Elections And Referendums: 1997 Election Flashcards
In the 1997 election, what were the problems facing the Conservatives in the run up to the election?
The were dived over Europe, a government full of scandals and the major economic crisis in 1992 when the UK crashed out the ERM, deflation of the pound, a recession and a rise in unemployment and interest rates had ruined the Conservative reputation of financial competence
In the 1997 election, what was the amount of votes and seats for each party?
Labour: 13,518,167 and 418 seats
Conservatives: 9,600,943 and 165 seats
Liberal Democrats: 5,242,947 and 46 seats
Others: 1,420,938 and 30 seats
In the 1997 election, what was seen as the most dramatic defeat of the election?
The defence minister, and tipped to be the next Tory leader, Michael Portillo, lost his seat in Enfield Southgate on a massive 17.4% swing to Labour, with this becoming known as the ‘Portillo moment’
In the 1997 election, what was some notable aspects of the election result?
A record number of 120 women were elected as MPs, 101 representing Labour, with a much smaller increase of just 3 in the number of minority ethics MPs
For the first time Labour won the same percentage of votes as the Conservatives among the C1 class (lower-middle classes)
Labour defeated the Conservatives in every age group
There was evidence in several seats of tactical voting by anti-conservative voters
In the 1997 election, who did the Sun back?
Tony Blair’s labour after butchering Kinnock in 1992
In the 1997 election, which newspapers supported the Conservatives though more muted then in past elections?
The Daily Mail, Express and Telegraph
In the 1997 election, who much of the overall readership of newspapers were pro-Labour?
62%
In the 1997 election, what was Labour’s manifesto helped by?
Their recent progress of policy modernisation and change
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about welfare?
It emphasised personal reasonability over a centralised state, though remained committed to a welfare state
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about law and order?
Labour promised to be ‘tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime’ alongside [;eying zero tolerance towards anti-social behaviour and petty crime
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about reforms and rights?
It was committed to constitutional reform and human rights, like reforming Lords and incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about education?
They took a distinct ‘middle way approach’, and took the side of both comprehensive and state schools
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about healthcare?
The party pledged to cut waiting lists and NHS bureaucracy
In the 1997 election, what did the Labour manifesto say about the economy?
Committed to balancing the books with government spending, while not raising income tax and introducing a national minimum wage, this all was a plan to ditch its image as a ‘tax and spend party’
In the 1997 election, what did the Conservative manifesto say about education?
Pledged to publish school exam results and encourage more academic selection at secondary level
In the 1997 election, what did the Conservative manifesto say about privatisation?
This would continue and extend to the Royal Mail
In the 1997 election, what did the Conservative manifesto say about law and order?
A ‘get tough’ policy on law and order would include greater use of CCTV cameras
In the 1997 election, what did the Conservative manifesto say about the economy?
The Conservatives pledged to rescue income tax to 20% and lower business taxes, highlighting its economic track record, such as rising levels of home and share ownership
In the 1997 election, what did the Conservative manifesto say about welfare?
Pledged a crackdown on benefit fraud
In the 1997 election, who was Blair’s trusted aides?
Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson
In the 1997 election, which voters did Blair appeal to?
Younger and more middle-class voters
In the 1997 election, what did Major suffer from?
An image problem, being regularly mocked in cartoons and on TV satirical shows as being uncharismatic
In the 1997 election, what backfired as the Adverting Standards Authority instructed them to withdraw it after receiving over 150 complaints?
A poster with Tony Blair having ‘demon eyes’a and with the slogan ‘New Labour New Danger’ with one poll finding 64% of the public disliking this poster campaign
In the 1997 election, what policies did Labour implement with this majority government?
Constitutional changes, the minimum wage and increased spending on public services without major tax rises
In the 1997 election, what did it show about the electoral system?
That FPTP has a massive winner bonus with Labour having 63.4% of MPs while having a vote share of 43.2%
