The members of Labour: Backgrounds, political views and attitudes towards coalition government and the party system

Abstract

This study of the Labour Party contributes to a growing literature on members of political parties. We rely on a postal survey of Labour Party members that was conducted in early 2003. In this paper we examine Labour Party members in terms of their backgrounds and compare them with those who voted for the Labour Party in the 2002 general election. There is evidence of regeneration in party membership but that people are joining the party later in the lifecycle than previous generations. Labour Party members are active within their party and they feel they have a voice in how the party is run. Party members themselves are divided in terms of a trade‐off between achieving office and policy goals. However, Labour Party members have a clear picture about which of the other Irish parties and politicians they prefer.