UK POLITICS - GENERAL ELECTION CASE STUDY 1983

Question 1

Worst Labour reslut since when? what percentage of the vote?

Answer 1

1918

27.6%

Question 2

What happened in 1981 to decrease the Labour vote?

Answer 2

split - SDP formation - divided LW vote

Question 3

Thatcher won despite losing how many votes?

Answer 3

700k

Question 4

What majority did Thatcher obtain in 1979?

Answer 4

44 seats - not massive

Question 5

How did Thatcher deal with the economic decline pre-1983 elec? what did this result in?

Answer 5

used monetarism to deal with increasing inflation and unemployment
caused a recession in early 1980s

Question 6

What did the difficult economic circumstances do to Tory support?

Answer 6

decreased it

Question 7

As of 1982, what was Tory support down to?

Answer 7

27%

Question 8

Who became Labour leader in 1980? what was his political position? why?

Answer 8

Michael Foot - further left - pushed by party

Question 9

When did the moderates split from the Labour Party? how? success?

Answer 9

1981 - Limehouse Declaration - ‘gang of 4’
SDP - Alliance
late 81, over 40% support obtained in polls

Question 10

What increased Tory support?

Answer 10

easing of economic recession and recovery

Falklands War victory

Question 11

Following the Falklands War, what percent support was obtained by the Tories? what did this support cause?

Answer 11

over 40%

this support was maintained through 1983, provoking Thatcher to call for an early election

Question 12

What sort of things were included in Foot’s Labour manifesto?

Answer 12

• EEC leave
• HoL abolition
• abolition of Trident

Question 13

What was included in the Tory manifesto?

Answer 13

largely a reinforcement of promises made in 1979

• further privatisation
• further tax cuts
• TU reform
• extension of the right to buy scheme

Question 14

Largely, what did the tory campaign do?

Answer 14

• it sought to highlight Labour’s extremity and warned of the dangers of a Labour government
• largely a negative campaign

Question 15

What was the only paper to overtly support Labour?

Answer 15

the Daily Mirror

Question 16

How many seats did the tory obtain? percentage of the vote?

Answer 16

397 seats, 42.4% of vote

Question 17

How many seats did Labour obtain? percentage of vote?

Answer 17

209 seats, 27.6%

Question 18

Alliance seats? percentage of vote?

Answer 18

23 seats, 25.4%

Question 19

What majority did Thatcher’s gov win?

Answer 19

a plurality/ relative majority of votes

144 seat majority - clear mandate

Question 20

Prior to the split in 1981, how did Labour do in polls?

Answer 20

well, obtained over 50% - indicates that perhaps if left united, a possible win

Question 21

How did Foot’s reputation diminish Labour’s results?

Answer 21

poor reputation
not seen as a credible PM - not media savvy
broadly perceived as unelectable

Question 22

How did Labour’s manifesto impact the outcome?

Answer 22

The broadly LW elements alienated the inherently tory British electorate

it potentially took the party too far LW from the centre whereby elections are won - median voter theory

alienated portions of the franchise

Question 23

How did the media impact the outcome?

Answer 23

excessive hostility toward the Opposition - widely criticised, diminishing their reputation