2017 Voting Case Study

Question 1

Age

Answer 1

Age was a key factor. In the ten constituencies with the highest proportion of 18-24-year-olds, there were increases of 14 per cent in the Labour vote.
Despite an increase in youth turnout, young people were still less likely to vote than older people.

While 57 per cent of 18- and 19-year-olds voted in 2017, for those aged 70+ the turnout was 84 per cent.

Question 2

Class

Answer 2

Class is no longer a good indicator of voting intention. In 2017, Labour was only 4 per cent behind the Conservatives in the top three socio-economic grouping (ABC1) and 2 per cent behind among the bottom three (C2DE). That said, Labour did best among semi- and unskilled-manual workers, unemployed people and those in the lowest-grade jobs (DE).

Question 3

Gender

Answer 3

There was only a small gender gap between men and women. Women were equally split between Labour and the Conservatives (43 per cent to 43 per cent) and men slightly more in favour of the Conservatives (45 per cent to 39 per cent).

Question 4

Employment status

Answer 4

In 2017, the Conservative Party was 39 points ahead among retirees and Labour was 45 points ahead among full-time students.
Labour was also ahead among those who work: 4 points ahead with part-time workers and 6 points ahead with full-time workers. Conservatives are still having to rely on the ‘grey vote.

Question 5

Education

Answer 5

Education was a key factor in 2017. While the Conservatives support decreased the more educated a voter was, the opposite was true for Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Among those with low qualifications (GCSE or below), the Conservatives beat Labour by 22 per cent, and among those with high qualifications (degree or above), Labour led by 17 points.

Question 6

Brexit

Answer 6

May called the 2017 election the ‘Brexit election’ and
48%
Percentage of voters who named
Brexit as the top election issue.
in many ways it was, as one of the biggest factors in helping voters decide how to cast their ballot was
33%
31%
withdrawal from the EU.
15%
• Brexit cut across party loyalties and contributed to
13%
8%
the revival of the Conservative and Labour parties at the expense of UKI, the SN, Plaid Cymru and the Greens compared to 2015.

° The Conservatives position on Brexit, combined with the loss of Farage as leader, saw the UKIP vote collapse and most of its support go to the Conservatives, with over half of UKIP’s 2015 voters switching to them, 18 per cent to Labour and 18 per cent remaining with UKIP.
° Despite a clear pro-EU position, the Lib Dems failed to pick up the Remain votes that they were hoping for.
• Labour was seen as the soft-Brexit party, winning many Remainers from the Conservatives, Greens and Lib Dems.
Remember, you need to revise the three election case studies you have studied.
Now try this