The Effect of the Three Consecutive General Elections on the Labour Party

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The Effect of the Three Consecutive General Elections on the Labour Party

During the 1980’s the conservative party was, without doubt, the

dominant party in England. They had overcome such opposition in the

form of trade unionists and their ideology was approved. The general

election of June 11, 1987 was the third victory in a row for Margaret

Thatcher and the Conservatives. She was the first leader since the

Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool to win three successive

elections. However this was a major turning point in the conservative

party.

The Conservative government had survived the industrial disputes with

the mine workers (1984-85) and the print unions (1985-86), the 1986

Westland problems had been put aside with the loss of Michael

Heseltine and Leon Brittan and the economy was performing well.

However in the years 1987 – 1992 the conservatives had seem to forget

how they first came into power. Rather than keeping their feet on the

ground they understandably got a little bit secure of their position.

They became to big headed. During this period it allowed the labour

party to modernise and gave them yet more time to reflect on their

defeat and ways to improve, so in fact Conservatives third election

wins in a row was an advantage to the labour party. Though at the time

it appeared to be that the Conservatives were on the rise.

During the 1987 and 1993 elections the Conservative party became

victims to their own success, they began to believe their own hype.

They were so pre occupied with Europe and getting rid of the ‘wets’

that her style had almost become presidential. Also a rift began to

emerge in the pa...

... middle of paper ...

... a united party in power, so it was inevitable

that Conservatives and John Majors reign of power had come to an end

in the 1997 General elections. This was a landslide victory for Labour

and Conservatives were in disarray.

In conclusion between the years of 1987 and 1997 three general

elctions had taken place, despite Labour losing two of them, in the

long term it was the end of the Conservatives reign of power. They had

gone from a united strong powerful party to a split party with no

direction and under no guidance. This was due to them believing their

own hype and becoming overconfident and presidential. Labour had

realised the need for modernisation ad the Conservatives failed to

realise this, they thought their power trip would never end but it

did, to the hands of the charismatic Tony Blair on the 1st May 1997.

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