2019 General Election | Voting Behaviour | A Level Politics Catch Up 2021

Summary

This video delves into the 2019 UK general election, focusing on voting behavior across various social groups. It highlights how factors like age, gender, social class, education, and the 2016 Brexit vote influenced voter preferences, especially between the Conservative and Labour parties. Key trends include older voters favoring Conservatives and younger voters, particularly women, leaning towards Labour. The video also touches on how social class has become less predictive of voting behavior compared to past elections, with Brexit and education playing more significant roles.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ Cephologists study elections and voting behavior, such as Sir John Curtice and his team's exit polls, which are often accurate.
• 📊 Age has become the key predictor of voting behavior in recent UK elections, surpassing social class, with older voters more likely to support Conservatives and younger voters leaning toward Labour.
• 👵 Voters over 65 overwhelmingly favored the Conservative Party, while those under 39, especially young women, were more likely to vote Labour.
• 👩‍🎓 Voters with higher levels of education (degree or above) were more inclined to vote Labour, showing a strong link between education and party preference.
• 🏠 Social class had less impact on voting behavior in the 2019 election than in previous years, with a notable shift of working-class voters (C2DE) toward the Conservatives.
• 🇬🇧 The 2016 Brexit referendum continued to influence voting in 2019, with Leave voters largely supporting the Conservative Party and Remain voters being more divided among Labour, Lib Dems, and other parties.
• 🔄 The trend of age being a dominant factor in voting was particularly stark for young female voters, who overwhelmingly supported Labour.
• 🗂️ Gender alone did not show a significant influence on voting behavior, though slightly more men voted Conservative, and more women voted Labour.
• 📉 Social class influence has diminished, especially in 2019, where voting patterns across class groups were relatively balanced, with a slight Conservative lead among working-class voters.
• 🔍 A comparison between the 2019 election and previous elections shows a marked shift in voting behavior, particularly with the reduced impact of social class and the growing importance of age and education.

Q & A

What is a cephologist?

A cephologist is someone who studies elections, voting statistics, and behavior, such as Sir John Curtice, known for conducting exit polls during election coverage.

How does age influence voting behavior according to the 2019 UK general election?

Age was a key predictor of voting behavior in 2019, with older voters more likely to vote Conservative and younger voters more likely to vote Labour. This pattern was very clear, with the gap widening as age increased.

Was gender a significant factor in voting behavior during the 2019 UK general election?

Gender was less of a factor in voting behavior. While Conservative voters were slightly more male and Labour voters slightly more female, the gender divide was not as pronounced as other factors such as age.

How did the combination of gender and age affect voting behavior in the 2019 election?

When combining gender and age, the most notable trend was that young female voters were far more likely to vote Labour, while older male voters were more inclined to vote Conservative.

Did social class significantly impact voting behavior in the 2019 general election?

Social class was not a significant factor in 2019, with both middle and working-class voters fairly evenly split between Conservative and Labour. However, there was a slight leaning toward the Conservatives among working-class voters, possibly due to the 'red wall' constituencies and Brexit.

What was the impact of education level on voting behavior in the 2019 UK general election?

Education level had a noticeable impact, with voters who had higher education qualifications being more likely to vote Labour. This trend might overlap with age, as younger generations tend to have more formal education.

How did Brexit influence voting behavior in the 2019 general election?

Brexit had a significant influence, with voters who supported the Leave campaign in 2016 more likely to vote Conservative. The Remain vote was more split, with some Remain supporters backing Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, or the Green Party.

What was the voting behavior of people under 39 in the 2019 election?

Voters under the age of 39 were much more likely to vote Labour compared to older age groups, particularly young women, who formed a significant part of Labour's voter base.

How did social classes A, B, C2, and D vote in the 2019 election?

Social classes A and B, as well as C2 and D, leaned more toward the Conservative party in 2019. This was unusual since Labour traditionally relied on the working-class vote (C2D), but this support declined in the 2019 election.

How could one compare the 2019 general election with previous elections?

A comparison could focus on changes in voting behavior, particularly around social class and age. In the past, social class was the primary predictor of voting patterns, whereas in 2019, age became more significant. Analyzing these trends across different elections could reveal shifts in voter demographics and party support.