Your Politics Guide

Voting Behaviour Case Studies

Explore how different social factors shaped the results of the 2017, 2019, and 2024 UK general elections.

2017 General Election

Headline Result: Hung parliament A situation where no party has an overall majority of seats in the House of Commons. . Conservatives: 42.4%, Labour: 40.0%, Turnout: 68.8%.
Age: Labour led among under-40s; Conservatives led among over-40s. 20-24: 62% Labour, 22% Conservative (YouGov).
Class: Conservatives led middle class and working class voters, but Labour closed the gap among working class.
Gender: Little difference overall, but young women were more likely to vote Labour.
Education: Graduates: 49% Labour, 32% Conservative. Non-graduates: 55% Conservative, 33% Labour.
Ethnicity: 73% of BAME voters supported Labour, 19% Conservative (Ipsos MORI).
Region: Labour strong in London, urban North; Conservatives strong in South, rural areas.

2019 General Election

Headline Result: Conservative majority. Conservatives: 43.6%, Labour: 32.2%, Turnout: 67.3%.
Age: 20-24s: 56% Labour, 21% Conservative. 70+: 67% Conservative, 14% Labour. "Crossover age" was 39 (YouGov).
Class: Conservatives led among all social grades, including working class.
Gender: Men: 46% Con, 31% Lab. Women: 44% Con, 35% Lab. Young women most likely to vote Labour (18-24 for women was 65% in favour of Labour).
Education: Graduates: 43% Labour, 29% Conservative. Non-graduates: 48% Conservative, 31% Labour.
Ethnicity: 64% of BAME voters supported Labour, 20% Conservative (Ipsos MORI).
Region: Conservatives gained "Red Wall" seats in North and Midlands; SNP dominated Scotland; Labour strong in London.

2024 General Election

Headline Result: Labour majority. Labour: 33.7%, Conservative: 23.7%, Turnout: 59.8%.
Age: 18-24s: 41% Labour, 8% Conservative. 70+: 46% Conservative, 20% Labour. This is a significant shift from previous elections as other parties gained support among younger voters e.g. the Green Party.
Class: Labour led among all social grades, including the middle class.
Gender: Men: 23% Con, 34% Lab. Women: 26% Con, 35% Lab.
Education: Graduates: 42% Labour, 18% Conservative. Non-graduates: 26% Conservative, 32% Labour.
Income: Across all income groups, from under £20,000 to over £70,000, Labour consistently outperformed the Conservatives.
Housing: Labour had strong support among renters, while Conservatives were more popular among homeowners.

Note: The 2024 trends are different to previous elections as more factors influence behaviour, such as housing.

Sources