Why did Blair win the General election in 1997?

Question 1

Why would Blair’s Character and ideology be appealing to voters?

Answer 1

• Blair was privately educated + didn’t join Labour until he finished his education.
• Blair had to appeal beyond Labour’s traditional support due to decline of working class.
• Charismatic leader and was good with media.
• Blair paid tribute to Diana after her death - Blair’s popularity soared to 93%.
• Good at appearing on non-political programmes as well as performing in Parliament.
• Normal bloke.
• Blair didn’t want to reverse many of the policies of Major and Thatcher.
• Blair accepted conservative trade union reform

Question 2

Labour strengths

Answer 2

Third way - more centrist, to improve quality.
- Blair was a charismatic leader and people saw him as a normal bloke
- Moved away from traditional Labour ideologies
- Introduced OMOV
- Closed shop was abolished
- Moved away from socialist party
- Labour party reformed by Kinnock and Blair
- Many newspapers supported Labour
- Abandoned Clause IV and improved manifesto
- Labour’s spin machine and disciplined ‘ on message’ approach
- Blair’s desire to improve popular public services e.g. education

Question 3

Conservative weaknesses

Answer 3

• Scandals
• Negative equity in housing
• Black Wednesday
• 18 years of consecutive CP rule
• Satire - media portraying Major as dull
  Party disunity over Maastrichts
• Reputation for economy competence had been lost over Black Wednesday
• Major’s perceived weak leadership
• Government held small majority
• Had already lost all the by-elections since 1990
• Media wasn’t on Majors side
• A new political party, the referendum party (wanting a referendum on EU membership), financed by Sir James Goldsmith, won no seats but attracted enough voters to cause Conservative defeats in some marginal constituencies such as the defeat of David Mellor in Putney