Journal

The evolution of election campaigning: Insights from Parliamentary Affairs

14 Jun 2024
Polling clerk outside a polling station in Martinhoe, Lynton, Devon. ©Alamy / Guy Harrop
Polling clerk outside a polling station in Martinhoe, Lynton, Devon. ©Alamy / Guy Harrop

How have election campaign strategies evolved over the past 15 years to shape today's political landscape? This special collection of articles from our journal, Parliamentary Affairs, highlights the increasing sophistication and personalisation of national and constituency-level campaigns. It explores how political parties target key voter groups, leverage constituency visits from party leaders for electoral gains, and increasingly rely on digital campaigning.

Leaflets from candidates of different parties competing in the 2015 General Election. ©Alamy / BasPhoto

Conceived in Harlesden: Candidate-centred campaigning in British general elections

Caitlin Milazzo & Joshua Townsley (2018)

The personal attributes of prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) feature prominently in general election campaign materials. Using a dataset of 3,700+ leaflets this article explores the conditions under which messages emphasising the personal characteristics of candidates appear in election campaign materials.

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses supporters and the media at a rally in Manchester to launch their 2017 General Election campaign. ©Alamy / Ian Hinchcliffe

‘For the many, not the few’: Strategising the campaign trail at the 2017 UK general election

Alia Middleton (2018)

What strategic choices shape campaign visits by party leaders? Drawing on interviews with local party campaigners during the 2017 general election, this article sheds light on the organisation of these visits and their impact on local campaigns.

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Muslim voters arriving at a polling station in Small Heath, Birmingham. ©Alamy / Andrew Fox

Taking minorities for granted? Ethnic density, party campaigning and targeting minority voters in 2010 British general elections

Maria Sobolewska, Edward Fieldhouse & David Cutts (2012)

Do parties campaign more intensively in high ethnic density areas and do minorities outside these areas receive less attention from party campaigns? Political parties are sometimes accused of taking racial and ethnic minority voters for granted in Britain. This article explores the relationship between party campaigning, individual mobilisation, and ethnic population density.

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Members of the Labour Party in Basildon Town Centre canvassing for support in the 2015 general election. ©Alamy / Gordon Scammell

You get what you (don't) pay for: The impact of volunteer labour and candidate spending at the 2010 British general election

Justin Fisher, Ron Johnston, David Cutts, Charles Pattie & Edward Fieldhouse (2013)

Do local party volunteers make a difference in elections? Using candidate spending data and extensive survey responses from election agents in the 2010 British general election this research evaluates the impact of campaign expenditure and voluntary labour. The findings suggest that while campaign spending influences electoral results, voluntary efforts can offset some of these effects.

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Social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, displayed on a mobile phone scree. ©Alamy / PA images

Mobilising or chasing voters on Facebook? Analysing echo-chamber effects at the UK parliamentary general election 2019

Sam Power and Ben Mason (2021)

Does online campaigning lead to echo chambers, tuning out dissenting voices? Are political parties focusing their online campaigns on easily persuadable electorates - chasing votes as much as mobilising supporters? This research draws on Facebook's Ad Archive to analyse the main parties' online campaign activity in the 2019 general election.

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Theresa May's Facebook page 2017. © Alamy / Casimiro

Digital campaigning: The rise of Facebook and satellite campaigns

Katharine Dommett and Luke Temple (2018)

Digital technology has changed the nature of political campaigns. This research analyses the 2017 digital campaign, including the emergence of satellite campaigns like 'Campaign Together', to explore how digital media is reconfiguring party-related engagement and campaign strategies. What are the implications for parties' organisational structures, practices and behaviour as well as public expectations of campaigning?

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Party Leaders first television election debate (L-R) Nick Clegg, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, 15 April 2010, Manchester. ©Alamy / Homer Sykes

The media and the 2010 campaign: The television election?

Dominic Wring and Stephen Ward (2010)

The 2010 election was one of the most competitive campaigns of recent decades. What influence did the first ever leaders debates have on the campaign and outcome of the election? Did press endorsements make much difference to the campaign? And given the hype about an internet election did e-campaigning make any difference to the campaign?

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Britain Votes: special general election editions of the journal

Britain Votes 2019

In another extraordinary chapter in a series of dramatic recent contests, Boris Johnson's Conservative Party turned prolonged parliamentary stalemate into a decisive overall majority. The Conservatives' victory saw the demolition of much of Labour's 'red wall' of seemingly impregnable seats. This volume explains how and why this happened.

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Britain Votes 2017

Widespread assumptions of a Conservative coronation rather than a contest were confounded as Theresa May mislaid her majority and a hung Parliament emerged. The campaigns, policies and leaderships of the parties are analysed; the targeting of the youth and women's vote are assessed; and the parties use of traditional and digital media is explored.

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Britain Votes 2015

The outcome of this extraordinary general election surprised many analysts. This volume offers a detailed analysis of the overall result as well as the individual contests in each of the four nations. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the strategy, finance and performance of the parties, and explores key issues such as the economy and migration.

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Britain Votes 2010

This volume explores the ideas and fortunes of the main parties, discusses the impact of new campaign features, notably the leadership debates, and examines the key issues which featured in the campaign. How the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition was formed is explored, and there is analysis of whether coalitions are likely to be less exceptional in future.

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Latest / Highlights

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With the Government still under pressure to set up an independent inquiry into child grooming gangs should Parliament have a role in setting up inquiries into state failures and national disasters? Currently, Ministers take crucial decisions about who should chair an inquiry and what its precise remit should be. But a House of Lords Committee last year proposed giving Parliament a greater say and adopting a more systematic approach to implementing inquiry recommendations.

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Briefings / The Assisted Dying Bill: A guide to the Private Member's Bill process

This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.

27 Nov 2024
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News / The 'Musk Factor': Is the world's richest man driving Parliament's agenda? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 66

This week, we examine how Elon Musk’s tweets have steered the UK parliamentary agenda in the first sitting days of the New Year. From a viral petition demanding a general election, to intense debates on child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, Musk’s influence has left its mark on this week’s key political discussions. Ruth and Mark also unpack the rise of identical parliamentary questions and share their plans to cover the Assisted Dying Bill’s next stages later this month.

10 Jan 2025
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News / Parliament's role in a failed state: A conversation with Sam Freedman - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 62

In this special episode of Parliament Matters, we sit down with author and researcher Sam Freedman to explore the themes of his book, Failed State. Freedman delivers a sharp critique of Britain’s governance, examining how bad laws and weak parliamentary scrutiny are contributing to systemic dysfunction.

23 Dec 2024
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News / Whipping Yarns: A rebel whip's tale - A conversation with former MP Steve Baker - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 65

In our latest ‘Whipping Yarn’ we sit down with Steve Baker, whose reputation as the "Hard Man of Brexit" made him a key figure in the UK’s departure from the EU. Baker reflects on his pivotal role as the "Rebel Commander" in orchestrating rebellions during the Brexit years, his methods of leadership, and the toll politics has taken on his mental health. The episode offers an unfiltered look into the mechanisms of political rebellion, party dynamics, and the personal costs of parliamentary life.

06 Jan 2025
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