Voting Behaviour and the Media

- Started 18 years of Con. Government (Thatcher til '90, Major til 97), an end to post war consensus

- Called after Callaghan's minority govt. lost vote of no confidence 

- Thatcher's inital majority = modest, increasing in 83 and 87

- Labour descended into period of left/right infighting until reinvention under Blair 

RESULTS 

Conservative- 339 seats, 62 seat increase, 43.9% popular vote 

Labour- 269 seats, 50 seat decrease, 36.9% popular vote

Liberal- 11 seats, 2 seat decrease, 13.8% popular vote 

- Landslide Labour victory, removed Major's Con. Govt, started 13 years of Labour govt

- Blair = PM until 2007, succeeded by Gordon Brown 

- Lib Dems emerged as significant third force at Westminster 

- Conservatives were troubled by ongoing divisions, poor leadership, and inability to appear relevant in contemp. society. Unable to dislodge Labour in the next two elections

RESULTS

Labour- 418 seats, 145 seat increase, 43.2% popular vote 

Conservative- 165 seats, 178 seat decrease, 30.7% popular vote 

Liberal Democrat- 46 seats, 28 seat increase, 16.8% popular vote 

- Removed Brown from office, ending New Labour 

- Conservatives increased seats after 4 years of efforts at modernisation under new leader

- Conservatives didn't gain an independent majority so had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Coalition survived a full term, thanks to Fixed Term Parliament Act which the Liberal Democrats insisted on 

- Cameron won slender majority in 2015 election

RESULTS

Conservative- 306 seats, 96 seat increase, 36.1% popular vote 

Labour- 258 seats, 90 seat decrease, 29% popular vote 

Liberal democrats- 57 seats, 5 seat decrease, 23% popular vote