1997 General Election

Question 1

Winner

Answer 1

Tony Blair

Question 2

Party winner

Answer 2

Labour

Question 3

What was different

Answer 3

New to the government. Fresh
Rearranged as New Labour

Question 4

Background

Answer 4

-C waited five whole years
-scandals surrounding conservatives(opponent)
-loss of jobs
-struggling economy
- weak government

Question 5

How was the opposition government weak?

Answer 5

In the conservative party the MPs were against each other. John Major talked bad about his team

Question 6

What were the scandals within the conservative party

Answer 6

Conservatives mainly Major preached a lot about a happy family etc but a conservative MP was caught having an affair

Question 7

Opponent for Labour

Answer 7

John Major

Question 8

Factors to explain victory

Answer 8

-background
-strong positive media coverage
-short manifesto (credit card size)
-the sun switched to support Labour
- Blair was young and new
-fresh labour vs old conservatives

Question 9

What did Blair do for the Sun to switch

Answer 9

Blair flew to Australia to meet Murdoch

Question 10

Factors to explain loss for conservatives

Answer 10

-background
-poor campaign
-personality difference

Question 11

What was the personality difference between Blair and Major

Answer 11

Major - old, failed to do a good job
Blair - young, strong, outgoing

Question 12

Turnout

Answer 12

71.3%

Question 13

Seats for L

Answer 13

418
165 for C

Question 14

% for L

Answer 14

43.2%

Question 15

Background on the economy

Answer 15

In 09/1997 The £ crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism EERM

Question 16

Geography votes

Answer 16

L gained votes across all regions. Won in areas which normally vote for conservatives

Question 17

example of lack of support for conservatives

Answer 17

Cornwall voted lib dem instead of conservatives

Question 18

Class votes

Answer 18

Gained in all but gained the most in the C1 and C2 which are typically conservative dominant

Question 19

Age vote

Answer 19

most age groups but conservatives still dominated the 65+ age group

Question 20

Race votes

Answer 20

43% white votes
70% of BME votes

Question 21

Was it a big or average win

Answer 21

big

Question 22

What was Major’s scandal

Answer 22

Caught calling a significant number of his MPs as ‘bastards’