United Kingdom general election, 1983

The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. Thatcher had been extremely unpopular during her first two years in office but following a swift and decisive victory in the Falklands War and reasonable improvements in the economy her reputation was transformed.

Related Topics:
June 9 - 1983 - Conservative - Margaret Thatcher - That of Labour in 1945 - Falklands War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Michael Foot was elected leader of the Labour party in 1980, replacing James Callaghan. Foot was a sign that the core of the party was swinging to the left and the move exacerbated divisions within the party. In 1981 a group of senior figures including Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams left Labour to found the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The SDP agreed a pact with the Liberals for the 1983 elections and worked as The Alliance.

Related Topics:
Michael Foot - Labour party - James Callaghan - Roy Jenkins - David Owen - Bill Rodgers - Shirley Williams - Social Democratic Party - Liberals - The Alliance

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The campaign displayed the huge divisions between the two major parties. The Conservative's key issues were employment, economic growth and defence. Labour's Manifesto pledged to leave the European Economic Community, abolish the House of Lords, abandon Britain's nuclear deterrent by cancelling Trident and removing Cruise - a heady mix of far-left thinking, dubbed by Gerald Kaufman "the longest suicide note in history", "although, at barely thirty-seven pages, it only seemed interminable" noted Roy Hattersley. Over the campaign Labour were repeatedly forced to moderate their views, especially on defence.

Related Topics:
European Economic Community - House of Lords - Britain - Gerald Kaufman - Roy Hattersley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On the day the opposition vote was almost evenly split between the Alliance and Labour. The Labour vote fell by over 3 million from 1979, with a national swing of almost 4% towards the Conservatives. The Conservative vote actually fell slightly but the disarray of their opponents gave them a majority of 144 and Labour had its worst performance since 1918. Veteran political journalist Michael White, writing in The Guardian, commented, "There was something magnificently brave about Michael Foot's campaign - but it was like the Battle of the Somme." http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1456497,00.html

Related Topics:
Michael White - Battle of the Somme

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Foot resigned soon after the election and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~