UK politics evidence

Example of direct democracy in the UK

Brexit referendum (2016): 51.89% voted to leave, 72% turnout

Labour Party membership (March 2024)

366,000

Conservative Party membership (November 2024)

131,680

Example of the Recall of MPs Act in use

October 2023: Peter Bone suspended for bullying and misconduct; 13% of constituents signed the petition (10% needed)

Evidence of e-petition effectiveness

Euthanasia bill debated after 203,000+ signatures (April 2024); passed on November 29, 2024

Example of high turnout in referendums

Scottish Independence Referendum (2014): 84.6% turnout

Cost of the Brexit referendum (2016)

£150 million

Reason for voter apathy

2015 poll: Most common reason was "not believing it will make a difference."

Tactical voting in the UK

2024 General Election: 25% of people voted tactically

Turnout disparity by age group

2015-2019: 18-24 turnout just above 50%; over-75s above 80%

Example of minority rights harmed by direct democracy

Switzerland’s frequent referendums damaged minority rights

Labour's loss of safe seats in 2019

Redcar (never Conservative) and Bolsover (Labour since 1950) went Conservative

Evidence of 'Bregret'

March 2024 poll: 57% believe leaving the EU was the wrong choice

Reform UK membership growth (2024)

5,000 (March) → 105,000 (December)

Legitimacy concerns from low voter turnout

2024 General Election: 60% turnout, Labour won with 33.7% of popular vote

Example of compulsory voting's effectiveness

Belgium and Australia use compulsory voting; UK polling (2023): 70% agree voting is a duty

Historic suffrage expansion (1832)

Great Reform Act enfranchised £10+ renters, reallocated MPs from "rotten boroughs."

Example of pressure group success

BMA campaigned for and achieved a 2% wage rise for doctors post-pandemic

Methodology of Just Stop Oil

Prioritised message over public image; vandalised petrol pumps, activists scaled bridges

National Farmers Union influence example

Worked with DEFRA to secure £220 million for farming innovation

Example of protest on Palestinian crisis (2024)

400,000 marched in London

Example of digital campaigning success

Marcus Rashford & FareShare: Free meals campaign for struggling children

What are Labour’s economic priorities announced in 2024?

Economic stability, tackling tax avoidance, introducing a fiscal lock, setting up Great British Energy, and creating a National Wealth Fund

How does Labour plan to address NHS issues?

reducing wait times with more appointments, using private healthcare to tackle backlogs, and funding overtime through abolishing the non-dom tax loophole

Labour's stance on law and order

Increase police numbers, halve violence against women, impose tougher sentences, and scrap the Rwanda plan

What is a significant past stance of the Liberal Democrats regarding civil liberties?

Opposing the Communications Data Bill (Snooper's Charter) to protect privacy rights

What educational policy did the Liberal Democrats champion during their coalition with Conservatives?

The Pupil Premium policy, providing additional school funding for disadvantaged pupils

What was the SNP's key investment in healthcare?

Offering NHS Scotland staff a pay rise of at least 4% and improving mental health services

Name a signature welfare policy proposed by the Green Party

Introducing Universal Basic Income

How does Reform UK propose to reform the welfare system?

By reducing illegal migration to ease welfare system pressure

How many votes per seat did Labour need in 2024 compared to Reform UK?

Labour needed 24,000 votes per seat; Reform UK needed over 800,000

How has FPTP impacted extremist parties like the BNP?

Despite winning 1.9% of the vote in 2010, the BNP secured no seats due to FPTP

How does AMS correct constituency vote imbalances?

By allocating seats through a closed party list, as in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections

What percentage of votes cast had no effect in the 2019 election?

70%.

How did the 2024 general election show FPTP's impact on smaller parties?

Reform UK gained 14.29% of the votes but won only 5 seats

What election result highlighted tactical voting against Conservatives?

Smaller parties' vote share increased to 42.6% in 2024.

What was the Ipsos MORI finding about voting behavior among 18-24 and 65+ age groups in 2017?

62% of 18-24-year-olds voted Labour (27% Conservative), while 69% of 65+ voters voted Conservative (19% Labour)

According to YouGov, at what age does voting preference diverge in the UK?

Age 39

How did the Conservative vote share change among 18-24-year-olds from 2019 to 2024?

It dropped from 21% in 2019 to 5% in 2024

What term did YouGov use to describe age's impact on British politics?

“the biggest dividing line in British politics.”

What was a key strategy used by Blair to increase female representation in Parliament in 1997?

He introduced all-women shortlists.

How did Brexit influence voting behaviour in Northern England in the 2019 General Election?

It helped Conservatives break Labour’s "Red Wall" of traditional strongholds.

What phenomenon describes the reduced alignment between social class and voting patterns after the 1970s?

Class dealignment.

How did Labour's vote share among class AB change from 1997 to 2010, according to Ipsos MORI?

It decreased from 59% in 1997 to 40% in 2010.

What percentage of BAME voters supported Labour in the 2019 election?

64%

What voting trend was observed among voters with degrees compared to those with no qualifications in the 2017 elections?

47% of degree-holders voted Labour/Lib Dem, while 53% of voters with no qualifications voted Conservative

What was the influence of The Sun on the 1992 election, and how is it often summarised?

Its support for the Conservatives is credited with their victory, summarised as "The Sun Wot Won It."

What was the significance of Labour's use of social media in 2017?

Viral videos and social media campaigns, like Corbyn challenging May to a debate, reached millions and boosted youth engagement

How many live paid-for Facebook adverts did the Conservatives and Labour have in the 2019 General Election?

Conservatives had 2,500 adverts, while Labour had 250

What campaign strategy helped John Major secure an unexpected victory in 1992?

Using a soapbox in town centers, contrasting with Neil Kinnock’s overconfidence

How did media coverage contribute to the public outcry against Dominic Cummings in 2020?

The Daily Mirror and Guardian investigations into his lockdown rule-breaking became lead stories across platforms

official Extinction Rebellion success

in May 2019, forced UK govt to declare a climate and environment emergency » first country

lowest general election turnout in recent years

2001: 59%

lowest referendum turnout

35.6% - extension of Welsh powers

simplicity of FPTP counting vs STV (NI 2022 vs UK 2024)

• in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly Election, where STV is used, vote-counting took approx 41 hours

• in the 2024 UK General Election, where FPTP is used, all voting was finished within about 9 hours