Tipping Point or Falling Down?
Democracy and the British General Election 2010

We have been measuring the values, belief and motivations of the British population since 1973. During this 37-year period we have measured the values systems of over a million people and watched as cultural and personal values have changed. We have observed and tracked changes in many areas of British life - not least politics.

The basic premise of this set of articles and thoughts is that the last five years has seen changes, at the values level, in the population that means no-one can reliably predict the outcome of the coming General Election, least of all predict how many will vote.

We begin by looking at the supporters of the three main political parties and their differences from the general citizenry. This will provide a platform for the thesis that the media will define this election more significantly and in a different manner from previous elections, and that as a result the votes cast are likely to be less ideologically based and more culturally defined. The rider is that many will exercise their democratic choice by not voting – in the support of freedom of choice.

Introduction

Labour Heartland 2005-2010

Conservative Heartland 2005-2010

Liberal Democrat Heartland 2005-2010

Fire up the Quattro.

by Pat Dade

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