✅general elections

2017 GE Results:

• Conservatives won 317 seats, a loss from 330 seats prior election, led by May

• Labour won 262 seats, increase from 232 prior GE, led by Corbyn

• SNP has 35 seats, down from 56, led by Sturgeon

• Lib Dems had 12 seats, up from 8, led by Farron

• DUP had 10 seats, up from 8, led by Foster

• Sinn Fein had 7 seats, up from 4, led by Addams

2017 GE context:

• Held 8th June 2017, 2 years after previous election. This was May's first election after succeeding Cameron. The election was the 1st since 1997 where the conservatives lost seats + labour gained seats,

• This election had extremely significant implications for the Brexit negotiations as the Brexit referendum took place under Cameron who had no majority, establishing a majority under May was significant in negotiating Brexit, however she was unable to win a majority, resulting in a hung parl.

2017 GE Majority + turnout

• Conservatives had 42.4% of seats + labour had 40%

• The voting pattern led to labour having an inc of 9.5% of votes + the conservative increasing by 5.5%

• Turnout was 68.7%

• 326 seat requirement was not met for a majority

2010 GE context

• Global financial crisis 2007-8 had a major role in shaping the political climate leading up to the election, the crisis led to a sever economic recession, labour was in power at the time

• Conservatives embraced a more modern approach, distancing themselves from the parties reputation as elites + out of touch

• 13 years of Labour rule made voters weary of their leadership

2010 GE majority:

• Conservatives, led by Cameron, won 307 seats, 19 short of a majority

• Labour, led by Brown, won 258 seats

• Lib Dems, led by Clegg, secured 57

2010 GE winner

• No one won a majority and so a coalition w the conservatives + lib dems formed, Cameron as PM + Clegg as deputy PM

2010 GE turnout

• 65.1%, higher that pervious 2005 election (61.4%)

2010 GE significance

• End of 13 year labour rule

• Led to a hung party + no single party won

• First time in decades a coalition had been formed

• Rise of lib dems

• Showed something other than the 2 party system

1997 GE context:

• Conservative ruled Britain for 18 years prior under Thatcher + Major + their reputation had sharply declined due to economic issues blamed on their privatisation policies, paving the way for a labour victory

1997 GE winner

• Labour won 418 seats, gaining 145 under Blair due to a serious rebrand, making it more appealing + removed it from its socialist roots

• Tories lost 165 seats, its worst in over a century, giving labour a very strong mandate

1997 GE turnout

• 71.4%, higher than previous election

1997 GE significance

• Marked the end of 18 years of tory rule + the start of a new era, represented major shift in politics, w the party shifting to the centre

2019 GE winner

• Conservatives, led by Johnson, won 365 seats

• Labour, led by corbyn, won 202 seats

• It led to the UK moving forward w brexit

2019 GE context

• Election was early + wasn't expected until 2022

• Was held due to the ongoing political deadlock over Brexit

2019 GE turnout

• 67.3%, lower than 2017

2019 GE significance

• Brexit resolution

• Clear mandate

• Decline of the labour party (worst result since 1935)

• Conservatives gained support in labour leading areas

• Political polarisation (deep political divide in UK over brexit)

1983 GE context

• 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Island, British territory, Thatcher, who was scoring low in opinion polls, showed unwavering strength + resolve by defeating Argentina, earning the nickname the 'Iron Lady' + so her opinion poll ratings went up just in time for the 1983 election

1983 GE results

• Torys won 359 seats

• Labour won 261 seats

1983 GE significance

• Thatcher remained PM until 1990 when Major took over

• Tory rule continued until 1997 w 18 years in power

• Labour's 'longest suicide note in history' was for this election

• Labour consequently moved to new labour