Topic + Event Evidence
Elections & Referendums - 1992 Election The ● In 1992 the Labour Party and Neil Kinnock
Sun were expected to win the election. However, on
election day The Sun published the headline “If
Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave
Britain please turn out the lights” which was
influential in causing the ‘magic million’ of
swing voters to vote Tory. The next day The
Sun even published the headline “It’s The Sun
Wot Won It” and claimed responsibility for John
Major’s victory.
Elections & Referendums - Voting Behaviour ● In 2017 74% of readers of the right-wing and
& Newspapers pro-Tory newspaper voted Conservative and
73% of readers of left-wing newspaper The
Guardian voted Labour.
Elections & Referendums - Voting Behaviour ● In 2010 Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg
& TV Debates produced an impressive performance in the
ITV televised debate. Clegg’s debate
performance catapulted the Lib Dems into the
spotlight and reshaped the election as Clegg
was able to gain visibility and credibility as a
strong alternative to the two major parties. This
boost in recognition during the time known as
‘Cleggmania’ translated into votes with the Lib
Dems winning 57 seats and entering a
coalition government with the Conservatives.
● In 2017, Theresa May’s refusal to participate in
televised debate impacted her election
campaign. May's decision was widely
criticised. The absence of May in the debates
allowed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, to
capitalise on the opportunity to showcase his
policies and leadership without direct rebuttal.
This absence also fueled perceptions of May
as unrelatable, contrasting with Corbyn's more
accessible and engaging approach. Her
avoidance of debates contributed to a decline
, in her personal approval ratings and played a
role in the unexpected loss of the Conservative
Party's parliamentary majority
Elections & Referendums - Social Media ● In 2019 the Conservative Party invested
heavily in Facebook advertising spending over
£2 million. Viral content, such as Boris Johnson
being asked questions like ‘Fish and Chips or a
Sunday Roast?’ and targeted advertising on
social media helped to shape political
discourse and helped Boris Johnson win the
election
Parliament/ PM + Cabinet/ Supreme Court - ● The UK government's Rwanda asylum plan
Rwanda Policy involves sending some migrants, who would
otherwise claim asylum in Britain, to Rwanda.
This plan, first announced in April 2022, aims
to deter illegal crossings of the English
Channel by migrants. The government asserts
that Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum
seekers. The plan faced significant legal
challenges, culminating in the Illegal Migration
Act 2023, which was passed in July 2023.
However, in November 2023, the UK Supreme
Court ruled that Rwanda was not a safe place
to send migrants, stating that the act violated
both the HRA and the ECHR. In response, the
government introduced the Safety of Rwanda
Act 2024 to address the Supreme Court's
concerns and legally reaffirm Rwanda's safety
as an asylum destination. The bill faced
intense scrutiny and multiple rounds of
‘parliamentary ping pong’ where it was
repeatedly amended and debated between the
HOC and the HOL. Ultimately, the bill passed
and received royal assent in April 2024. The
parliamentary debates were marked by
significant opposition, particularly in the House
of Lords, where peers inserted seven
amendments aimed at softening the policy.
Elections & Referendums - 1992 Election The ● In 1992 the Labour Party and Neil Kinnock
Sun were expected to win the election. However, on
election day The Sun published the headline “If
Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave
Britain please turn out the lights” which was
influential in causing the ‘magic million’ of
swing voters to vote Tory. The next day The
Sun even published the headline “It’s The Sun
Wot Won It” and claimed responsibility for John
Major’s victory.
Elections & Referendums - Voting Behaviour ● In 2017 74% of readers of the right-wing and
& Newspapers pro-Tory newspaper voted Conservative and
73% of readers of left-wing newspaper The
Guardian voted Labour.
Elections & Referendums - Voting Behaviour ● In 2010 Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg
& TV Debates produced an impressive performance in the
ITV televised debate. Clegg’s debate
performance catapulted the Lib Dems into the
spotlight and reshaped the election as Clegg
was able to gain visibility and credibility as a
strong alternative to the two major parties. This
boost in recognition during the time known as
‘Cleggmania’ translated into votes with the Lib
Dems winning 57 seats and entering a
coalition government with the Conservatives.
● In 2017, Theresa May’s refusal to participate in
televised debate impacted her election
campaign. May's decision was widely
criticised. The absence of May in the debates
allowed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, to
capitalise on the opportunity to showcase his
policies and leadership without direct rebuttal.
This absence also fueled perceptions of May
as unrelatable, contrasting with Corbyn's more
accessible and engaging approach. Her
avoidance of debates contributed to a decline
, in her personal approval ratings and played a
role in the unexpected loss of the Conservative
Party's parliamentary majority
Elections & Referendums - Social Media ● In 2019 the Conservative Party invested
heavily in Facebook advertising spending over
£2 million. Viral content, such as Boris Johnson
being asked questions like ‘Fish and Chips or a
Sunday Roast?’ and targeted advertising on
social media helped to shape political
discourse and helped Boris Johnson win the
election
Parliament/ PM + Cabinet/ Supreme Court - ● The UK government's Rwanda asylum plan
Rwanda Policy involves sending some migrants, who would
otherwise claim asylum in Britain, to Rwanda.
This plan, first announced in April 2022, aims
to deter illegal crossings of the English
Channel by migrants. The government asserts
that Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum
seekers. The plan faced significant legal
challenges, culminating in the Illegal Migration
Act 2023, which was passed in July 2023.
However, in November 2023, the UK Supreme
Court ruled that Rwanda was not a safe place
to send migrants, stating that the act violated
both the HRA and the ECHR. In response, the
government introduced the Safety of Rwanda
Act 2024 to address the Supreme Court's
concerns and legally reaffirm Rwanda's safety
as an asylum destination. The bill faced
intense scrutiny and multiple rounds of
‘parliamentary ping pong’ where it was
repeatedly amended and debated between the
HOC and the HOL. Ultimately, the bill passed
and received royal assent in April 2024. The
parliamentary debates were marked by
significant opposition, particularly in the House
of Lords, where peers inserted seven
amendments aimed at softening the policy.
