4.1 - Case studies of three general elections

Question 1

Who won the 1979 general election?

Answer 1

Conservatives

Question 2

1979 - Who were the main candidates for the three parties?

Answer 2

• Con - Margret Thatcher
• Lab - James Callaghan
• Lib - David Steel

Question 3

1979 - What were the key contextual issues of the day?

Answer 3

• Winter of discontent
• Crisis what crisis
• Tory attack ads

Question 4

1979 - Turnout?

Answer 4

76%

Question 5

1979 - % of votes won by each party

Answer 5

• Con - 45%
• Lab - 38%
• Lib - 14%

Question 6

1979 - % and number of seats won by each party?

Answer 6

• Con - 339 seats - 53.3% - 44 majority
• Lab - 269 seats - 42.3%
• Lib - 11 seats - 1.7%

Question 7

1979 - % of class vote for each party?

Answer 7

ABC1:
- Con – 59%
- Lab – 24%
- Lib – 15%

C2DE:
- Con – 37%
- Lab – 45%
- Lib – 14%

Question 8

1979 - % of age vote for each party?

Answer 8

18-34 – Con – 42%
Lab – 41%
Lib – 12%

35-54 – Con – 46%
Lab – 35%
Lib – 16%

55+ – Con – 47%
Lab – 38%
Lib – 13%

Question 9

1979 - % of gender vote for each party?

Answer 9

Men – Con – 43%
Lab – 40%
Lib – 13%

Women – Con – 47%
Lab – 35%
Lib – 15%

Question 10

1979 - Ethnicity stats for each party?

Answer 10

No stats available

Question 11

1979 - Region stats for each party?

Answer 11

No stats available

Question 12

1997 - Which party won the 1997 election?

Answer 12

Labour

Question 13

1997 - Who were the three main candidates?

Answer 13

• Lab - Tony Blair
• Con - John Major
• Paddy Ashdown

Question 14

1997 - What were the key contextual issues of the day?

Answer 14

• Devolution
• Constitutional reform
• Black Wednesday

Question 15

1997 - Turnout

Answer 15

71.3%

Question 16

1997 - % of votes won by each party?

Answer 16

• Lab – 44%
• Con – 31%
• Lib – 17%

Question 17

1997 - % and number of seats won by each party?

Answer 17

• Lab – 418 seats (63.4%) – 179 maj
• Con – 165 seats (25%)
• Lib – 46 (6.9%)

Question 18

1997 - % of class votes for each party?

Answer 18

ABC1 – Lab – 34%
Con – 39%
Lib – 20%

C2DE – Lab – 54%
Con – 24%
Lib – 15%

Question 19

1997 - % of age votes for each party?

Answer 19

18-34 – Lab – 49%
Con – 28%
Lib – 16%

35-54 – Lab – 45%
Con – 30%
Lib – 19%

55+ – Lab – 40%
Con – 36%
Lib – 17%

Question 20

1997 - % of gender vote for each party?

Answer 20

Men – Lab – 45%
Con – 31%
Lib – 27%

Women – Lab – 44%
Con – 32%
Lib – 18%

Question 21

1997 - % of BAME vote for each party?

Answer 21

• Lab – 70%
• Con – 18%
• Lib – 9%

Question 22

1997 - % of region votes for each party?

Answer 22

North – Lab – 57.5%
Con – 24.6%
Lib – 13.5%

E/SE/SW – Lab – 31.3%
Con – 39.2%
Lib – 23.9%

London – Lab – 49.5%
Con – 31.2%
Lib – 14.6%

Question 23

2019 - Which party won the 2019 general election?

Answer 23

Conservatives

Question 24

2019 - Who were the three main candidates?

Answer 24

• Con - Borish Johnson
• Lab - Jeremy Corbyn
• Lib - Jo Swinson

Question 25

2019 - What were the key issues of the day?

Answer 25

• Brexit
• Crime
• NHS

Question 26

2019 - Turnout?

Answer 26

67.3%

Question 27

2019 - % of votes won by each party?

Answer 27

• Con - 43.6%
• Lab - 32.1%
• Lib - 11.6%

Question 28

2019 - % and number of seats won by each party?

Answer 28

• Con - 65 seats (56.1%) – 80 maj
• Lab – 202 (31%)
• Lib – 11 (1.6%)

Question 29

2019 - % of class votes for each party?

Answer 29

ABC1 – Con – 45%
Lab – 31%
Lib – 10%
66% turnout

C2DE – Con – 44%
Lab – 35%
Lib – 6%
56% turnout

Question 30

2019 - % of age vote for each party?

Answer 30

18-34 – Con – 22%
Lab – 55%
Lib 12%
51% turnout

35-54 – Con – 36%
Lab – 41%
Lib – 14%
58% turnout

55+ – Con – 53%
Lab – 25%
Lib – 12%
70% turnout

Question 31

2019 - % of gender vote for each party?

Answer 31

Men – Con – 46%
Lab – 31%
Lib – 12%

Women – Con – 43%
Lab – 34%
Lib – 12%

Question 32

2019 - % of BAME vote for each party?

Answer 32

BAME – Con – 20%
Lab – 64%
Lib – 12%

Question 33

2019 - % of regional vote won by each party?

Answer 33

North – Con – 38%
Lab – 44.5%
Lib – 7.3%

E/SE/SW – Con – 54.6%
Lab – 23.3%
Lib – 16.6%

London – Con – 32%
Lab – 48.1%
Lib – 14.9%

Question 34

Evaluation of gender as an indication of voting behaviour?

Answer 34

There is little difference in voting habits between men and women, through there is a slight tendency for women to vote Lab

Question 35

Evaluation of age as an indication of voting behaviour?

Answer 35

Key factor – Older voters significantly favour Cons while younger voters have a Lab bias and also tend to support the Greens, a trend that has been growing since 1997

Question 36

Evaluation of ethnicity as an indication of voting behaviour?

Answer 36

Ethnicity is a significant factor, though it is reduced by low turnout and concentration in safe seats

Question 37

Evaluation of class as an indication of voting behaviour?

Answer 37

Class used to be the most important factor but is now becoming much less influential

Question 38

Evaluation of region as an indication of voting behaviour?

Answer 38

Wide variation in regional voting patterns – Scotland is the most remarkable with the SNP in complete dominance – South is solidly Con and thanks to Brexit Cons have made inroads into the Red Wall in the North