Class and the Geography of Voting in England: Towards Measurement and Understanding

Abstract

It is widely believed that a person's class position is the primary determinant of voting behaviour in England. A class cleavage is identified, whereby non-manual workers vote Conservative and manual workers vote Labour. This view is based on national survey data. Combining those data with census and voting material indicates substantial spatial variation in the extent of the class cleavage. Hypotheses are presented to account for that variation. Those linked to the traditional geographical theory of a neighbourhood effect are found at least partially wanting. An alternative theory is sketched, which is more consistent with the data, and which focuses on the role of the political parties in the manipulation of agendas and local environments.