Regional polarization in British elections: The effects of Thatcherism on the party system, Labour policies, and the attitudes of Labour backbench Members of Parliament.

摘要

In 1979, Margaret Thatcher's election as British Prime Minister shattered the social democratic Keynesian consensus which operated throughout the post-war period. Characterizing herself as a "conviction politician" who eschewed compromise, she set about changing the substance of British politics. As she reshaped Britain through monetarist economic policies, privatization of industries, and through the sale of council houses to their tenants, and as Labour went through a power struggle between the left and right, British politics underwent a dramatic transformation.; The era of the 1970s through the early 1990s represented a global decline for social democratic parties as the 'new right' successfully challenged the left and the Keynesian consensus. While under assault in most advanced industrial countries, no left party suffered as traumatic a decline as the British Labour Party. Labour, and other left parties, sought to address the changing economic realities and political landscape along with the resultant rise in new demands and the weakening ties of voters.; The most striking effect of the changes was the regional polarization of British elections. Labour ceased to be competitive in much of southern England, London, and the Midlands. As these were the growing regions of the United Kingdom, in terms of output and population, Labour's problems among skilled manual workers were emphasized, threatening the party with political extinction.; This dissertation is about how Labour reacted and adapted to the Thatcherite assault. Through the use of party manifestoes, policy pronouncements, election data, and interviews with Labour MPs, I examine how Labour has modernized its institutions and policies. Of special importance are the attitudes of Labour MPs; Labour's radical transformation, if it is to be implemented, must be enacted with the support of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Linking the transformation of the electoral geography and Labour party policies, this dissertation examines, through interviews with 20% of Labour's backbench Members of Parliament (MPs) in the post-1992 Parliament, how they view these changes and tests whether Labour is, in reality, a united and disciplined "new Labour party."