Major - 1992 election Flashcards
What was the Sun’s headline over the Conservatives win in the 1992 election?
“It was the Sun wot won it”
What role did the Sun play in the 1992 election?
Sun switched its support from Labour and begun to attack Labour. Kinnock blamed pro-Conservative media for the Conservatives success, so did the sun.
What was the readership of the Sun?
Largely working class
What were the polls before the Sun’s switch?
Polls prior to the Sun’s switch were predicting a 7 point Labour lead.
What role did privatisation play in the election?
Between 20% and 30% of the population had bought shares
What was the impact of “Right to Buy”?
1.5m tenants able to buy their houses, led to increase home ownership.
What was a consequence of “Rugged Individualism”?
Trade union membership declined by 3.5 million
What long term factors damaged Labour’s party image?
“The longest suicide not in history” and the “Winter of discontent”
Had developed the reputation for making inflation worse
What short term factors damaged Labour’s party image?
John Smith’s proposed shadow budget planned to increase taxation
Jennifer’s ear scandal - made the Labour party look less trustworthy.
How did Kinnock’s and Major’s popularity change in leadership opinion polls?
Major dropped from 53% to 48% and Kinnock rose from 35% to 37%
What damaged Kinnock’s image?
Kinnock’s actions at the Sheffield rally seemed triumphalist, making Major seem more trustworthy and more of a leader.
What impact did the Liberal Democrats have?
Under the Charismatic leadership of Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrats continued to take votes from Labour - secured 20 seats with 17.8% of the vote.
What socio-economic changes were there?
Decline of the “working class” (35% of population)
Reduced Trade Union membership
Increased share ownership (20-30% of the population)
Right to buy (1.5 million tenants able to buy their houses)
