The breakup of two-party dominance

What is a two-party system ?

a party system in which 2 political parties dominate competition for seats and government

Which two parties dominated Westminister government for most of the post-war period ?

Labour and the Conservatives

What type of government operated between 2010 and 2015 ?

A Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government

What combined share of the vote did Labour and the Conservatives receive in the 2024 general election ?

56%

What is an opinion poll ?

A survey that measures public opinion, including support for political parties and voting intentions

What did the reading state about Reform UK’s position in opinion poll’s by September 2026 ?

it stated that Reform UK was leading in the opinion polls and that, if an election were held then, it would win either the most seats or some second

Name 3 other parties that now exert influence alongside Labour and the Conservatives ?

1 - Liberal Democrats

2 - Reform UK

3 - Green Party

Which party governed from 1979 to 1997 ?

the conservative party

Which party governed from 1997 to 2010 ?

the labour party

Explain why the fall in Labour and Conservative combined vote share, challenges the idea that the UK is still a two-party system ?

a two-party system is characterised by two parties dominating political competition.

If Labour and the Conservatives together receive a much smaller share of votes, this shows that more voters are supporting other parties and that political competition has become more fragmented

Explain how Brexit contributed to weakening traditional party loyalites ?

Brexit cut across the normal Labour-Conservative divide, voters from both major parties supported Leave and Remain, and some traditional Labour voters moved towards the Conservatives or later Reform UK. This made older patterns of party loyalty less reliable.