Influences on Voting Patterns

1
Influences on Voting Patterns

• Location

2

• The Labour party was dependent on wining a
  comfortable majority of Scottish and Welsh seats
  to overcome Conservative majorities in 1950, 1964
  and in 1974 to be elected as the new government.
• Conservatives strong in the south of the country.

3
North South divide

• The Conservatives are stronger in the south of
  England.
• Labour is more stronger in the north of England
  as well as Scotland and Wales.
• The divisions are explained by class factor.
• Labour appealing to the working class as Scotland
  , Wales and Northern England had more working
  class constituencies than the south.

4

• Conservative strength confined to the suburbs and
  rural constituencies.
• In the south east the Conservative party won 71
  out of a possible 117 in 1997 and 2001
• In rural East Anglia the Conservatives won 14 out
  of a possible 22

5
Closing Gap between North and South

• There has been a decline in the number of votes
  for the conservatives in the south limiting them
  to rural areas.
• This has been due to the Labour party appealing
  more to the more middle classes.
• The Conservatives gained 17.5 of votes in 1997
  in Scotland and 20 in Wales but no Conservatives
  got elected in the north of England , Scotland
  and Wales.

6
Comparison between 1987 and 2001 election results