ABSTRACT
The last 40 years of the twentieth century saw swings in government between Tory and Labour, reflecting a volatility in voting behaviour. Old patterns of party political allegiance, largely based on social class, broke down and new issues shaped political attitudes. Thirteen years of Conservative rule came to an end with the election in 1964 of a Labour government. There was a brief Conservative interlude between 1970 and 1974, with Labour returning to office until 1979. The Conservative victory in the 1979 election presaged 18 years of Conservative domination, to be followed in 1997 by a decade and more of Labour. During these 40 years the policies and programmes of both the main parties changed in response to rapidly altered circumstances.
