theme 4 - voting behaviour Flashcards
What is meant by your class?
Your income / wealth
What classes are considered “white collared” and what classes are considered “blue collars”?
White collared - Class A/B
Blue collared - Class D/E
In 2017, what percent of Class A/B voted for the conservatives?
47%
In 2017, what percent of Class D/E voted for labour?
47%
Why is there such a correlation between class and voting behavior?
There is a correlation due to party policies. The conservatives are known for prioritizing low taxes and less welfare support. These policies appeal to the wealthy as they’re less reliant on the state and want to keep the majority of their income for themselves - they have more to lose from higher taxes. Whereas Labour has always advocated for High taxes and re-distribution of wealth – appealing to the half of the population that would greatly benefit such provisions and couldn’t afford such healthcare/education themselves.
How does the 2023 manifesto for both the conservatives and labour reflect them appealing to their classes?
The conservatives 2023 manifesto, their top priority was to half inflation. This focus on a stable economy will appeal to all classes, yet especially the wealthy, as they have more to lose from an unstable economy. Whereas one of the top five priorities in the labour manifesto 2023, was to reform the education system and create more opportunities for the less advantaged. In order to fund this, this would involve a larger tax burden. Labour have also advocated in the past for the wealthier to be taxed 50% of their income once they pass a certain threshold. Yet the conservatives believe this to hinder innovation and incentivizes.
What is class dealignment?
class dealignment is where people do not identify with a class as much due to its blurred definition. it is unclear what makes you a certain class now - is it wealth, occupation, etc?
What does Embourgeoisement mean?
is the theory more perceive themselves as middle class. This may have happened in the last 30 years, due to incomes rising and quality of life/living standards following suit. Therefore, it now seems ill-informed to claim we are “working class” when we live a comfortable life in a stable country – much better conditions than the once “working class” had to deal with.
How does both Embourgeoisement and class dealignment show class may not be a strong indicator for voting behavior anymore?
Class dealignment - if people are unaware of what their class is, or do not identify nor think about their class, it is unlikely to shape their political beliefs.
The rise of embourgeoisement in Britain would suggest more people should be voting conservative if their class dictated their vote. However the conservatives have not risen drastically in popularity alongside living standards - thus implying class is not the main indicator of voting behavior. Given the recent polls for the next election (Conservatives said to win only 24% of the vote) depsite lvng standards being the highest they have been in recent history - there appears little correlation.
How do the different classes vote now instead?
The conservatives have advanced more strongly than labour by working class voters in the last 3 general elections.
The working class have started to vote more for right wing groups, given the new adoption of populism in the Uk in recent years (namely, since Boris Johnson) - the conservatives now have a heavy focus on immigration - something that will appeal to the typical British working man who feels like migration has gotten out of control / harming their job prospects.
The middle / upper class have also began voting for the labour party. 50% of the 18 year old population are expected to go to university this year - the more educated you are, the more you open yourself to oppositional views and debates from both sides of a contested area. You are more likely to meet people from different socio-economic backgrounds than you would’ve done had you stayed at home working in the same village you were bought up in.
How does the North / South divide show how geography effects voting behavior?
The north south divide describes the conflicting interests of the north and south that generally align with a party that represents their side of the debate. This is known as the red wall division.
The think tank the The Institute for Public Policy Research found that the average wage in the North East is 31k while the average wage in the south east is 37k.
The north isn’t as affluent as the south, and therefore can be seen to support labour as labour has a larger focus on the re-distribution of wealth, etc. Labour has a strong historical link to rural towns, and a strong link to trade unions - as the North has stronger links to production and industrialisation. The North earns less per capita than the South, and thus would benefit from Labour’s policies.
Whereas the conservatives typically attract voters from the South. The South is home to Englands biggest business districts, and is known for its earning potential. More millionaires are situated in the south than anywhere else in the Uk - and thus will be more attracted towards the conservatives policies of taxation.
How did the 2019 election undermine geography’s influence on voting behavior?
The 2019 election was dubbed the “Brexit election” - where geographies influence was shown to be undermined by the fall of the red wall.
^Dennis Skinner lost his seat in the 2019 election to the conservatives, despite being the longest serving MP (39 years)
^Tony Blairs former constituency Sedgefield turned conservative
The country is also unsure on who labour prioritises geographically now, since Keir Starmers movement towards a more centred, mainstream style of policies. A survey in 2021 by Redfield showed how 42% said they thought labour prioritised the North; and 31% said London.
What was the real reason however for the conservatives success in the north during the 2019 election?
However this was due to other factors like Brexit and the dislike towards Jeremy Corbyn, rather than how popular the conservatives were with the north. Instead, their victory in the north can be seen as tactical voting to ensure other priorities are met, rather than they see merit in conservative ideals. In 2019, YouGov stated in their most recent poll of Jeremy Corbyn approval rating, he was voting “strongly disliked” by 64% of those that took part. Labours manifesto was called “the longest suicide note in history” due to its radical nature.
Boris Johnsons “levelling up” and his Hsp2 plans to build a railway track that connected the North to the South enticed the North to vote for conservatives instead of Labour, as it was shown they were better considering the Norths priorities.
Has does gender effect voting behavior?
Labour has always been seen to be a party that better aligns with policies that would directly benefit women. For example, maternity leave is generally celebrated by labour while the conservative stays sceptical on how it effects the economy and jobs. Labour was also the party to introduce the minimum wage (Act of 1998 under Tony Blair) an act that notably effected women the most, especially due to the gender wage gap – women are more vulnerable to low pay. The Labour Party also has less sex scandals than the conservatives.
Men on the other hand tend to earn more and maybe more attracted to lower taxes and a smaller focus on a welfare system. The 2017 election well supports this, with more men voting conservative and more women voting labour – although the difference was marginal. The collapse of UKIP in 2017 also saw more men voting for the conservatives, as UKIP embodied policies of low tax and harsh immigration laws.
^more men are typically in the big wage, white collared industry than woman.
^men may take a more realist / non-sympathetic stance on international affairs, just like the conservatives.
Why is gender not so influential on voting behavior?
The conservatives in recent years have recognised their previous, poor performance amongst women; and have recently trailed new policies to attract their vote again.
- free school meals for primary school students
-free childcare for toddlers so women can go back to work
-pushing for a gender self ID card to protect women’s rights, as they’re aware this is a policy labour isn’t fond of and can possibly steal back some of their past female voters. This is because the gender id card is meant to protect women’s rights.
The conservatives now recognise that women make up 51% of the vote, and thus are a big chunk of the electorate they should want to win over.
