Constituency Campaigning in the 2010 British General Election

Abstract:     
This paper examines the nature and intensity of constituency (district-level) campaigning at the 2010 General Election in Britain and its subsequent impact on electoral outcomes. Data are derived from questionnaire surveys sent to constituency agents immediately after the election. The paper considers the extent to which campaigns have continued to modernise through the incorporation of e-campaigning and the degree to which party supporters are involved in campaigns alongside party members. It then examines the variation in campaign intensity relative to seat marginality and whether or not party campaigns yielded electoral payoffs. It shows that e-campaigning was not a significant component of parties’ overall campaign efforts and that party supporters provide an important source of volunteer labour alongside party members. Finally, it suggests that the overall outcome of the election was in part a function of the surprisingly effective campaigning by the Labour Party.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 22

Keywords: Campaigning, Britain, Election

working papers series