Now in its 60th year, the British Election Study (BES) continues to provide unique insights into British public opinion, political participation, attitudes towards politics and explanations of electoral outcomes.
More than 1 million BES questionnaires have been completed since 1964 and the data continues to provide in-depth understanding of the way representative democracy functions in British elections.
‘Our aim is to maximise the use and reach of British Election Study data and research findings through its release and wide dissemination. Our events, expert commentary, and open access through the data playground, provide an unparalleled set of resources for those interested in voting in Great Britain.’
BES Team.
The BES team will publish a new book, Electoral Realignment: How Brexit Re-Shaped British Elections, in autumn 2024.
British Election Study at a glance
British Election Study at a glance (written document).
Election Matters
Professor Jane Green, Co-Director BES, explains important topics in the lead up to the UK general election 2024.
Watch the film – Election Matters: Do General Election campaigns actually influence the result?
Watch the film – Election Matters: Can we trust opinion polls, and how do they shape our politics?
Watch the film – Election Matters: Why does Scotland matter so much in this election?
Watch the film – Election Explained: How Labour won the election in a landslide without a huge predicted jump in vote share.
Pre-election short films
Film #1 60th Anniversary of British Election Study
Film #2 Brexit and Vote Choice
Film #3 Electoral Volatility
Film #4 Competence Shocks, Reputation and Trust
The BES team regularly provide comment and data for media purposes, with around 1,500 BES mentions in the media since 2014.
Past activities
Professor Jane Green presented at the UKiCE Conference on Brexit ‘realignment’ and implications for the next UK general election.
Watch our 2015 film, The British Election Study: Understanding British Democracy, featuring two of the nation’s leading journalists Michael Crick and Alastair Stewart. They describe how British politics has never been so unpredictable, with important questions facing the electorate. It outlines how the BES is able to help the public grapple with issues like the uncertainties of coalition politics, distrust of politicians, declining party membership and voter turnout. The film is funded by the School of Social Sciences at The University of Manchester, with other contributions from the BES leadership team based at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford.