1979, 1997, 2010 case studies

Question 1

Why was the 1979 election called?

Answer 1

James Callaghan’s minority labour government lost a vote of no confidence in HoC

Question 2

Turnout of 1979 election

Answer 2

76%

Question 3

Size of majority 1979

Answer 3

43

Question 4

Number of winning parties seats in 1979 election

Answer 4

Conservatives- 339

Question 5

Conservatives % of popular vote 1979

Answer 5

43.9

Question 6

Who won the 1979 election?

Answer 6

Conservatives- Margaret Thatcher

Question 7

Conservative campaign and manifesto 1979

Answer 7

Bring inflation down
return industry back to privatised
remove some trade union powers
Used publicity specialists Gordon Reese and Tim Bell
Modern advertising and campaigning methods
Invention of photo opportunities

Question 8

Labour 1979 campaign and manifesto

Answer 8

Bring down inflation
Labour campaign lacked awareness of presentation
Callaghan was favoured as a better PM in the polls (even though his party was not favoured to win)

Question 9

1979 Wider political context

Answer 9

Thatcher won as the Labour government was not trusted to be competent
Callaghan mistimed calling the election- expected to call in Autumn 1978, few months before the winter of discontent
Callaghan failed to control militant trade unionists
‘Crisis? What crisis?’

Question 10

Who won the 1997 election?

Answer 10

(New) Labour- Blair

Question 11

1997 turnout

Answer 11

71.4%

Question 12

1997 majority

Answer 12

179 landslide

Question 13

1997 number of Labour seats

Answer 13

418

Question 14

Labour percentage of popular vote

Answer 14

43.2

Question 15

1997 Labour manifesto and campaign

Answer 15

New Labour- abandon nationalisation, tax increase, strengthening trade union powers
Focused on law and order after increasing crime rates
Great endorsement from press- the Sun
Constitutional reform (Lib Dem had same policy, voted tactically for Labour in marginal)
Modernised campaign, media etc

Question 16

1997 wider political context

Answer 16

Won due to strong campaign and failures of John Majors government
Did not trust the Conservatives with economy after Black Wednesday 1992
Conservative sexual and financial scandals meant untrusted (‘sleaze’)

Question 17

Who won in 2010?

Answer 17

Conservative Lib Dem coalition

Question 18

Turnout in 2010

Answer 18

65.1%

Question 19

2010 Number seats won by Conservatives and Lib Dem

Answer 19

C- 306

LD- 57

Question 20

% popular vote for Conservative and Lib Dem 2010

Answer 20

C-36.1%

L-23%

Question 21

2010 Conservative campaign and manifesto

Answer 21

reduce the budget deficit
Attacked Labours mismanagement of the economy (reckless overspending)
Conservatives had targeted marginal seats since 2005
Browns image damaged

Question 22

2010 wider political context

Answer 22

Should have held 2007 election to secure personal mandate- name cowardice ‘bottler Brown’
Financial crisis under Brown
Harshly treated by media
Brown deemed better than Cameron injuries polls when facing a crisis