Class and Partisan Alignment

About the lecture

In this module, we think about voting behaviour in terms of class and partisan alignment and dealignment, focusing in particular: (i) the correlation between class and voting behaviour in the 1950s and 60s; (ii) the decoupling of class and voting behaviour from 1970 onwards, and the reasons for this change; (iii) the level of party loyalty – i.e. always voting for the same party – in the 1950s and 60s; (iv) the decline in party loyalty from 1970 onwards, and the reasons for this change; and (v) the rise (and fall) of parties beyond the ‘big two’ – e.g. the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, UKIP, etc. – and the reasons for these changes in the political landscape.

About the lecturer

Prof. Peter Dorey is Professor of British Politics at Cardiff University. His research interests focus on several aspects of British Politics, and public policy, in the period from 1945 to the present day. To date, he has written, co-authored or edited fifteen books on aspects of British politics or public policy, including Comrades in Conflict: Labour, the Trade Unions and 1969's 'In Place of Strife' (2019) and (as co-editor) Choosing Party Leaders: Britain's Conservatives and Labour Compares (2020).