Abstract

Against many predictions, the 2017 UK General Election saw the Labour Party increasing its representation under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn shifted the Labour Party away from its past convergence, becoming more radically left-wing in its policies. Following this unexpected success of Labour in 2017, this article examines the individual-level motivations of voters to see how far support for this radically-shifting party is explained by populist attitudes amongst voters, or by policy-proximity (spatial) considerations of these voters — analysing the latter based on economic, cultural (personal rights and values), and migration policy dimensions. Looking at how Labour evaluations changed between the 2015 and 2017 elections, from BES panel data, the article finds that levels of populism amongst voters do not explain support for Labour. The article also finds policy-proximity to offer a limited explanation of support for Labour, but also finds unexpectedly high support for this party from spatially-distant voters.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.