people is a rare thing and should be encouraged. Indeed, student unions across the country have a lot to learn from Sheffield University's, which is number one in the UK. Personal objection is not, and should never be, justification to censor the expression of others.

But I do find myself consistently on the wrong side of Sheffield’s far-left student antics. As a transplant from rural Surrey, this comes as no real surprise. Sheffield Central has returned Labour MPs for 70 years, while East Surrey has been a Conservative stronghold since the constituency was created in 1918. As a product of my surroundings, I was always going to be out of place.

This in itself doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I didn’t choose a university based on its political climate , and  I would insist that anyone who did should question their priorities. And while I do not share Sheffield’s leftist disposition, I would never wish to preclude it: "live and let live" is a compelling life philosophy I hold close. Likewise, I never set out to proselytise, nor do I insulate myself from criticism.

To all extents and purposes, however, it is offensive to profess even vaguely right-of-centre views in the Sheffield student bubble. I refrain from political debate outside the sanctuary of the seminar room where possible, but as a student of the subject this is inevitably challenging. On the occasions I give in and my centre-right inclination becomes clear, responses are usually predictable. A few excitedly spring into life at the opportunity to debate. Some let slip an expression of bemusement and fear. A disheartening number appear to judge me as a person and write me off as a respectable human being.

The most common irritation is to be casually branded a "posh Tory", and resigned to the fringe of conversation as some kind of anachronistic caricature. But I am far from posh: my parents are both self-employed, basic-rate taxpayers. And yes, I went to an independent school, but on a 95% fee remission.

My political outlook is also moderate. I wholeheartedly support equal marriage – it was never even a question. I see immigration as hugely beneficial to the UK, provided it is suitably controlled. I justify public spending cuts as a necessary course of action. I defend businesses and wealthy individuals as the driving force behind Britain’s economic recovery. I believe private companies should be free to provide services to the NHS on the condition they remain free at the point of delivery and of the highest quality. I oppose the fantasy of free education.

Since 2010, I have seen a Conservative party in government that has made efforts to help those who are prepared to work hard for their success, including young people. The tax-free personal allowance will increase to £10,800 this year and £11,000 in 2017. The minimum wage will rise to £6.70 in October. In the March, George Osborne introduced plans for loans of up to £25,000 for postgraduate students. Raising tuition fees to £9,000  (still the go-to grudge for many disaffected students)  places no real barrier on anyone’s ability to attend university. Employment is at the highest level since records began. Britain is the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Things are heading in the right direction.

Yes, I am a conservative. But this doesn't mean I support everything the Conservative Party stand for. I am not a right-wing apologist, nor a dogmatic idealist. Do the Conservatives need to focus more on environmental issues? Yes. Should more be done to ease the pressure of student living costs? Yes. Does the party need to modernise with regard to social issues? God yes.

Above all, though, I believe that another five years of Conservative-led government would be the best path for our country. This is simply not an accepted view where I live and study. But I don’t think this makes me unusual, and I certainly don’t believe that I should be judged for it. In the end, what other people think of me doesn’t matter; however out of place I may feel in Sheffield, I am confident enough in my beliefs to use my first ever vote in a general election to vote Conservative on 7 May.