1997 GENERAL ELECTION

blair won with 179 MAJORITY

ppl sick of major’s gov failing for 5 yrs bc of the economic policy - EG BLACK WEDNESDAY

lots of scandals eg cash for questions

in 1996 one poll put Labour over 60% and the Conservatives down at 21%.

Blair focused on gaining the support of Rupert Murdoch. The Sun decided to back Labour in the 1997 election,
But Murdoch's traditionally-conservative paper, The Times, chose not to back either party but was more positive about Labour than the Conservatives.

The biggest increase in Labour voters came among Sun readers, while the biggest collapse in Conservative voters came among readers of the Times. While Times readers still backed the Conservatives more than Labour, over half the readers of the Sun backed Labour.

• had modernised policy, in which the party moved away from traditional Labour policies of increasing taxes, strengthening trade unions and nationalisation.

  • New Labour was tough on law and order and Blair emphasised his links to business.

  • Labour emphasised itself as a moderate party that appealed to ‘Middle England’

  • Labour’s constitutional reform policy appealed to LibDEM voters who supported Labour in seats which their candidates had no chance of winning.

Men: Labour = 45%, Conservative = 31%

Women: Labour = 44%, Conservative: 32%

The 45-54 y/o saw the biggest collapse of the conservative vote (down 16 points).

The 45-54 y/o saw the biggest collapse of the conservative vote (down 16 points).

82% of black voters voted Labour (compared with 12% for the conservatives).

The Conservatives' worst performances were in Scotland , Wales

they performed most strongly in the South East, East Anglia and the South West.

In East Anglia, the South West and the South East the tories got more votes than Labour

The largest increase for Labour appears to be among young women on low incomes

And the largest collapse for the Conservatives among middle-aged, middle-class men and women.

He was seen as young, charismatic and energetic; even "cool". The contrast with John Major could hardly have been more stark.

Although there were other "big beasts" on the Labour front bench, like John Prescott and Gordon Brown, Blair was a very dominant figure in the Labour Party in the lead up to the 1997 General Election. He stamped his authority on the party and his vision of "New Labour" was very much the image of the party.

- Cut class sizes to 30 or under for 5, 6 and 7 year olds

- Fast-track punishment for persistent young offenders

- Get 250K >25 year-olds off benefit and into work

. A few key slogans were regularly repeated.

There was the campaign song “Things Can Only Get Better”) “Britain deserves better”

“New Labour: New Britain”.

Another, “Labour’s Coming Home” echoed a football song from Euro 96. These slogans, together with a focus on Blair as an individual, dominated the campaign,

John Prescott in a “battle bus” shored up the “core vote” and ensured traditional Labour voters were not disillusioned by the change in focus.