Topic 6: 2001/2005 elections (1997-2007) Flashcards

1
Q

5

Describe the reasons why Labour won the 2001 and 2005 elections

A
  • Labour election campaign
  • Economic factors
  • Social policy factors
  • FP successes
  • Conservative failures

could integrate top point into other 4

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2
Q

3

Describe the results of the 2001 election

A
  • Lab 412 (-6), Con 166 (+1), LD 52 (+6)
  • Second landslide a forgone conclusion, so much that Labour called election year early
  • Polls reliably predicted results, though Labour popular vote dropped to 40% against poll averages of 48% measured half way through campaign
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3
Q

3

Describe the turnout of the 2001 election

A
  • turnout dropped 12 points to 59% (less than 50% in some constituencies)
  • Political apathy paramount to campaign and result
  • Daily Mail political editor, Edward Heathcoat Amory, declared that election was a victory for the ‘stay at home party’
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4
Q

3

Describe the 2001 Labour manifesto

A
  • Promised large increase in public service employment, especially teachers and nurses
  • Pledged £300m extra for cancer scanners and treatment machines
  • committments overshadowed by refusal of Alastair Darling (Chief Sec of Treasury) to answer question on whether Labour would increase NI contributions
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5
Q

2

Describe the 2001 Conservative/LD manifestos

A
  • LD - promised enlargment of public services simialr to Labour but matched it with claim that increase in taxation was needed to fund it
  • Conservative - announced tax cut of £8bn but with expansion of public services
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6
Q

4

Describe the Labour 2001 campaign

A
  • Capitalised on initial lack of interest in election campaign by announcing mortage rate was at lowest in 40 years
  • mid-May, 58 company chief execs pledged their vote for Labour, including Sir Alan Sugar and Sir Terence Conran
  • Black Day
  • Mandelson held concerns that party was not presenting itself well enough and campaign organisation needed tightening
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7
Q

6

Describe Labour’s ‘Black Day’ 2001

A
  • May 16th
  • Media frenzy after John Prescott (DPM) punched protestor who had threw egg at him in North Wales
  • Foreign press claimed Prescott acted like a ‘bully boy’
  • Jack Straw (HS) heckled at Police Federation meeting
  • Blair given severely and very publically berated by lady whose partner could not find hospital bed despite having cancer
  • Andrew Marr (BBC Political Correspondent) claimed it was Labour’s worst day since era of Michael Foot
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8
Q

4

Describe the Tory 2001 campaign

A
  • Early campaign rocked by Ted Heath claim that William Hague had become a ‘laughing stock’ with nonsensical policies
  • ICM poll 3 days afterwards showed that middle class support for Tories dropped to 17% against Labour support of 59%
  • Oliver Letwin (Shadow Chief Sec to Treasury) claimed Tories would make £20bn tax cuts despite published £8bn figure (later corrected to an eventual ambition) - caused confusion
  • divisions over europe - in 3rd week of campaign, 3 candidates announced support for EU withdrawal and declared potential introduction of euro the ‘biggest constitutional change’ since death of Charles I
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9
Q

5

Describe the results of the 2005 election

A
  • Lab 355 (-57), Con 198 (+32), LD 62 (+10)
  • Lab 35% (-5.5), Con 32% (+0.7), LD 22% (+4)
  • Labour percentage of 35% lowest any winning party has ever achieved
  • only 22% of electorate backed Labour
  • Conservatives unable to capitalise on Blair unpopularity (such sentiment mostly captured by LD)
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10
Q

4

Describe the distortion of the 2005 election results

A
  • 60k more English voters backed Conservatives over Labour
  • Though Labour won 92 more english seats than Conservatives
  • Labour won 55% seats, 35% votes; LD won 10% seats, 22% votes
  • Boosted PR campaign seen in concerns expressed by Electoral Reform Society
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11
Q

4

Describe the 2005 election campaign

A
  • Labour increased poll lead from 5% at start of campaign to 7% by end
  • Labour claimed Conservatives would cut public spending by £35bn
  • Howard’s deselected Tory MP Howard Flight after he was recorded claiming that spending cuts could exceed manifesto committments
  • Intellgience failings over Iraq (no WMD) provoked claims Blair could not be trusted
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12
Q

Describe the decline in the Labour lead over the Conservatives 1997-2005

A

12.5% (1997) → 9% (2001) → 3% (2005)

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