P - Age is the most influential factor affecting voting behaviour in the UK. Discuss (20 marks) Flashcards
(12 cards)
introduction
Age is arguably one of the most influential factors affecting voting behaviour in the UK. However, alongside age, other factors such as social class, newspapers, and issues voting also have an influence on voting behaviour. This essay will analyse and evaluate how influential age and the three other factors are on voting behaviour.
AGE: ARGUMENTS FOR
- age is now regarded as ‘the new main influence’ affecting voting behaviour
- statistics show that the chance of a person voting for the Conservatives gradually increases as their age increases, with only 8% of under 30s voting Conservative, increasing to 46% of 70-year-olds or older voting Conservative
- Conservatives policies of lower taxation and less radical change tend to appeal to older people, whereas Labour’s focus on wealth distribution and equality tend to appeal to younger people
- YouGov has now suggested that age is now the ‘key predictor’ in voting behaviour
AGE: ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- slight evidence that the influence of age on voting behaviour may be overstated: younger voters are much more likely to be ‘floater voters’: This group of voters refers to those who tend to change which party they vote for each election
SOCIAL CLASS: BACKGROUND
Traditionally in the UK, social class was argued to be the most influential factor affecting voting behaviour. Those in the C2 and DE working-class category voted for Labour, and those in the A/B/C1 middle- and upper-class categories typically vote Conservative. However, since the 80s, there has been a decline in the number of people voting according to their natural class
SOCIAL CLASS: ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- in the 2024 election, 36% of AB voters voted for labour as opposed to 27% voting conservative
- across all of the class categories, voting for Labour and the Conservatives was roughly the same
SOCIAL CLASS: ARGUMENTS FOR
- However, to some degree, class will always remain influential: example of this was seen in the 2024 election, where 34% of the DE category voted Labour
NEWSPAPERS: BACKGROUND
In the UK, just under half of households claim to have access to a newspaper, usually the same title every day. People who buy newspapers tend to stay loyal to a specific newspaper, meaning that every day they are taking in the views and opinions of that newspaper. Some political analysts argue that this allows a newspaper to greatly influence its readership
NEWSPAPERS: ARGUMENTS FOR
- in 2024, the most influential newspaper (The Sun) flipped its support from Conservatives to Labour after fourteen years. Following this, Labour won a landslide
- Political parties spend huge amounts of time and money ensuring that their party is positively represented in newspapers: clearly implies that even politicians think that newspapers influence voters, as they will even employ special advisers known as spin doctors to ensure positive coverage in newspapers
- newspapers are the main source of information on politics for many people, especially those over the age of 50
NEWSPAPERS: ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- evidence suggests voters tend to buy a newspaper which agrees with their pre-existing point of view: it is unlikely they will be influenced by newspapers as they are reading what they already agree
- circulation of newspapers has dramatically declined as in the last decade as more and more people access news online and on social media
ISSUES VOTING: BACKGROUND
Political scientists argue that there has been a great increase in rational voting, where voters vote for parties according to their policies on issues such as education and health. This therefore means that voters are influenced by ‘issues of the day’ and will vote for a party who they feel will deal with these issues the best.
ISSUES VOTING: ARGUMENTS FOR
In 2019, the most important issue at the time of the election was Brexit. Boris Johnson, leader of the Conservatives at the time, repeatedly stated that ‘a vote for them is a vote to leave’. This therefore resulted in a huge win for the Conservative Party
ISSUES VOTING: SUB-CONCLUSION + ARGUMENT AGAINST
Overall, current issues have a large impact on voters, and this can clearly be seen from the 2019 election. However, on the other hand, it can be argued that the majority of voters do not follow politics closely enough to be fully aware of key issues. This therefore implies that issues voting may not be the most influential factor affecting voting behaviour
