Voting Behaviour Flashcards
During the 50’s and 60’s what fraction of middle class voters voted Conservative?
4/5.
During the 50’s and 60’s, what fraction of working class voters voted Labour?
2/3
What did Peter Pulzer say about class and voting in Britain?
“Class is the basis of British party politics, everything else is embellishment and detail.”
Give evidence of class dealignment.
1959 - 62% of working class voted Labour 2017 - 44%.
1974 - 56% of middle class voted Conservative 2010 - 39%
What percentage of voters aligned to a party in 2019?
10%
What percentage of lower class voters voted Conservative in 2019?
48%
What percentage of upper class voters voted Lib Dems in 2019? How much greater is this than for the lower classes?
14%. 1.75x greater.
Which party did women typically vote for in 1970?
Conservative party. The ‘70 GE was said to have been swung by the ‘housewives’.
What percentage of men voted conservative in 2019? How many women did?
Men - 46%
Women - 44%
What is age described as (electorally)?
‘The biggest electoral cleavage in Britain’.
Give supporting evidence for younger people voting Labour.
2019 - 56% of 18-24 year olds voted Labour.
Give supporting evidence for older people voting Conservative.
2019 - Conservatives secured 67% of the 70+ vote.
How much more conservative do people get each year (percentage)?
Each year, people become 0.35% more Conservative.
What percentage of 16-17 and 18-24 year olds turned out in the 2014 Scottish referendum?
16-17 = 75% 18-24 = 54%
Why do BAME people typically avoid the conservative party?
Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech in 1968 led to the Conservatives being dubbed the ‘anti-minority’ party.
What percentage of BAMEs voted Labour in 2019?
64%
What percentage of BAMEs voted Conservative in 2019?
20%
What percentage of BAMEs voted Labour in 2015?
65%
What percentage of BAMEs voted Conservative in 2015?
23%
Do BAMEs have a higher turnout than white people?
No, e.g. 2019 BAME turnout was 52% compared to 63% for white people.
What percentage of higher educated people voted Labour in 2019, compared to what percentage for Conservative?
43% Labour
29% Conservative
What percentage of lower educated people voted Labour in 2019, compared to what percentage for Conservative?
25% Labour
58% Conservative
Which general election saw the lowest ever turnout, what was the turnout?
2001 = 59.4%
What was the cause of 2001’s low turnout?
‘Hapathy’ (happy and apathetic) of Blair’s 1997 landslide.
Give three factors that effect turnout.
Turnout factors:
- Second - order elections often lower e.g. Hartlepool by-election 42.7%.
- Local elections - average 30-40% turnout.
- Media coverage - e.g. 2001 saw less media coverage.
- ‘Events dear boy’ - 2019 MEP elections 50.5% due to Brexit - highest since 1979.
- Length of previous premiership e.g. 1992 higher turnout after 13 years of Thatcherism?
Give three ways in which the party leader IS the main reason for a party’s electoral success.
IS the main reason:
✔ Strong leaders inspire confidence form floating voters e.g. 2019 - ‘levelling up’ Britain.
✔ Sean Bean/Mr Bean - UKIP voters rated Farage as heroic / non-UKIP voters rated Farage as buffoonish.
✔ Strong performance will influence voters e.g. Thatcher the ‘iron lady’ - Falklands war - landslide 1983 victory.
✔ Blair’s charismatic, young approach to socialism was a welcomed change from 18 years of Conservative lead - leading to Blair’s landslide in 1997.
Give three ways in which the party leader is NOT the main reason for a party’s electoral success.
Is NOT the main reason:
❌ People vote for MPs, not PMs - e.g. BJ voted PM with 92,000 votes.
❌ ‘Events dear boy’ - e.g. 2008 financial crash - people turned to Cameron and austerity.
❌ Core supporters of the ideology remain loyal regardless of the PM e.g. 10% identified to a party in 2019.
