The taller you are, the more likely you are to be Tory

TALL people are more likely to be Tory supporters, say scientists.

Researchers discovered that those of loftier dimensions are more conservative than their short counterparts – with each inch of height increasing the chance of voting blue by 0.5 per cent.

The US team found that the link was twice as strong for men, where each additional inch in their height was linked to a 0.8 per cent increase in the likelihood that they supported the Conservatives. For tall women, the figure was 0.4 per cent.

It is not known why taller people have more conservative leanings – but previous findings have found that taller people earn more than their shorter peers, and researchers believe that their level of income could play a part in how they vote.

And the study seemed to support this – showing that for every 10 per cent increase in income, the likelihood of voting Conservative increases by 5.5 per cent.

Not only that, but for every three inches taller a man is, his earnings increase on average by £1,500 a year. The same research showed that an extra stone in weight costs a woman £1,500 a year.

Dr Sara Watson, co-author of the study and assistant professor of political science at Ohio State University, said that while two people could be similar in many aspects of their personality, by examining their height, it was possible to differentiate which was the more conservative of the two.

She said: ‘If you take two people with nearly identical characteristics – except one is taller than the other – on average the taller person will be more politically conservative.’

Dr Watson added that ‘income and height play a role, but they are not political destiny’, emphasizing that a combination of factors affect a person’s political leanings.

The scientists examined 10,000 people, using data from the 2006 British Household Panel Study, which includes self-reported height, detailed income data and questions on political beliefs. The research, published in the British Journal of Political Science, also revealed that not only were taller people more likely to vote Tory, but they also tended to agree with conservative policies.

For example, they were less likely to support the statement that major public services and industries needed to be under state ownership, or that the government should place an upper limit on earnings.

And even after detailed analysis to see whether the effect of height on political beliefs could be explained through other channels, the results remained the same.

Among the other factors used to test the findings were race, education, marital status and religion.