Voting behaviours and the Media

Case study 1979

-the election initiated 18 years of conservative premiership, firstly under thatcher, then under Major

-election called after james callaghans gov lost a vote of no confidence, the last time this has happened

-thatchers initial majority was small, increased in future elections

-labour descended into a prolonged period of infighting over policy

-turnout 76%

Conservative- 339 seats, +62 seats from last election, 43.9% of popular vote

Labour- 269 seats, -50 seats from last election, 36.9% of popular vote

Liberal- 11 seats, -2 seats from last election, 13.8% of popular vote

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Case study 1997

-landslide vitory for new labour under tony blair, lead to 13 years of labour rule

-blair was PM until 2007, when he was succeeded by Brown

-lib dems emerged as a contender and strong third party

-conservatives were troubled by ongoing internal divisions, poor leadership, and an inability to remain contempory

-turnout 71.4%

Labour- 418 seats, +145 seats from last election, 43.2% of popular vote

Conservative- 165 seats, -178 seats from last election, 30.7% of popular vote

Lib Dems- 46 seats, +28 seats from last election, 16.8% of popular vote

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Case study 2010

-saw brown removed from office, end of the new labour era

-camerons conservatives did not gain an independant majority and had to form a coalition, the first one since 1945

-coalition survived full term and cameron ended up winning a majoity in the next election, in 2015

-turnout 65.1%

Conservative- 306 seats, +96 seats from last election, 36.1% of popular vote

Labour- 258 seats, -90 seats from last election, 29.0% of populary vote

Lib Dems- 57 seats, -5 seats from last election, 23.0% of popular vote

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