Long term factors affecting voting behaviour

• What acronym can be used to remember the long term factors?

  CAGEL
• What does the C is CAGEL stand for?

  Class
• What does the A is CAGEL stand for?

  Age
• What does the G is CAGEL stand for?

  Gender
• What does the E is CAGEL stand for?

  Ethnicity
• What does the L is CAGEL stand for?

  Location
• What is the AB class?

  Higher and intermediate, managerial, administrative professional occupations
• What type of occupations are included in the AB class?

  Banker, doctor, company director, senior executive
• What is the C1 class?

  Supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, administrative professional occupations
• What type occupations are included in C1?

  Teacher, office manager, IT manager, social worker
• What is the C2 class?

  Skilled manual occupations
• What type of occupations are included in the C2 class?

  Plumber, hairdresser, mechanic, train driver
• What is the DE Class?

  Semi skilled and unskilled manual occupations, unemployed and lowest grade occupations
• What type of occupations are included in class DE?

  Labourer, bar staff, call centre staff, unemployed
• What are floating voters?

  A voter who tends to vote unpredictably in different elections. Often change the way they vote. Does not closely identify with any party
• Possibly, as many as 80% of people voted the wat their social class indicated
• What party do most AB voters favour?


  Conservatives
• What party do most DE voters favour?


  Labour
• Which class contained the most ‘floating voters?

  C1 and C2
• The main parties would tailor their election manifestos towards floating voters
• What is class dealignment?

  The process where individuals no longe identify themselves as belonging to a certain class
• Some may argue that social class still matter in UK elections as issues over levels of taxation and welfare payments, closely l linked to class, still distinguish the main parties.
• Social mobility (or lack of it) and inequality remain major l concerns for many voters
• An argument against the influence of class on uK voters is that major issues such as Brexit and immigration cross class lines
• The size and importance of the working class have declined, making it less of an electoral force.
• What are core voters?

  Voters who will invariably support one or other of the main parties.
• What is partisan dealignment?

  The process where individuals no longer identify themselves on a long term basis by being associated with a certain political party
• Younger people tend to be more progressive and less ‘conservative’
• As people age and acquire more assets, there is a tendency to focus on more rational, self-interested issues, rather than wider social issues.
• Younger voters are less likely to vote than older voters
• Parties prioritise the concerns of older voters over those of younger voters due to the fact that older voters are more likely to vote.
• Historically, immigrants from BAME backgrounds came to the uK and were employed in the major cities working in industrial roles. This made them natural allies of the Labour Party
• There is a higher concentration of BAME voters in large cities, which are more likely to have a Labour majority
• Which part of England is very solidly Conservative?


  South
• Which party dominates London?


  Labour
• The Conservatives are also dominant in the English Midlands, though slightly less so than in the south
• Which part of England is a lead (but not a decisive one) for Labour?


  North
• Which party dominates Scotland?


  SNP
• Which party dominated Scotland before 2010?


  Labour
• Which party is the dominant party in Wales?


  Labour