1983 General Election

• 1983 election results

  Conservatives - 397 seats with 13 million votes

  Labour - 209 seats with 8.4 million votes

  Liberal/SDP (Alliance) - 23 seats with 7.8 million votes

  Other - 21 seats with 1.4 million votes
• 1983 context

  Falkland's War victory

  Fractioned Labour Party - SDP breakaway

  Rising unemployment
• Labour's 1983 manifesto (The New Hope for Britain) was too left wing and dubbed the longest suicide note in history. A lot of criticism from members in the party including Tony Blair.

  Conservatives wanted to privatise - manifesto was just as radical and ideological but better perceived as Thatcher had control over her party

  Alliance wanted to increase the NHS budget, reform the electoral system and advance devolution for Scotland and Wales
• Thatcher's campaigning was more presidential, with televised interviews and speeches. She used the media to improve her image whereas newspapers mostly attacked Foot for the inability to manage his party
• The voting system penalised Alliance as there was only a difference of 2.2% of the vote share, yet they won 186 fewer seats

  There was also evidence of a winners bonus as Conservatives won a landslide victory with only 42.4% of the popular vote