The Uk General Election Of 2010

The 2010 general election was the most eagerly awaited contest in Britain since 1997. With opinion polls showing a closing gap between the parties, the result was uncertain right up to polling day. In the end, the election was particularly noteworthy for three reasons. First of all, there were televised debates between leaders of the three largest parties. This idea has long been called for, but for a variety of reasons they had not occurred in Britain until 2010. Now they are here, they are almost certainly here to stay. Secondly, the election led to the end of thirteen years of Labour rule. Just as the 1964 and the 1997 elections had delivered the final blows to long-standing one party government, so 2010 did the same. What made 2010 particularly significant however was that, unlike 1964 or 1997, no single party assumed the reins of power. Thirdly, although the Conservatives ended up as the largest party by some margin, they were still some twenty seats short of a majority of just one. Not since the election of February 1974 had the result failed to produce a majority government in the Commons, and before that, we would have to go back to 1929 to find a similar outcome. This book features high quality and data-rich examinations of the election. It is intended for audiences who want to go beyond a simple description of the election towards an enhanced understanding of why the election turned out the way it did. This book was published as a special edition of Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties.

′The Britain at the Polls series always asks—and answers, often with new insights—the key questions about British general elections. And few elections in living memory pose as many big questions as that of May 2010.′ - Martin Kettle, The Guardian ′For decades Britain at the Polls has given us high quality insights into British elections. This latest edition is the most significant and intriguing of all: an excellent cast of contributors provide a vivid and accessible presentation of evidence with an engaging clarity of writing and depth of analysis. It should prove invaluable not only for academics, but students, journalists and anyone who wants to understand a unique, game-changing election.′ - Geoffrey Evans, Nuffield College, Oxford ′Britain at the Polls 2010 is an essential guide to a highly unusual election. The authors provide detailed coverage of the major developments within and between the parties, the issues that shaped the election and—perhaps most importantly—some long-term trends in public opinion that might explain New Labour′s slow but steady decline since the late 1990s. Detailed, yet highly accessible, this book should be read by anyone interested in the what, when and why of this remarkable event in British politics.′ - Kai Arzheimer, Professor of Empirical Political Science, University of Mainz ′This is an outstanding collection of papers by an outstanding cast of authors. It tells the story of the remarkable election of 2010 to be sure, but it also makes general patterns in British politics much more understandable. I heartily endorse it.′ - Christopher Wlezien, Professor of Political Science, Temple University, Philadelphia ′This volume is a worthy contribution to a long-running and valuable series of post-election analyses. It provides insights which are of immediate interest, and in coming years it will be a useful reference for those who want to recall ′what really happened′ in the important election of 2010. - Susan Scarrow, University of Houston The latest book in the long-running Britain at the Polls series provides an indispensible and incisive review of the extraordinary 2010 UK general election. Leading experts chart the path from Tony Blair′s reelection in 2005 to the collapse of the Labour vote and the formation of the first coalition government since 1945. Topics covered include Gordon Brown′s premiership, David Cameron′s leadership of a resurgent Conservative party, the effects of the financial crisis and the parliamentary expenses scandal, and the drama of the UK′s first ever televised leaders′ debates. The book analyses the impact of these factors and others on the election and looks ahead to assess how the coalition government-and British politics-will adapt in the new political and economic environment.

The British General Election of 2010 is a must-read for anyone wanting to know how the action unfolded in the most dramatic election for a generation. Drawing on hundreds of confidential interviews with all the key players, it offers a compelling insider's guide to the election's background, campaign and results, including a detailed account of what really happened in the formation of the UK's first coalition government since the second world war. Designed to appeal to everyone from Westminster insiders, to politics students and to the wider general public, this is the authoritative account of the 2010 election. Continuing a proud Palgrave Macmillan tradition, The British General Election of 2010 is the eighteenth in the prestigious series of books dating back to 1945.

The 2010 General Election represented a pathbreaking contest in Political Communication. The TV debates changed forever the feel of the campaign. This book brings together key commentators, analysts and polling experts to present readers with a unique and valuable insight into the development of political communication in British Politics.

Despite a recent decline in voter turnout, British general elections are still the centrepiece of Britain's liberal democracy and their results make a real difference to every British citizen. They command strong media interest long before their dates are announced and even uneventful campaigns dominate the headlines. The 2010 general election saw the first direct televised debates between the main party leaders, adding further interest to a battle which was always likely to be close. The result was a 'hung parliament' and the first British coalition government since 1945. However, as this book shows these were only the latest manifestations of a transformation in British elections which began in the early 1960s. While some election rituals remain intact - the counting of votes by hand, the solemn declaration of individual constituency results and, most importantly, the peaceful handover of power if the incumbent party loses, almost everything of significance has changed. Voters have very different attitudes; fewer of them have party loyalties which are more than skin deep, and they tend to base their choices on 'short-term' factors such as the perceived competence of the parties and the image of the leader. The parties themselves are barely recognisable from the institutions of 1964 - not least because their membership figures have dwindled dramatically. Election campaigns are now heavily centralised, and focus obsessively on a handful of target seats. This book reviews the history of British general elections since 1964, charting the changes in voters and parties at every step. In parallel, it shows how electoral analysts have responded to these developments. The first book of its kind, it will be invaluable to readers with a general interest in British politics, as well as to undergraduate and postgraduate students of the subject.

The 2010 election has transformed the British political landscape, ushering in a coalition government for the first time since the Second World War, and breaking up the UK's traditional pattern of two-party dominance. This book analyses the implications of this turning point in British history, looking beyond the sound and fury of the election campaign in search of the deeper causes and long-term consequences of the 2010 poll. As well as assessing the reasons for Labour's defeat and the Conservatives' failure to win the election outright, the book also addresses the impact of the global financial crisis and the problems facing the British economy one decade into the new century. This volume will be of interest both to academic specialists, students and the interested general reader seeking insights into the rapidly changing British political scene.

The British General Election of 2017 is the definitive and authoritative account of one of the most dramatic elections in British history. Throwing aside her natural caution, Theresa May called a snap election and was widely expected to crush Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Her gamble backfired spectacularly as the Conservatives lost their Commons majority to a resurgent Labour led by one of the most unconventional politicians to lead a major British political party. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, with unparalleled access to all the key players, The British General Election of 2017 offers a revelatory guide to what really happened. The 20th edition in this prestigious series of books dating back to 1945, it is designed to appeal to everyone — from Westminster insiders and politics students to the wider general public.

Why do people vote as they do? Indeed, why do they vote at all? What do they think about elections and democracy? This book addresses these questions by focusing on the explanatory power of rival sociological and 'individual rationality' models.