Critical Elections: British Parties and Voters in Long-term PerspectiveGeoffrey Evans, Pippa Norris Did Labour′s landslide victory in 1997 mark a critical watershed in British party politics? Did the radical break with 18 years of Conservative rule reflect a fundamental change in the social and ideological basis of British voting behaviour? Critical Elections brings together leading scholars of parties, elections and voting behaviour to provide the first systematic overview of long-term change in British electoral politics. |
Contents
Part I New Patterns of Party Competition | 1 |
2 New Politicians? Changes in Party Competition at Westminster | 22 |
3 Party Members and Ideological Change | 44 |
Dealignment or Realignment? | 64 |
Part II New Social Alignments? | 87 |
Towards a Multicultural Electorate? | 102 |
New Labour New Geography? | 124 |
A GenderGeneration Gap? | 148 |
A New Electoral Cleavage? | 207 |
Constitutional Preferences and Voting Behaviour | 223 |
13 Dynamic Representation in Britain | 240 |
Was 1997 a Critical Election? | 259 |
Technical Appendix | 272 |
| 284 | |
| 300 | |
| 304 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
analysis appear associated attitudes basis become behaviour Britain British centre chapter cleavage closer compared competition concerned Conservative consistent constitutional continued contrast critical critical election decline difference dimension divide economic effects election electoral England equality ethnic minority Europe European evidence examine expect explain factor Figure further gender groups Heath identification ideological important increase indicates interests issue Labour Party least left-right less Liberal Democrats major mean measures membership move Note parliamentary particular partisan party members pattern period points political politicians position preferences privatization provides question realignment reform region relatively remain reported represent respondents sample scale Scotland Scottish seats shift shows significant similar social Source spending strong structure Study suggests survey Table traditional turnout union values variables voters voting women