Election And Referendums: 1983 Election

Question 1

When was the 1983 general election held?

Answer 1

June 9th 1983

Question 2

What were the name of the group, and the individual, of Labour moderates who had quit the party in 1981 to set up the Social Democratic Party (SDP)?

Answer 2

The ‘Gang of Four’, who were Roy Jenkins, David Ownes, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams

Question 3

What had the forming of the SDP showed the problem within the Labour Party?

Answer 3

The divided party, with many moderates leaving

Question 4

In the 1983 election, how much of a swing of the vote went from Labour to Conservative?

Answer 4

3.8%

Question 5

In the 1983 election, how much of the Conservative vote fell?

Answer 5

1.5% from 43,9% to 42.4%

Question 6

How many of the 110 seats in souther England outside London did Labour win in the 1983 election?

Answer 6

2

Question 7

What was the increase in conservative majority from 1979 in the 1983 election?

Answer 7

from 43 in 1979 to 144 after the 1983 general election

Question 8

What alliance had handed many Labour seats to the Conservatives?

Answer 8

the SDP-Liberal Alliance

Question 9

In the 1983 election, what role did the third parties play?

Answer 9

One of a ‘spoiler’ as they stole many seats from Labour

Question 10

Though In the 1983 election, what had many people argued the SDP-Liberal alliance stopped?

Answer 10

A even greater Conservative majority, as many who had voted for alliance had abandoned the Labour Party so would of voted for Conservatives if it wasn’t for Alliance

Question 11

In the 1983 election, which social class did the Conservatives enjoy an 8% lead among and what class did the reduced their deficit among?

Answer 11

The C2 social class (skilled working class) were the 8% lead and DE (semi/unskilled working class) had the deficit reduced for the Conservatives

Question 12

In the 1983 election, how many votes and seats did each party get?

Answer 12

Conservatives: 13,012,316 and 397 seats
Labour: 8,456,935 and 209 seats
Alliance: 7,780,949 and 23 seats
Other: 1,420,938 and 21 seats

Question 13

In the 1983 election, what was the right-wing section of the press called?

Answer 13

‘Maggie Cult’

Question 14

In the 1983 election, who did the sun encourage its voters to vote for?

Answer 14

‘Vote for Maggie’

Question 15

In the 1983 election, why did Labour have a disastrous press coverage?

Answer 15

There was a hostile right wing press and a split left-wing party platform

Question 16

In the 1983 election, what was the name of Labour’s manifesto?

Answer 16

‘The New Hope for Britain’

Question 17

In the 1983 election, what was Labours manifesto referred as by Gerald Kaufmann, then Labour shadow environment minster?

Answer 17

‘The longest suicide note in history’

Question 18

In the run up to the 1983 election, what joint statement obliterated any semblance of party unity within Labour?

Answer 18

When Michael Foot and deputy leader Denis Healey issued a joint statement confirming allegations of disagreement within the party over defence policy

Question 19

In the 1983 election, what was the name of the Conservative manifesto?

Answer 19

‘Forward - the Challenge of Our Times’

Question 20

In the 1983 election, what did the Conservative manifesto portray of the party?

Answer 20

That the Conservatives hoped to become more radical during its second term in office

Question 21

In the 1983 election, what did the Conservative manifesto promise?

Answer 21

Trade union reform and a programme of privatisation,

Question 22

In the 1983 election, what did Thatcher journey across while campaigning?

Answer 22

In her ‘superbus’

Question 23

In the 1983 election, what was tue last day of campaigning designed to evoke memories of?

Answer 23

The Falklands war

Question 24

In the 1983 election, what card did the conservatives use and what key issues did this cover?

Answer 24

The ‘patriotic card’ which covers foreign policy and defence

Question 25

In the 1983 election, what was the name of the SDP-Liberal Alliance manifesto?

Answer 25

‘Working Together for Britain’

Question 26

In the 1983 election, what were the promises in the SDP-Liberal Alliance manifesto?

Answer 26

To reduce unemployment by up to a million and to reform the electoral system to one based on proportional representation

Question 27

In the 1983 election, in the 4 months running up to the election what was Thatcher’s strategy using TV?

Answer 27

She took part in 16 TV interviews in this time, and an ITV documentary called ‘The Women At Number Ten’

Question 28

What was the 1983 general election one of the clearest examples of?

Answer 28

The FPTP system penalising third parties and adding a hefty bonus to the winners