election case studies Flashcards
who won the 1979 general election?
margaret thatcher and the conservatives
what was the turnout in the 1979 election?
76%
what % of hte vote did thatcher win?
43,6%
Who was thatcher running against?
James Callaghan and the labour party
What were the 3 key factors influencing the outcome?
The social, economic and political context
Rational choice and issue based voting
The media
How did the social and economic context influence the 1979 election?
In the early months of 1979 there was the winter of discontent, which led to a sense that labour was incompetent and unable to control trade unions
This was pushed forward by the media, who painted a picture of a miserable Britain.
What was the winter of discontent?
when the government tried to impose a 5% limit on pay increase, there was mass strikes from many different industries, including lorry drivers, health workers and even gravediggers
How did the conservatives build off of the media narrative around the winter of discontent?
they ran the slogan ‘Labour isn’t working’
What was the political context?
Callaghan had just lost a vote of no confidence, so looked like an incompetent leader, as well as losing referendums in Scotland and Wales to do with devolution.
How did rational choice voting influence the election?
THe consverative manifesto was based on the post-war consensus, appealing to voters.
what were the key policy areas in the conservative manifesto in 1979?
-Reformming union power in the wake of the winter of discontent
-cutting public spending
-Reducing taxes
-controlling inflation
-promoting home ownership
Why was inflation such a big deal?
it had reached 20% by the end of hte 1970s, so both parties sought to reduce it.
What image did Margaret Thatcher try and paint herself in during the campaign?
She was new, decisive and strong, with a focus on modernizing the conservative party’s image
What key messages did thatcher focus on during her campaign?
economic reform, trade union reform and law and order
what was thatcher’s campaign strategy?
she was media savvy, using television and interviews to reach a broader audience
She made direct appeals to the electorate with straightforward messages about her policies
SHe focused on certain key policies which would resonate with voters, boosting rational choice votes.
How did Callaghan attempt to portray himself as a leader?
Callaghan focused on his experience as prime minister, and as a steady and reliable leader.
What key messages did Callaghan focus on during the campaign?
Continuity, maintains and improving public services and social justice, especially worker’s rights and fair wages
What was callaghan’s campaign strategy?
he fought for himself when it came to criticisms of economic mismanagement and union disruptions
He tried to appeal to the traditional labour base through social justice
He had a less effective media useage than thatcher often coming across as less dynamic and less repsonsive to the public.
Explain the role of the media in the 1979 election
-THe media portrayed the narrative that Callaghan had failed in the winter of discontent
-The Sun ran the headline ‘Crisis? What crisis?’ after Callaghan returned to the country after an international summit, painting him as ignorant and unrespective of the people
-the press dug deep into labour’s internal divisions, as well as painting an image of Britain as bleak
-Thatcher ran with the slogan ‘Labour isn’t working’ and used the press effectively to paint that picture.
