News - BES Findings
Join BES Fact Check on election night
Join BES Fact Check on election night Britain’s most detailed study of electoral behaviour is to fact check the claims and counter claims of politicians in real time on General Election night. A British Election Study team led by The University of Nottingham’s Professor Cees…
British Election Study 2015 General Election Constituency Forecast
By Jon Mellon and Ed Fieldhouse Because of its large sample size, spread across the 632 constituencies of Great Britain, the British Election Study Internet Panel is a valuable tool for understanding how voters are switching between parties. We have developed a BES ‘nowcast’ model…
The Ongoing Independence Referendum in Scotland: Implications for 7th May 2015
By Jane Green and Chris Prosser There is no doubting that the Independence Referendum has had a profound impact on vote intentions for May’s general election. British Election Study (BES) data reveals the depth of that impact, in particular the impact of the transfer of…
The Ebb and Flow: How the flow-of-the-vote adds up to a Liberal...
Most political commentators agree on one thing about the forthcoming General Election: it is too close to call. A conference on forecasting the 2015 British General Election, held at the London School of Economics today reveals that twelve forecasting teams (including the BES) all predict…
Jane Green on BBC Radio Four’s WATO
Hear Prof Jane Green speaking about her research which finds that the experience of coalition could have a ‘profound impact’ on the electoral success of Ukip, the Greens and the SNP. It was broadcast on BBC Radio Four’s The World at One on 27 March
The Impact of Coalition on the 2015 General Election
By Jane Green and Ed Fieldhouse There has been a lot of talk about how the 2015 election is different: more voters than ever before look set to vote against the major Westminster parties; the fragmentation of the two-party system enhances uncertainty about the assumptions…
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…
Financial Literacy and Attitudes Towards Immigration
By Dr George Panos and Prof Robert E. Wright. Financial literacy is the ability to use knowledge and skills to effectively manage financial resources at a personal-level. It is more than numeracy—“being good with numbers”—although numeracy is important in its own right. It includes for…
Subjective v objective changes in personal finances
By Dr Chris Hanretty Like most elections, this election will be fought on the basis of the economy. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will argue that the economy is growing. Labour will argue that living standards are stagnant or declining. As a result, many…
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…