How influential are political campaigns?

DO NOWThis is an invoice for £114,956 sent by Facebook to the Conservative Party for online marketing in December 2014. Based on this example, estimate how much the major political parties spent on general election campaigns in 2010.

Learning objectives

• To describe how major political parties campaign ahead of UK general elections

• To evaluate the influence of elections on voting behaviour

Party Total expenditure(£000)

Total expenditure(%)

Seats (%)

Conservatives 16,691 53% 307 (47%)

Labour 7,873 25% 258 (40%)

Liberal Democrats 4,724 15% 57 (9%)

Others 2,204 7% 28 (4%)

Total 31,492 100.0% 650 (100.0%)

Campaign spending, 2010Spending by party

Party ∆ expenditure(£000)

∆ expenditure(%)

∆ Seats

Conservatives -1,169 -7% +97

Labour -9,930 -55% -91

Liberal Democrats 463 11% -5

Others -196 -7% -31

Total -10,832 100% 0

Campaign spending, 2010Change in spending by party

Nation Total expenditure(£000)

Total expenditure(%)

Seats (%)

England 25,895 82.2% 533 (82.0%)

Scotland 3,090 9.8% 59 (9.1%)

Wales 2,164 6.9% 40 (6.2%)

Northern Ireland 344 1.1% 18 (2.8%)

Total 31,492 100.0% 650 (100.0%)

Campaign spending, 2010Spending by nation

The campaigns cycle

Regulation• Election campaign spending is regulated by the Electoral Commission. • For a party contesting all seats in the UK, the applicable limit in 2010 would

total £19.5 million. This limit covers: party political broadcast production costs, advertising, unsolicited mail, manifestos and party policy publications, market research, press conferences and services, transport, rallies and public meetings.

• For candidates in local constituencies, there are two distinct periods which are monitored by the Electoral Commission, each with its own spending cap: − Long period: At the 2010 UK general election regulated period which ran

from 1 January 2010 until the dissolution of Parliament on 12 April. During this long period candidates had an expenditure limit of ~£30,000, depending on the nature of each constituency and its electorate.

− Short period: from dissolution until the poll on 6 May. The expenditure limit applying was ~£10,000 to £12,000.

InfluenceThe jury is out on how influential election campaigns actually are:

• 1979-87 – Labour poorly organised and unprofessional/ Conservatives use of powerful national negative

advertising

• 1990 to 2010– Labour got slick and carefully managed campaigns/ Conservatives campaigning tired and

focused on wrong issues– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIBZ1QXi610– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBcYytunF-Y– - 2010 campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lyaV0igUDA&p=06BE5FAB442BA2DB&playnext=1&index=3

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqis1mkS2CE&feature=related

What makes for an effective campaign?

• Study the examples of election campaign materials.

• Identify 3-4 elements that contribute to effective campaign materials. Explain why you find them to be effective.

General Election 2010

General Election 2010

General Election 2015

General Election 2010

The 2005 General Election Case Study

The 2001 General Election Case Study

The 1997 General Election

Case Study