The class divide in British politics didn’t erode slowly – it collapsed under New Labour

By Oliver Heath, Professor of Politics, Royal Holloway, University of London
Humphrey Southall, Professor of Historical Geography, University of Portsmouth

British politics has become increasingly volatile and fragmented, with no party able to command the substantial backing of the public that was once routine. The results from England’s local elections in May illustrate just how far politics has moved from the two-party dominance that characterised much of the 20th century. And at the centre of this change lies an important element: class.

In recent decades the electoral foundations of democracy have shifted, eroding the class basis that earlier voting habits were built upon. In the 2019 general election, Labour…

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