Essex man is a stereotypical figure which was popularised in 1990s England. "Essex man" as a political figure is an example of a type of median voter and was used to help explain the electoral successes of Margaret Thatcher in the previous decade. A consumer of luxury goods and products, "Essex man" and his tastes are often parodied. He may be considered a somewhat coarser and more down-market version of the American "yuppie."Although the Labour Party is sometimes considered the "natural choice" for the working class, there has traditionally been a group within that class who have voted Conservative,who are distinct from the "Essex man" phenomenon.After World War II, there was considerable social change in south-east England. Working class families were encouraged to leave the war-damaged slums in inner London and move to newly-built council-owned properties in the suburbs and "new towns" in the home counties, including Basildon and Harlow in Essex.