The 1997 Election
- Created by: yazmintaylorx
- Created on: 02-05-18 15:09
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- the 1997 election
- the election
- after 18 years in power the Cons. were heavily defeated
- Blair's party won a majority of 178 - more than Thatcher in 1983
- Major resigned as Cons. leader soon after
- the Cons. had no seats at all in Wales or Scotland
- reasons for the result
- Cons. splits over Europe
- July 1993 Eurorebels block attempt to ratify Maas. Treaty & forced vote of confidence in Major's govt. to pass it
- divisions continued as eurosceptics rebelled increasingly vocally
- Europhiles - Kenneth Clarke & Chris Patten
- Eurosceptics - Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Portillo & John Redwood
- sleaze & scandal
- 'Back to Basics' campaign of moral improvement
- in Tatton, Martin Bell's campaign for clean politics against N. Hamilton dominated
- Lab. & Lib Dems didn't run candidates so spotlight fully on Cons.
- memories of 'Black Wednesday'
- lost Cons. reputation of being good with the economy / being financially responsible
- longer term - economic boom (inherited by Blair)
- however, Lab. gained 15% in polls
- eurpsceptics arguments strengthened
- Britian's case for closer integration damaged
- attitude of national press
- in the past Cons. had enjoyed greater support from national press
- e.g. negative coverage of Kinnock's 1992 campaign
- Blair's press secretary (Campbell) used experience as former journalist to forge new relationship with the press
- Lab. campaign run by v. effective 'spin machine'
- v. effective with press & media
- Mandelson v. effective in coherent messaging & writing public statements
- in the past Cons. had enjoyed greater support from national press
- Lab's discipline & organisation
- organisation & new policies meant Tory tactic of frightening voters from 'socialist extremism' no longer effective
- Tories claimed Lab. had 'stolen Cons. policies'
- Lab's policy messages
- rewrite Clause IV - popular
- dropped socialist ideas
- worked to remove image of 'tax & spend' party
- promised to follow Cons. economic policies
- rebranded 'New Labour'
- ministers always 'on message' in the media
- Blair's leadership
- skilful communicator
- presented air of moderation & won over 'Middle England'
- attractive to youth & women
- Lab. chose modern pop song 'Things can only get better' as 1997 campaign theme
- Blair's Babes
- anti-Cons. tactical voting
- Enfield - unheard of Lab. candidate beat Cons. 'big beast' Portillo
- Lab. voters voted Lib Dem in order to maximise anti-Cons. vote
- Cons. splits over Europe
- Blair's first term
- made BoE independent of the govt
- the Bank would now set interest rates not the govt.
- idea copied from Germany
- continued economic growth
- longest in post-war history
- UK had the highest rate of economic growth in Europe 1997 - 2007
- decided not to join the Euro due to opposition from Brown
- introduced limited self-rule (devolution) for Scotland & Wales
- continued the peace process in NI (begun by Major) reaching lasting peace agreement 1998
- set up a Northern Ireland Assembly & power sharing govt. in NI
- abolished hereditary peers in the HoL
- made BoE independent of the govt
- the election
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