Three Party p | Socialist Action 1983

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Year 55.0 1931 53.3 1935 48.0 1951 49.7 1955 49.4 1959 43.9 1979 Tory defeats 39.6 1945 43.4 1950 43.4 1964 1966 1974 (February) 41.9 37.9 35.8 TE the SDP/ Liberal Alliance got in the election.

The Alliance had been put down as a creation ol the media. dismissed some odd protest vote or described as the 'bubble that would burst Even of SULLIC OUl readers thought we gave too much aliciol to the But the per vote notched uvuy the has shown that there a profound change taking place British politics.

Nor is this some odd thing that happened in one The TISC the Liberal vote has been going on for 30 years our table here makes that clear.

Obviously this 1s no flash in the pan. Despite odd ups and downs the Liberal vote has been climMANY PEOPLE were surprised by the big vote that bing steadily. The trend ed 11 per cent. In 1974 it had climbed to 19 per cent Now it has reached 26 per General Liberal-SDP percentage of the vote 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974(Feb) 1974(Oct) 1979 1983 This is why can't just ignore the threat of the Alliance. The New Statesman

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Tory victories Tory % of the vote

195s to shree cent in 1959. By 1964 had reach