James Tilley

Geoffrey Evans

This book explores the new politics of class in 21st century Britain. It shows how the changing shape of the class structure since 1945 has led political parties to change, which has both reduced class voting and increased class non-voting. This argument is developed in three stages. The first is to show that there has been enormous social continuity in class divisions. The authors demonstrate this using extensive evidence on class and educational inequality, perceptions of inequality, identity and awareness, and political attitudes over more than fifty years. The second stage is to show that there has been enormous political change in response to changing class sizes. Party policies, politicians' rhetoric, and the social composition of political elites have radically altered. Parties offer similar policies, appeal less to specific classes, and are populated by people from more similar backgrounds. Simultaneously the mass media have stopped talking about the politics of class. The third stage is to show that these political changes have had three major consequences. First, as Labour and the Conservatives became more similar, class differences in party preferences disappeared. Second, new parties, most notably UKIP, have taken working class voters from the mainstream parties. Third, and most importantly, the lack of choice offered by the mainstream parties has led to a huge increase in class-based abstention from voting. Working class people have become much less likely to vote. In that sense, Britain appears to have followed the US down a path of working class political exclusion, ultimately undermining the representativeness of our democracy. They conclude with a discussion of the Brexit referendum and the role that working class alienation played in its historic outcome.

The Political Exclusion of the British Working Class

The New Politics of Class

This book explores the politics of class in Britain over the last 70 years. It shows how changing class sizes have set in train a process that has led to working class people not voting. While differences between the classes in terms of political ideology and identity are unaltered from 50 years ago, the political parties have responded to a shrinking working class by becoming more middle class in terms of policy, rhetoric, and personnel.These political changes have had three main consequences. First, as Labour and the Conservatives became more similar, class differences in party preferences disappeared. Second, new parties, most notablyUKIP, have taken working class voters from the mainstream parties. Third, and most importantly, the lack of choice offered by the mainstream parties has led to a huge increase in class based non-voting. Working class people are now much less likely to vote, and this threatens the representativeness of our democracy. They conclude with a discussion of the Brexit referendum and the role that working class alienation played in its historic outcome.

Sara B. Hobolt

Examines how citizens attribute responsibility in the European Union, exploring how citizens assign blame to the EU, how politicians and the media attempt to shift blame, and how it matters for electoral democracy as voters are unable to hold their EU representatives to account.

James Tilley

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