Meet the Mimbys from Stroud who may decide election

It has been reported house building and planning reform will be one of the biggest deciding factors in how they will vote.

It means the debate between Nimbys and Yimbys - who want more housing built in their area – will likely be centre stage.

Mimbys sit somewhere in between.

Priced out of home ownership and struggling with massive rental bills, 'Mimbys' - which stands for 'maybe in my back yard' - are more open to development.

'Mimbys' in Stroud, - a key battleground for Labour - said they are considering ditching the party they usually vote for in favour of Labour due to expected housing manifesto promises.

According to Stroud District Council the Tory majority in the town at the 2019 election was just 2% - or 3,840 votes.

The town is also beset with housing issues with Stroud district council leader Catherine Braun, saying: "There is a shortage of affordable housing options in Stroud district, with an increasing number of homeless applications to the Council.

"This situation urgently needs to be addressed with national funding to tackle the housing crisis."

Guy Powis, 29, from Stroud, who works in tech, said: “I normally vote Green, but [this time] the housing issue will be a key factor in how I vote, and especially making things better for renters.

“Housing is very important – we need more of it. It’s a nightmare as house prices have massively increased.

“But some of the construction of new builds is horrible too."

Bell Phillips, 36, a PA from Stroud normally votes for the Green party - but is considering switching to Labour due to housing problems.

She said: “Better and more affordable housing is the main factor for me, I normally vote Green but I’m considering voting Labour.

“I’m a homeowner but housing is still the biggest issue I think. I want there to be much more affordable housing.”

Susan Dougan, 41, is a shop owner in Stroud and prime example of the Mimby mentality.

She said: “I think millennials are family orientated.

“Stroud has a lot of schools and there are lots of small villages - it’s popular when people start families for them to move out into the villages.

“The housing issue is a difficult one. On the question of house building, I think it’s better to focus on all the empty buildings rather than building lots of new houses.

“It’s a bit hypocritical as I live on a new build estate. I understand there is a need for new housing but I can see both sides of the debate.

“It’s sad to see green fields being built on, as that’s what makes places like Stroud so great."

Not everyone is a pro house building in Stroud though.

Amanda, 32, a stay-at-home-mum who did did not want to give her surname said: “It’s not my biggest voting concern - it’s not normally as important for me.

“I would be focusing more on education and the environment.

"I don’t think the housing situation is as big of a problem here.”

Mum-of-one Sophie Anderson, disagrees.

“Housing here is a joke – my friends are facing eviction," she said.

“There are no homes in Stroud.

“One of the biggest problems we have is staff retention by businesses as people can’t afford to live here.

“Second homes are also a big issue. Stroud is expensive and needs to be affordable, but rich people move here from London and price them out.

“My friends who are from here and have been here their whole lives can’t afford a house so I would definitely consider myself a Yimby.”

According to market researchers Stack Data Strategy, Labour’s key battlegrounds will be towns and suburbs where voters are highly pro-development.

According to research for the Fabian Society, 58% of voters in England favour at least some building on the green belt around big cities – though this number likely falls when people are told it will be in their neighbourhood, especially if they are already settled.