1997 General Election

• 45% of men voted Labour
• 44% of women voted Labour

• 31% of men voted Conservative
• 32% of women voted Conservative

Gained more votes than the Conservatives in every age group

Those aged 55 and above were most likely to vote Conservative

Labour gained the highest proportion of votes in the North with 62%

The Conservatives gained the highest proportion of votes in the South East at 41%

70% of non-white voters voted Labour, as well as the majority of white voters

18% of non-white voters voted Conservative

Manual and lower-paid workers were more likely to vote for Labour

Those in higher-paid careers were more likely to vote Conservative

Thatcherism

Europe

Economic decline

Tory 'sleaze'

During the 1980s, the policies of Margaret Thatcher had divided the Conservative party.

This meant that the party struggled to unify behind Thatcher, making it difficult to stand up to their opposition.

The Conservative party was increasingly divided over Britain's position in Europe, split into pro-Europeans and Eurosceptics.

This divide severely weakened the party.

Britain experienced a recession at the beginning of both the 80s and the 90s.

Thatcher's policies increased unemployment whilst tackling inflation. Economic hardship made the Conservatives unpopular.

During John Major's government, several Conservative MPs were involved in scandals of corruption and illicit sexual affairs.

This made the public lose faith in the party.

• Her brand of conservatism was still strongly remembered by the British public.
• The Conservative defeat in 1997 was a rejection of Thatcherite conservatism as well as support for the Labour party.

• Major was a likeable, but bland and uninspiring character.
• This was a pleasant change of pace after Thatcher's abrasive character.

• Tony Blair had a great impression on the British public.
• Compared to Major, Blair was younger, and captured the public's attention, spearheading the campaign of 'New Labour' in 1997.

This aimed to present the Conservatives as the safe choice for Britain.

It was ineffectual against a background of Thatcherism, economic decline and scandals.

The campaign targeted white, middle-class, white-collar workers, age 35+ - their usual voter base.

The highest proportion of the party's votes was from these groups, but this did not outweigh their overall loss in popularity.

Major promised a return to traditional values, such as a tax break for married couples when one partner stayed at home.

Whilst it was traditional, by 1997 these ideas were outdated.

The Conservatives promised to keep Europe at arm's length.

This promise did not have much credibility given the division over Europe in the party.

The Conservatives attacked Labour's plans for Welsh and Scottish devolution, warning that it would break up the union.

This alienated potential voters in Scotland and Wales who supported devolution.

The Conservatives used this slogan to imply that Labour would be dangerous for Britain.

Despite posters depicting Tony Blair with devil eyes, the Conservatives did not actually state the dangers - this failed to sway voters.

The Conservatives accused Labour of stealing Conservative policies and ideas.

This created a contradiction - if Labour was stealing Conservative ideas, why was Labour dangerous?

Major attacked Labour by saying that 'New Labour' was a façade and they would revert to their old policies when in power.

This was ineffective for two reasons:

1. The shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown promised this would not happen.
2. In the 1992 campaign, John Major had promised to cut VAT but then had not done so - this seemed hypocritical.

This was used as a way to promote Labour's new centrist approach. It had reinvented itself as a modern party that would sweep away the Conservatives who were holding Britain back.

This campaign was quite effective- people were desperate for change after 18 years of a Conservative government, and the image Labour and Tony Blair presented was enticing.

The campaign focused on the middle and lower-middle classes, which had become a large majority of British people, as well as maintaining their traditional working-class support.

This was very effective - the Labour party gained more votes than the Conservative party in every age, gender, and ethnic group and most regions of the UK.

A key element of Blair's campaign was his use of spin doctors - their job was to judge the public mood and present government policies to the public in a favourable light - essentially 'spinning' a story.

Spin doctors were controversial. At their best, they were simply a form of public relations, but at their worst, they were a method of lying to the public.

Tony Blair promised that there would be no income tax rises and that VAT would be cut.

These promises were enticing, but they became believable as Labour explained how these goals would be funded and achieved.

Labour emphasised reducing unemployment, especially among young people.

This was looked on favourably as unemployment was high, largely thanks to the recessions in the early 1980s and 1990s, as well as Thatcher's policies.

Labour vowed to reduce the size of infant school classes and cut waiting times for the NHS.

This was effective as the Labour party explained how these policies would be put in place.

Labour promised to tackle crime rates, especially among young people.

This was one of the policies that helped to entice the middle-class voters who might have normally voted Conservative.