Only tory voter I know and heard discussing things pre election is a brother of mine. He feels he has been better off over the last couple of years. I'm not convinced he would share your opinion (which I agree with you on) on the financial crash and a number of his employers (he is a self employed gardener) are very wealthy.

On the "Tory lite" bit, my own view is it shifts the perspective of the centre. Tories may be more extreme but if labour move further right, conservatives will look to go even further.