4. Voting Behaviour and the media

Question 1

what was the main reason for Conservative victory in the 1979 general election?

Answer 1

Labour shortcomings- they were seen as being weak on the trade unions who had caused massive inflation and the winter of discontent 1978-9, whereas Thatcher proposed privatisation of key industry and anti Trade union laws

Question 2

what was the Conservative majority in the 1979 general election?

Answer 2

43 seats

Question 3

what was the main factor influencing the Labour victory in the 1997 general election?

Answer 3

public perception- John Major’s government had been tarnished by sex scandals and poor economic management that had caused “Black Wednesday” in 1992, whereas New Labour led by the charismatic and youthful Tony Blair had rebranded itself as a party for middle England, taking a centrist approach that appealed to a wide electorate

Question 4

how did Labour campaign to maximise their impact in 1997?

Answer 4

Labour targeted constituencies which had only gone to the Conservatives by a small margin in 1992 and used public relations experts to handle the media

Question 5

what Party Policies did Labour adopt to appeal to a wider electorate?

Answer 5

1. Tough on Law and Order, labour focussed on reducing crime rates, using ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) to try and reduce crime
2. Investment in Education and NHS, New Labour focussed on using a Capitalist economy to achieve socialist aims, such as free education and healthcare
3. Labour wanted to remodel themselves as a government which could be trusted to run the economy

Question 6

what was the Labour party majority in the 1997 general election?

Answer 6

179 seats

Question 7

how many seats did the Conservative party win in the 2010 general election?

Answer 7

306 seats

Question 8

what factors impacted the outcome of the 2010 general election?

Answer 8

1. financial crisis in 2008 drew criticism of Gordon Brown for not regulating the banks better
2. TV debates- massively boosted the viability of the LDs as Nick Clegg came across very well- looked into camera, whereas Brown lacked charisma

Question 9

what policies did the major parties pursue in their 2010 election manifestos?

Answer 9

1. decrease the budget deficit
2. austerity- spending cuts, Conservatives promised the most extreme
3. Conservatives used propaganda to show Labour as “over spenders”- not safe hands economically