Party Success

• Factors that impact party success

  • Unity.
  • Leadership.
  • Media.
• Leadership and Party Success

  • Voters look for leaders with; experience, decisiveness, good media image, ability to lead, honesty.
  • Success; May in 2016 had high poll ratings when she took over from Cameron; as former Home Secretary for 6 years she was seen as a steady pair of hands; elected unopposed by her party which demonstrated leadership qualities; good media image as tough and clever.
  • Failure; Corbyn in 2015; not seen as intelligent; not a unifier as Labour MPs passed a motion of confidence in him in 2016.
  • However, in 2017 election, May's leadership was unable to defeat Corbyn.
• Unity and Party Success

  • Some say that a disunited party has no hope of being elected.
  • 1980s; Conservatives united under Thatcher; Labour split between left and right wings; Labour split due to Limehouse Accords in 1981.
  • 1997; Labour united around Blair and New Labour; Conservatives under Major split over Europe.
  • 2016; Conservatives united over getting Brexit done however by 2017 Election they were not as united; in 2017, Labour able to unite around Corbyn's manifesto and increase seats.
• The Media and Party Success

  • Electorate influenced by images of the party in media.
  • Wavering voters and good press campaigns can sway voters.
  • In 2017; majority of newspapers supported the Conservatives but Labour won seats - suggests that media does not change voter opinion.
  • In 2017; 39% of 'Sun' readers voted Conservative; 50% of Guardian readers voted Labour.
  • Broadcasters and TV debates must be neutral; Lib Dem Nick Clegg performance in 2010 allowed them to enter coalition however they actually lost seats at the election so arguably little impact; recent years have seen leaders absent.