Parties and Party System: Prospects for Realignment

Parliamentary Affairs

Volumn 56, Issue 2, 2003, Pages 283-296+ii+vi

  Webb, Paul ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 10744223618     PISSN: 00312290     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/parlij/gsg019     Document Type: Review

References (39)

1. Labour's lead is less daunting if corrected for differential turnout by excluding respondents who fail to declare that they are 'certain to vote' (see 'William Rees-Mogg, The Times, 30.12.02). The Conservatives, nevertheless, remain considerably less popular in the country than an increasingly beleaguered governing party. It is also doubtful whether the Conservatives would benefit much from the lower propensity of Labour supporters to vote if the perception grew that a forthcoming election was likely to be close: under such circumstances, they are likely to make greater efforts to vote.
2. A. Seldon and S. Ball, The Conservative Century: The Conservative Party Since 1900, OUP, 1994.
3. A. Downs, An Economic Theory of Democracy, Harper Row, 1957.
4. D. Sanders, 'The Impact of Left-Right Ideology' in G. Evans and P. Norris (eds), Critical Elections: British Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective, Sage, 1999, p. 201.
5. For factors affecting party competition in contemporary Britain see P. Webb, The Modern British Party System, Sage, 2000, chs 3-5.
6. Data from the directors of the BES.
7. P. Norris and J. Lovenduski, 'The Iceberg and the Titanic: Electoral Defeat, Policy Moods and Party Change', paper for the Elections, Public Opinion and Parties Conference, 2001.
8. J. Bara and I. Budge, 'Party Policy and Ideology: Still New Labour?' in P. Norris (ed.), Britain Votes 2001, OUP, 2001.
9. P. Norris, 'Apathetic Landslide: The 2001 General Election' in P. Norris (ed.), Britain Votes 2001, OUP, 2001, p. 19.
10. I. Budge, 'Party Policy and Ideology: Reversing the 1950s?' in G. Evans and P. Norris (eds), Critical Elections: British Parties and Voters in Long-Term Perspective, Sage, 1999, p. 5.
11. Norris and Lovenduski, 'The Iceberg and the Titanic', Figure 2.
12. S. Walters, Tory Wars: Conservatives in Crisis, Politico's, 2001, ch. 11.
13. See ICM Conservative Party members survey, August 2001 (http://www.icmresearch.co.uk).
14. A. Rawnsley, Observer, 13.10.02.
15. N. Watt, Guardian, 23 and 24.12.02.
16. ICM-Sunday Telegraph Poll, November 2002.
17. See Bara and Budge, 'Party Policy and Ideology'.
18. E. Fieldhouse and A, Russell, 'Latent Liberalism? Sympathy and Support for the Liberal Democrats at the 1997 British General Election', Party Politics, 7, pp. 711-38.
19. A. Russell, E. Fieldhouse and I. MacAllister, 'The Anatomy of Liberal Support in Britain, 1974-97' British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4/1, p. 67.
20. A. Russell, E. Fieldhouse and I. MacAllister, 'Two Steps Forward, One Step Back? The Liberal Democrats' 2001 General Elections Performance in Perspective', Representation, 38, p. 225.
21. Russell et al, 'The Anatomy of Liberal Support', pp. 51-4.
22. P. Cowley, Revolts and Rebellions: Parliamentary Voting Under Blair, Politico's, 2002, ch. 11.
23. Russell et al, 'Two Steps Forward, One Step Back?', p. 225.
24. www.peelgroup.org.uk.
25. With the November defection of Harold Elletson, former MP for Blackpool North, there were 15 ex-Conservative parliamentarians (eight MPs and seven MEPs) among the Liberal Democrat ranks by the end of 2002.
26. M. Oaten, 'Brave New World' in The Peel Group, Taking New Ground for the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Democrats, 2002.
27. S. Haseler, 'How the Liberal Democrats Can Replace the Tories', ibid.
28. MORI opinion poll data suggest that economic pessimists outstripped economic optimists by 32 percentage points in December 2002, whereas they had only done so by five points in April (www.mori.com).
29. See www.mori.com.
30. P. Kilfoyle, 'Don't Court Catastrophe', Guardian, 3.12.02.
31. See www.electoralcommission.org.uk.
32. Conservative Party, Annual Report and Accounts, 2002. See also statement by party chair Theresa May at http://www.conservatives.com/news/article.cfm?obj-id+AD0-39416
33. Conservative Party, Annual Report and Accounts, 2002. See also statement by party chair Theresa May at http://www.conservatives.com/news/article.cfm?obj-id+AD0-39416
34. P. Wintour and L. Ward, Guardian, 13.6.02.
35. See Guardian, 15.10.02 and Webb, The Modern British Party System, p. 242.
36. See Guardian, 15.10.02 and Webb, The Modern British Party System, p. 242.
37. M. Tempest, Guardian, 5.8.02.
38. Kilfoyle, 'Don't Court Catastrophe'.
39. A. Rawnsley, Observer, 24.11.02.