Abstract
The Qualitative Election Study of Britain (qesb) is the first (and only) qualitative longitudinal dataset to investigate political attitudes and voting behaviour over multiple elections and referendums in the United Kingdom. During the 2015ukgeneral election over 90 voters participated in 23 focus groups across England, Scotland, and Wales before and after polling day. These participants represented a range of political party supporters and independent voters, age groups, and economic backgrounds. They discussed a range of political issues including their vote choice in the election, their impressions of the major party leaders, why they would consider voting (or never voting) for a political party, and their expectations for the country moving forward. Special focus groups were also held around the three leaders’ debates. The 2015qesbalso brought back participants who had participated in the 2010qesbfocus groups and the 2014 Scottish referendum focus groups. The 2015qesbhas created a unique panel of participants whose political opinions can be tracked across multiple elections. The project also includes questions that were asked in prior election focus groups and has replicated, with some modifications, the research design of the previous wave of the study.
Highlights
In 2015, Britons voted after experiencing their first full term coalition government since 1945
Survey data and inferential statistics have been used by British Election Study teams since 1964 to explain party choice, turnout, and election outcomes, and to analyse trends in voting behaviour
The 2015 qesb represents the third wave of focus groups conducted across Britain before and after uk elections
Summary
In 2015, Britons voted after experiencing their first full term coalition government since 1945. Survey data and inferential statistics have been used by British Election Study (bes) teams since 1964 to explain party choice, turnout, and election outcomes, and to analyse trends in voting behaviour (see Denver, 2005 for a brief summary of the bes). These surveys predetermine the wording of response options and only rarely are people asked to give an answer in their own words. A main aim of the qesb is to generate qualitative longitudinal data for social science analysis It is the first (and only) qualitative dataset to investigate political attitudes and Figure 1 The qesb logo. This research fills a lacuna in extant electoral research by providing information from potential voters in their own words and using their own narratives rather than selecting a predetermined response option
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