1997 General Election

• New Labour secured 418 seats while Conservatives only gained 165
• Swing of around 10.2% from Conservative to Labour compared to 1992 GE
• Why was Europe a reason for the fall on the Conservative party?

  The party became increasingly divided over Britain’s position in Europe, splitting into pro-Europeans and Eurosceptics. This divide severely weakened the party.
• Why was economic decline a reason for the Conservative’s defeat?

  Britain experienced a recession at the beginning of both the 80s and 90s. Thatcher’s policies increased unemployment. Economic hardship made the conservatives very unpopular
• What was the Tory Sleaze controversy?

  During Major’s government, several Conservative MPs were involved in scandals of corruption and illicit sexual affairs. This made the public lose faith in the party
• What was Blair’s reputation during the run up of the 1997 GE?

  Had a great impression on the British public. Compared to Major, Blair was younger and captured the public’s attention, spearheading the campaign of ‘New Labour’.
• What was the theme Major campaigned on?

  Major could point to a strong economy. ‘Britain’s booming, don’t let Labour ruin it’
• Why did the campaign on the theme of a strong economy not work for Major?

  The Tories had denied responsibility for the recession of the early 1990s, so the voters did not give them credit for subsequent recovery
• The Sun newspaper backed Labour for the first time in decades
• Labour campaigned on promises not to raise income tax, to cut class sizes and reduce NHS waiting lists, which were designed to repel any Tory attacks on Labour as a ‘tax and spend’ party. Blair also made clear that education would be the government’s top priority
• What were Labour’s education pledges?

  Promised £2 billion would be pumped into the school system.
• What were Labour’s 5 key pledges?

  1. Cut primary school class sizes down to 30 or under
  2. Fast-track punishment for persistent young offenders
  3. cut NHS waiting lists by treating an extra 100,000 patients
  4. get 250,000 under 25 year olds off benefit and into work
  5. no rise in income tax rates
• Labour gained votes across all regions, bucking the trend towards a Conservative south and a northern Labour. Conservatives were wiped out in Scotland and Wales and reduced to only 11 MPs in London, becoming a party of the English suburbs and shires
• Labour gained votes across all class groups, most notably with C1 (+19%) and C2 (+15%) although the Conservatives still ‘won’ the AB vote and the C1 group was tied
• Labour closed the gender gap with men and women equally likely to support Labour
• • Labour gained 43% of votes amongst white voters compared to 32% for Conservatives.
  • Labour gained 70% of BAME votes while only 18% for Conservatives
• Blair and the Labour leadership recognised that the traditional working class (Labour’s natural core vote) was diminishing in size and that the party could not rely on it to get into power.
• New Labour decided to adopt ’Third Way policies (centrist) in an attempt to appeal to the middle class