News - 2015 General Election
Pre-Election BES Data Available for Download (Preliminary Files)
We are releasing an early version of wave 4 of the BES Internet Panel. This comprises around 16,000 respondents who completed the wave 4 survey in the first week of its launch (6-13 March 2015). The survey remains in the field until the first day…
Prof Jane Green’s explainers for BBC Radio Five Live
This week, Professor Jane Green has been appearing on BBC Radio Five Live as part of a team who are explaining in two minutes some of the terms the public are likely to hear during the election campaign. You can hear all 11 shorts by…
Conservative Assets and Liabilities
By Jane Green and Will Jennings This blog is based on analysis prepared for the Political Studies Association media briefing held on 24 March 2015. It considers the strengths and weaknesses of the Conservative party entering the general election campaign to reflect upon what may…
Britain’s Green wave by Paul Webb
The Green party may not emerge from the general election with more representation in parliament but it is on course to win its highest-ever vote – and it will be Labour and the Liberal Democrats who feel its impact the most. This article was originally…
Lessons for the UK in electoral integrity. By Pippa Norris
By Pippa Norris: Harvard University and the University of Sydney Issues about the integrity of UK elections have become a major concern in the run-up to the general election. In recent contests, questions have arisen over insecure postal ballots, proxy voting, and fraudulent practices. The…
Labour need to tempt not terrify the voters they have lost to...
By Dr Steve Fisher Abstract: This post summarises the main points from the national and constituency polls in Scotland before discussing what might help Labour north of the border. The British Election Study survey evidence suggests that Scottish Labour MPs will not be saved by…
Following the pink battle bus: where are the women voters in 2015?...
On 11th February Harriet Harman launched the Labour party’s magenta battle bus intended to reach out to women voters. The bus generated a fair amount of publicity and was explained on the basis that women have been less likely to vote in previous elections. Women…
The impact of party leader images on vote switching in the run-up...
By Professor Geoffrey Evans and Dr Jon Mellon Never a day seems to go by without party leaders featuring in the media as heroes, villains, or klutzes. The emphasis of these reports often depends on the political leanings of the media involved, at least with…
Westminster Impact: BES Insights into 2015
The British Election Study made its presence felt in Westminster on December 9, when journalists, political scientists and party staffers were given a series of 10 powerful insights into the General Election, now just a few months away. There was extensive media coverage of the day….
High Class Discontent: Economic Insecurity and UKIP Support
By Steve Fenton (University of Bristol) and Robin Mann (WISERD, Bangor University) Academic analysis and media commentary have shifted the emphasis from Tory voter defectors towards working class voters, and potential Labour supporters, in explaining UKIP support. This was a good corrective to earlier emphases….