Trade unions and voting behaviour in Britain,1964-1987

Abstract

Despite the abundance of literature and comment upon the political involvement of trade unions in Britain, surprisingly little work of any detail has been directed towards the impact that unions might have upon the the way that people vote in national elections (though for a little known exception see Freyman, 1980). Given that the burgeoning field of electoral studies has been indicating clearly for some time the widespread state of flux in which the British electorate finds itself, it would not be so unreasonable to assume that unions could comprise one element in this pattern of electoral change. After all, trade unions present us with an example of what are essentially non-electoral organisations which nevertheless play an important role in mobilising political consciousness and action. Trade unions have been crucial to the development of politics in the modern industrial society that Britain has been throughout the twentieth century. In founding and sustaining the Labour party they have played a seminal role in the crystallisation and institutionalisation of the class politics which has so manifestly characterised British culture since before the Great War. Moreover, and notwithstanding some speculation to the contrary, there is reputable and cogent research to remind us that Pulzer's famous injunction that "class is the basis of British politics - all else is embellishment and detail” remains more than pertinent (Marshall, Newby, Rose and Vogler 1988). To be more specific about their modern significance, one could imagine a variety of ways in which unions might affect electoral outcomes.