Patterns of voting – an overview continued (2)
In 1997 the Labour Party returned to power with a large majority – the British Electoral Study explained how.
Below is an brief overview of their findings. Alternatively you can read their publication.
- Labour took advantage of the unpopularity of the Conservative Party
- Tony Blair had moved the Labour Party ideologically to the centre-ground while the Conservatives remained right-wing
- Class based voting had declined, especially as voters were becoming electoral ‘consumers’ and choosing more on issues/policy than ideology
- Also ethnic minorities were attracted to Labour as were female voters (feminist movement leans to the left)
sociologytwynham.com 
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