1997

• Context


  Conservatives had been in power for 18 years, Major's government was divided over EU, and associated with sleaze and incompetence
• Results

  • Labour won 418 seats with 43% of the vote
  • Conservatives won 165 seats with 30% of the vote (lost 178 seats)
  • Turnout was 71%
• Governing Competence


  Major was involved in several sleaze scandals the most notorious being with Edwina Currie (MP for South Derbyshire). There was also 'Black Wednesday" which resulted in rises in interest due to the ERM being dropped
• Manifesto


  Conservatives: control inflation, increase home ownership, improve Britain's defences

  Labour: promised to cut NHS wait times and cut class sizes to 30 - used Pledge cards to show honesty
• Leadership


  Major was seen as incompetent and weak, as well as boring

  Blair was seen as young, fresh and charismatic
• Issue Voting


  Mainly the fact that Major was associated with sleaze, division and corruption
• Campaign


  Major delivered a boring campaign with "New Labour New Danger"

  Blair incorporated slogans, songs (Things can only get better) and adverts
• Media


  Labour managed to win the support of the sun (when they were already leading significantly) and were 20% ahead in option polls at the start of their campaign