Social factors affecting voting behaviour

• Upper classes more likely to vote Cons as they protect their wealth
• Class does matter

  Issues over taxation and welfare payments closely link to class and distinguish the main parties
• Class doesn't matter


  Size and importance of working class declined making it less of an electoral force
• Class doesn't matter


  Class voting declined considerably due to class dealignment
• Class does matter


  Social mobility or lack of it and inequality major concern for voters
• Class does matter


  N.o. of voters still identify with party based on their class
• Class doesn't matter


  Increase number of home ownership and better educational opportunities make it harder to distinguish class affiliation
• Class doesn't matter


  Issues such as Brexit and immigration cross class lines e.g. working class even voted Cons
• Working class more likely to vote Labour as they have close links with trade unions
• Class dealignment


  People don't identify as being part of certain class

  Voting isn't linked to class
• Partisan dealignment


  Decline in attachment to one of two major parties

  Linked to class dealignment
• In 2019 election Cons got most votes from each class group because of their commitment to Brexit
• Increase in floating voters - voters who dont have loyalty to one party
• Class does matter


  To be successful parties have to appeal to all classes
• Class does matter


  Regional voting tends to reflect class based voting e.g. wealth and poverty
• Ethnicity doesnt matter

  Ethnic minorities part of working class so more likely to vote Labour
• Ethnicity doesnt matter


  BAME voters vote Labour due to economic factors

  Vote Labour because of class and income not ethnicity
• Ethnicity does matter


  Cons MP Powell made rivers of blood speech (stop boats)

  Called for end to immigration

  Some elements of Cons hostile to minorities
• Ethnicity does matter


  BAME voters bias towards Labour e.g. 2010 16% voted Cons
• Ethnicity does matter


  Labour strong connection with ethnic minorities

  Commitment to multiculturalism

  Race Relations Act - outlaw discrimination
• Ethnicity does matter


  2017 Coebyn strong empathy towards minorities made Labour win 49/73 seats in Greater London which has 45% white pop

  East Ham non white pop of 77% won 83.2% vote
• Ethnicity does matter


  Voter turnout affected by ethnicity

  BAME less likely to vote than whites
• Ethnicity doesn't matter


  Hindus and Sikh community more likely to vote Cons as they part of middle class and more prosperous than BAME
• Region does matter

  Ethically white areas of UK classically vote Conservative e.g. Cumbria
• Region


  Industrial areas of Scotland used to give Lab large support but now SNP dominated area
• In London increase in support for Labour e.g. 2017 Lab won 49 seats and Cons won 21 seats
• 2019 Cons smashed thru red wall i.e. got more votes where traditionally Labour did well.

  Because of HS2 and Brexit
• Region does matter


  Labour dominates ethnically diverse big cities with large working class populations and major centres of industrial production e.g Manchester, London
• Region does matter


  Lib Dems do badly because of FPTP so have few areas of concentrated support

  Orkney and Shetland support Lib Dems
• Region does matter


  South East most prosperous region with increase in home ownership and little heavy industry trade union so Cons do well
• Multiculturalism + metropolitan values of Labour makes it popular in London
• Region doesnt matter


  North of England more likely to vote Lab

  South more likely to vote Cons

  Du to economics
• Soaring cost of homes and high levels of inequality have damaged Cons part in London
• Age 


  Young have fewer responsibilities and so care more about social issues
• Age


  Old more likely to vote Conservatives as they protect their assets
• Age does matter


  Rise of more but less well-protected jobs aimed at young means that they less interested in traditional values
• Age does matter


  Young less likely to vote than olders.

  Even in 2017 with reported youthquake only 54% of young turned out
• Age


  Young engage in politics in other ways e.g. e-petitions, social media campaigns
• Age


  Young tend to adopt more progressive idea based on icrease levels of reform and change
• Age

  low turnout due to general belief that young have nothing to do with politics and that voting won't make a difference