4.1 voting behaviour and the media Flashcards
1983 general election
outlying factors
falklands war, the cold war, the economy
1983 general election
falklands war
- victory increased favour of thatcher. Tories outscored labour by 19 points after victory
- labour seen as weak
- generated patriotism
- michael foot spoke in favour of the military, but divisions within labour argued otherwise
1983 general election
the economy
- thatcher incredibly unpopular due to her monetarism policies
- she lowered interest rates, so people didnt invest or borrow money.
- low economic growth and unemployment were blamed on the labour government
1983 general election
the cold war
- uk was going to replace old (polaris) submarines with triden 3 bought from the US
- michael foot spoke against this, making him more unpopular
- arms race also escalating
1983 general election
media biases
- the sun, daily express, daily mail, daily telegraph, the times (C)
- daily mirror (L)
- Guardian (LD)
1983 general election
party policy: conservatives
thatcherism, privatisation, free market economy, reducing trade union power, anti-socialism (arms race)
1983 general election
party policy: labour
- nuclear disarmament
- nationalisation, strengthen workers rights, increase public spending, welfare + public services
- progressive taxation discouraged higher tax bracket voters
1983 general election
party policy: liberal democrats
pro europeanism
- cnetreism: free market economics, social liberalism, freedom + welfare state
1983 general election
voting behaviour: conservatives won lots of…
labour dominant northern england
1983 general election
voting behaviour: highest turnout (age and location)
turnout highest in people aged above 55.
turnout in leicestershire north west: 81.1%
1983 general election
techniques used in campaigns: conservatives
- sent out 1000 copies of labours programme to their supporters
- membership of the EEC, nuclear deterrent, trade union reform, privatisation
- urban areas targeted
- defence, employment, economic prosperity
1983 general election
techniques used in campaigns: labour
- exposed tory documents including a claim from Foot’s leader Deputy Dennis Healy that Thatcher lied about unemployment trends
- focused on areas that had been economically impacted by Thatcher
1983 general election
techniques used in campgins: Liberal Democrats
- openness to a coalition
- grassroots campaigning
1997 general election
wider political context: John major
- small majority in 1992
- cartoons of a grey uncharismatic man
- lack of control of his party
- described ministers as ‘bastards’
- withdrew the whip from rebels
- divided over thatcherism/one-nation
- ‘cash for questions’ affair in the 1990s where 2 conservative MPs, neil hamilton and timothy smith were accused of taking cash bribes from Ian Greer lobbyists to ask questions in parliament
1997 general election
gender
- women 44% labour vs 32% conservative
- men 45% vs 31% conservativr
- public sector women voted more for labour presumably because of what Thatcher did to the public sector
1997 general election
age
- 1/2 of 18-44 year olds voted labour
- 82% of black voters voted labour
- 12 points ahead for 25-44 year olds
- 4 points ahead for 55-64 year olds.
1997 general election
media
the sun - rupert murdoch backed labour
the times decreased conservative support
1992 labour defeat blamed on media bias
1997 general election
opposition: cash for questions affair
2 conservative MPs accepeted payments for lobbying
- 1 resigned, Neil Hamilton and Ian Greer sought to clear their names in court prolonging the scandal
-
1997 general election
oppostion: campaign and divisions
conservative divisions over EU relationship
‘going back to basics’ campaign
traditional family values
1997 general election
spin doctors
- alaister campbell and other journalists ensured media stories conveyed a targeted message in favour of labour
- labour managed the media and political stories much more effectively than conservtives
1997 general election
outcome
conservatives lost more than half their MPs
Labour won 418 seats
conservatives won 165 seats
Lib Dems won 46 seats
landslide victory, but the lowest turnout since 1935 (71%)
1997 general election
policy: labour pledge cards
- cut class sizes to 30 for 5-7 year olds
- fast track punishment for persistent young offenders
- cut nhs waiting lists by treating an extra 100,000 patients as a first steo
- no rise on income tax
1997 general election
policy: conservatives
- reducing role of the state
- didnt reflect uk valuest
- tax allowance to encourage nuclear families - where a anon working partner could give tax free allowance to working spouse
2017 General Election
campaign techniques labour
- improving the nhs mostly
although: - labour was totally divided. Especially over suspicions that corbyn was a secret brexiteer.
- cabinet was very left wing, so his manifesto suited them well
- corbyn seen as unelectable by the moderates