ABSTRACT
Political attitudes and allegiances are the outcome of a complex dynamic, the precise nature of which is the subject of intense academic dispute. The influence of the home environment, and of parental example, have been identified as important in the process of political socialization in the United Kingdom. Peer groups and geographical location also play a part, as does exposure to the media. Above all, there is the impact of socio-economic class. Until the 1970s class was reckoned to be the single most important predictor of political attitudes in Great Britain. ‘Class is the basis of British politics [the author of a standard textbook wrote]; all else is embellishment and detail.’1 ‘The most significant division in electoral loyalties [another author explained] is that the well-to-do… predominantly vote Conservative, while those of a lower social status and a lower income group tend to vote Labour.’2
