Political Communication in Britain : Campaigning, Media and Polling in the 2017 General Election

Against prior expectations the 2017 General Election proved to be particularly dramatic, repeatedly stunning commentators from its surprise calling right through to its frenetic conclusion. In seven weeks a hitherto dominant Prime Minister saw her once seemingly unassailable lead in the polls eroded as support for her previously beleaguered rival surged. The subsequent restoration of two-party dominance contributed to the return of a hung parliament with profound consequences for both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. Political Communication in Britain, the tenth volume in a series that began nearly four decades ago, revisits a momentous election by providing unique insights from the vantage point of those who fought, reported and researched a campaign that is likely to live long in the public imagination. Dominic Wring is Professor of Political Communication at Loughborough University, UK. Roger Mortimore is Professor of Public Opinion and Political Analysis at King's College London, UK, and Director of Political Analysis at Ipsos MORI. Simon Atkinson is Chief Knowledge Officer at Ipsos MORI, UK.--;Seven weeks is a long time in politics / Dominic Wring, Roger Mortimore and Simon Atkinson -- A tale of two parties : press and television coverage of the campaign / David Deacon, John Downey, David Smith, James Stanyer and Dominic Wring -- Broadcasting the snap election : surprising politics but familiar production / Paul Brand -- BBC campaign coverage policy / Jay G. Blumler -- Election night : the view from Sky News / Isla Glaister -- The agenda-setting role of newspapers in the UK 2017 election / Angela Phillips -- Alternative agendas or more of the same? : online news coverage of the 2017 election / Emily Harmer and Rosalynd Southern -- Alternative media : a new factor in electoral politics? / Craig Gent and Michael Walker -- 'Strong and stable' to 'weak and wobbly' : The Conservative election campaign / Anthony Ridge-Newman -- The Labour campaign / Greg Cook -- The Liberal Democrat / James Gurling -- Movement-led electoral campaigning : momentum in the 2017 general election / Abi Rhodes -- #GE2017 : digital media and the campaigns / Declan McDowell-Naylor -- The polls in 2017 / Will Jennings -- 'Yer jaiket is hanging by a shooglie peg!' : fear, groupthink and outliers / Damian Lyons Lowe -- An ever-changing mood : qualitative research and the 2017 election campaign / Paul Carroll and Suzanne Hall -- Seismographs for youthquakes : how do we know how the public voted in British general elections? / Roger Mortimore -- Why polling matters : the role of data in our democracy / Keiran Pedley. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Seven Weeks Is a Long Time in Politics (Dominic Wring, Roger Mortimore, Simon Atkinson)....Pages 1-20 Front Matter ....Pages 21-21 A Tale of Two Parties: Press and Television Coverage of the Campaign (David Deacon, John Downey, David Smith, James Stanyer, Dominic Wring)....Pages 23-41 Broadcasting the Snap Election: Surprising Politics but Familiar Production (Paul Brand)....Pages 43-49 BBC Campaign Coverage Policy (Jay G. Blumler)....Pages 51-64 Election Night: The View from Sky News (Isla Glaister)....Pages 65-81 The Agenda-Setting Role of Newspapers in the UK 2017 Elections (Angela Phillips)....Pages 83-97 Alternative Agendas or More of the Same? Online News Coverage of the 2017 UK Election (Emily Harmer, Rosalynd Southern)....Pages 99-116 Alternative Media: A New Factor in Electoral Politics? (Craig Gent, Michael Walker)....Pages 117-128 Front Matter ....Pages 129-129 ‘Strong and Stable’ to ‘Weak and Wobbly’: The Conservative Election Campaign (Anthony Ridge-Newman)....Pages 131-148 The Labour Campaign (Greg Cook)....Pages 149-159 The Liberal Democrat Campaign (James Gurling)....Pages 161-169 Movement-Led Electoral Campaigning: Momentum in the 2017 General Election (Abi Rhodes)....Pages 171-186 #GE2017: Digital Media and the Campaigns (Declan McDowell-Naylor)....Pages 187-205 Front Matter ....Pages 207-207 The Polls in 2017 (Will Jennings)....Pages 209-220 “Yer Jaiket Is Hanging by a Shooglie Peg!”: Fear, Groupthink and Outliers (Damian Lyons Lowe)....Pages 221-233 An Ever-Changing Mood: Qualitative Research and the 2017 Election Campaign (Paul Carroll, Suzanne Hall)....Pages 235-246 Seismographs for Youthquakes—How Do We Know How the Public Voted in British General Elections? (Roger Mortimore)....Pages 247-263 Why Polling Matters: The Role of Data in Our Democracy (Keiran Pedley)....Pages 265-275 Back Matter ....Pages 277-296 'Political Communication in Britain' is a now established series of nine books, the first of which appeared in the aftermath of the 1979 General Election. This resource follows the structure of previous volumes and features commentaries and assessments from the pollsters who monitored voter opinion during the 2017 General Election. It also includes chapters from party strategists responsible for devising and executing the rival campaigns. Furthermore contributions from journalists offer a media perspective on the campaign. The remainder of the book consists of academic material designed to complement and augment the aforementioned professionals' chapters. Here the focus is on the major dynamics of political communication, specifically the roles of the press, television, advertising, internet and other such phenomena during the 2017 Snap Election Political Communication in Britain is a now established series of nine books, the first of which appeared in the aftermath of the 1979 General Election. This book follows the structure of previous volumes and features commentaries and assessments from the pollsters who monitored voter opinion during the 2017 General Election. It also includes chapters from party strategists responsible for devising and executing the rival campaigns. Furthermore contributions from journalists offer a media perspective on the campaign. The remainder of the book consists of academic material designed to complement and augment the aforementioned professionals’ chapters. Here the focus is on the major dynamics of political communication, specifically the roles of the press, television, advertising, internet and other such phenomena during the 2017 Snap Election.