A level UK politics: AQA
1945 Salisbury Convention - Answer-Lords cannot oppose A bill in the Manifesto
The Change election - Answer-• The General Election of 1997 was, what is
sometimes referred to as, a change election.
o A change election exists when a period associated with the dominance of one
party ends and a new period begins (such as 1945, 1979 or 1997).
o There was not just a minor shift between parties but a landslide victory for Labour.
How many seats did labour gain in 1997 - Answer-145
43% of vote share
91 seat majority
Changes blair made to the labour party - Answer-In 1995 the party abandoned
Clause IV of its constitution committing the party to socialist policies of common
ownership.
o Instead the party positioned itself much more in the centre of the political spectrum
and distanced itself from its more left-wing history and from the trade union
movement.
o A number of figures from the left of the party found themselves marginalised (such
as future leader Jeremy Corbyn).
Policy promises Blair made in 1997 Election - Answer-• Cut NHS waiting lists by
treating an extra 100,000 patients (as first step by releasing £100 million saved from
NHS red tape)
• Get 250,000 under-25 year-olds off benefit and into work (by using money from a
windfall levy on the privatised utilities)
• No rise in income tax rates (cut VAT on heating to 5% and inflation and interest
rates as low as possible).
• proposals for constitutional reform, such as Lords reform,
• a freedom of information act, referendums on devolution to Scotland and Wales,
• whether to change the voting system.
This helped to give the campaign a sense of radicalism while remaining firmly in the
political centre ground on economic and social issues.
Blair speaking about Major in 90s - Answer-"I lead my party; he follows his"
Problems with conservative campaign in 1997 election - Answer-financial scandals,
such as the "Cash for Questions" affair, where two Conservative backbenchers were
alleged to have accepted payments via a lobbyist, in return for asking questions in
the House of Commons.
• A perception that the Conservative Party was weak, divided, sleazy and corrupt
certainly contributed to the election result.
• Not much is remembered of the Conservative Party manifesto of 1997. While John
Major described it as "bold" and "far-reaching" there were few eye-catching policies
• the most eye-catching policy was probably a tax allowance proposal to encourage
traditional nuclear families
,o only contributed to a sense that the Conservative Party in 1997 did not represent
where the UK was.
Role of Media in 1997 election and evaluation - Answer-• Blair made a conscious
decision to court The Sun's notorious owner, Rupert Murdoch.
o After meeting him, he won the prize: The Sun decided to back Labour in the 1997
election, while another of Murdoch's traditionally-conservative papers, The Times,
chose not to back either party, but was more positive about Labour than the
Conservatives.
• Some argue that the impact of the Sun might be overstated. The paper has backed
the winning party in every UK general election since the 1970s.
o It had been a Labour paper until famously switching to the Conservatives in 1979.
o However, it could be argued that the Sun is just good at predicting election results
and backing winners. It is not clear that their backing actually has that big an impact
on the final result.
o 2010 is sometimes presented as an exception to the Sun's power over election
results, as Cameron failed to win a majority, despite the Sun having loudly switched
support back from Labour to the Conservatives.
spin doctors in 1997 election - Answer-• significant factor in the 1997 General
Election was the impact of spin doctors.
• New Labour approached the press in a new way, trying to manipulate the press
and the television news
o The key figure on the Labour side who performed this role was Alistair Campbell.
o Campbell and other figures like Peter Mandelson, carefully courted journalists and
editors and ensured that they got stories ready-packaged that would put across the
message of the day.
o between 1994 and 1997, journalists were wooed, flattered and rewarded with
access, interviews and good stories.
Mondeo Man - Answer-• Mondeo Man was Tony Blair's idea of the sort of person
who had to switch from Conservative to Labour in order for Labour to win in 1997.
He was in his 30s, married, owned his home (semi-detached), lived in the South
East and drove a Ford Mondeo.
• Psephologists also talk about C1s - the aspirational lower middle class. These were
identified as swing voters (and also often lived in marginal seats) and New Labour
targeted them pretty ruthlessly and effectively.
Evidence of Class voting in 1997 election - Answer-41% of ABs voted Conservative
(compared with 31% Labour)
50% of C2s and 59% of DEs voted Labour, compared with 27% and 21%
respectively for the Tories.
1911 Parliament Act - Answer-Lords can't delay money bills and power of veto
replaced by 2 year delay
1945 Parliament Act - Answer-Delay changed to one year
,"The House of Lords is like a glass of champagne that has stood for five days" -
Answer-Clement Atlee
Example of how parliament can't be bound by past government - Answer-Repealed
the 1988 local government act which made it illegal to promote homosexuality in
school
Magna Carta (1215) - Answer-Nobody deprived of liberty without law process
Bill of Rights (1689) - Answer-Regular parliament, free elections, free speech in
parliament
Act of Union (1707) - Answer-England and Scotland in Westminister
European Communities Act 1972 - Answer-Britain into EEC making EU law
president over UK
The Levison Enquiry - Answer-Established an independant press standard
organisation after Rupert Murdoch News Of the World phone hacking scandal
% of respondant who said TV was the biggest influence of the media - Answer-62
How many watched the TV debates in 2010 - Answer-9.6m
How many watched the TV debates in 2017 - Answer-3.5m
What % of the young rely totally on online information - Answer-79%
How much did the conservatives spend a month on Facebook ads in 2015 - Answer-
£100,000
% voted for Brexit without qualifications - Answer-75
% voted against Brexit with qualifications - Answer-75
% of ethnic minorities voted for Labour in 2010 - Answer-60
% of ethnic minorities voted for Con in 2010 - Answer-16
Turnout in NI in 2017 - Answer-65
% of Liverpool Walton that voted Labour in 2017 - Answer-85.7
% over 65s voted in 2010 - Answer-76
% 18-24 voted in 2010 - Answer-44
% people voted for con and lab in 1979 - Answer-81
% people voted for con and lab in 2010 - Answer-65
, % of people vote who own a home - Answer-74 (63% in 2017 of population -
Guardian)
% of people vote who don't own a home - Answer-55
When did class stop being the biggest factor? - Answer-1970's
Age in the 2017 election - Answer-60% of 18-24 Labour
61% of 64+ con
Ethnicity in the 2017 election - Answer-73% BME Labour
Cost of the confidence and supply agreement with DUP - Answer-£1B
Conservative seats in 2017 election - Answer-317
Labour seats in the 2017 election - Answer-262
How many seats did the conservatives gain in 1979 - Answer-63
Winter of Discontent - Answer-1978-79
Black Wednesday - Answer-1992
How many seats did Labour gain in 1997 - Answer-150
When was the Electoral Commission set up? - Answer-2000
Referendum with a close result - Answer-Brexit Remain: 48.1% Leave: 51.9%
Referendum with a low turnout - Answer-2011 extension for powers for Welsh
assembly turnout 35.6%
Referndum with a clear result - Answer-Should there be a Scottish Parliament 74%
yes (1997)
Referendum that caused conflict - Answer-62% Scottish voters voted remain
Referendum with a high turnout - Answer-NI Good Friday Agreement 1998 81%
turnout
How many people voted for smaller parties in 2015 - Answer-1/4
Policy introduced in Scotland in Scotland Labour, LIb Dem coalition - Answer-no
tuition fees, elderly recieve free nursing care, abolish prescription charges
2015 Recall of MPs Act - Answer-Bi election if MP sentenced to custody and 10%
const sign recall petition
