Class Voting & Dealignment
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Class voting refers to the tendency of people from particular social classes to vote for a certain party.
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Traditionally, working class (manual or "blue collar") voters supported the Labour Party, while middle class (professional or "white collar") voters supported the Conservative Party.
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This pattern was especially strong in the 1950s and 1960s. During this period, class alignment was a key feature of British politics.
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Over time, the link between class and voting has weakened. This process known as class dealignment.
Why Has Class Voting Declined?
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Social mobility: More people have moved between classes due to education becoming more accessible, blurring traditional boundaries.
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Economic change: Decline of traditional industries, increased privatisation, the increase in the service sector and the rise of
gig economy
A labour market characterised by 0/hr contracts or freelance work. E.g. Uber drivers, Deliveroo riders.
jobs.
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Changing party policies: Both Labour and Conservative parties have tried to appeal to a broader range of voters.
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New issues: Issues like Brexit, immigration, and the environment have cut across class lines.
Partisan Dealignment
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Partisan dealignment is the process by which voters become less attached to a particular party.
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This has led to more "floating voters" who switch parties between elections, and greater electoral volatility. This has led to political parties focusing more on short term issues and media campaigns.
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Evidence of dealignment includes declining party membership, lower turnout, and increased support for smaller "populist" parties such as
Reform UK.
Key Evidence
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In the 1964 general election, around 64% of working-class voters supported Labour and 78% of middle-class voters supported the Conservatives.
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In recent times, class has become harder to understand. This has led it to be less predictive of party support, with factors like age and education becoming more important.
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The 2019 election saw some traditional Labour "Red Wall" working-class areas vote Conservative for the first time in decades.
