2001 United Kingdom general election

{{ukpolitics}}
The '''2001 UK general election''' is barely remembered ''at all''; it being perhaps the dullest and most non-controversial electoral outing for the country in living memory. This led to the ruling [[Labour Party]] to fear that voter apathy might ruin their chances. While turnout was the lowest since 1918, Labour managed to retain their [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 landslide]] almost completely intact. It was also notable for the continued rise of the [[Liberal Democrats]] (best showing since 1929) and a shift in Northern Ireland from the (relative) moderate 'Unionism' of the Ulster Unionist Party to the dogmatic [[right-wing]] variant of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]]. It was also the first election where all three major party leaders had been born after the [[Second World War]].

==Background==
Sometimes, politicians get lucky; and [[Tony Blair]] was certainly that in his first Ministry. The economy ticked over well, the UK managed to dodge the crisis from the {{wpl|Dot-com bubble|'dot-com crash'}} with barely a murmur and crises such as a serious foot-and-mouth outbreak<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35581830 When foot-and-mouth disease stopped the UK in its tracks] ''BBC News'', 17 February 2016</ref>, a fortnight-long 'Fuel Tax Strike' by lorry drivers and farmers<ref>[https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/20713445.remember-petrol-price-protests-20-years-ago/ Do you remember the petrol price protests from 20 years ago?] ''Eastern Daily Press'', 15 September 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nostalgia/fuel-crisis-protests-2000-led-24292701 The fuel crisis protests of 2000 that led to queues at pumps and panic buying] ''North Wales Live'', 26 June 2022</ref> and the [[NATO]] intervention in [[Kosovo War|Kosovo]]<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/war-in-the-balkans-air-strikes-raf-hits-serb-ground-troops-1085593.html War in the Balkans: Air Strikes - RAF hits Serb ground troops] ''The Independent'', 6 April 1999</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jun/11/balkans4 British in first to secure peace for Kosovo] ''The Guardian'', 11 June 2022</ref> were all small enough to be 'manageable' and was done so with some finesse (the ease and success of the latter leading to further British [[Afghanistan War|adventures]] with the [[Iraq War|Americans]].)

On the domestic front, the party was a cautious social liberal; performing actions such as passing the [[Human Rights Act 1998|Human Rights Act]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/946390.stm Human Rights Act: How it works] ''BBC News'', 29 September 2000</ref> and introducing the [[minimum wage]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/115395.stm Minimum wage phased in for young] ''BBC News'', 18 June 1998</ref> while collecting most of the kudos for the {{wpl|Good_Friday_Agreement|}}, which put [[The Troubles]] in [[Northern Ireland]] in the freezer.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/11/world/irish-accord-overview-irish-talks-produce-accord-stop-decades-bloodshed-with.html An Irish Accord: The Overview] ''New York Times'', 11 April 1998</ref> It also presided over a bit of welcome democratisation; with 'reforms' to the House of Lords<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2000/jan/20/lordreform.constitution5 Lords reform] ''The Guardian'', 20 January 2000</ref>, the establishment of 'devolved administrations' in the non-English parts of the country<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/may/27/wales.devolution1 Welsh crown day with a song] ''The Guardian'', 27 May 1999</ref><ref>[https://eu.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/nation-world/1997/09/13/labor-celebrates-new-scottish-parliament/50591490007/ Labour celebrates new Scottish Parliament] ''South Coast Today'' 13 September 1997</ref>, and several directly-elected city mayors, such as for London<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/london_referendum/89327.stm Overwhelming vote for mayor] ''BBC News'', 8 May 1998</ref>. The main complaint was the lack of real increases in social spending to reverse two decades of Conservative rule, as the then-Chancellor [[Gordon Brown]] had promised in the last election to keep to Conservative spending plans – a key plank of '[[New Labour]]' being '[[Fiscal responsibility|credible on the economy]]'.

==Campaign==
With all the polls pointing to another landslide, Labour played it safe; another content-light media blitz mainly highlighting previous [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] failures or mocking the opposition leader William Hague as being nothing more than a dorkish schoolboy retread of [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher]]<ref>[https://blog.lboro.ac.uk/limit/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2020/11/Brewer-Mary-2.jpg 'Hague-Thatcher' Labour attack poster, 2001] ''Loughborough University Political Posters'', 20 November 2020</ref>. Hague wasn't ''that'' bad, but was quite clearly out of his political depth going head-to-head with Blair at his peak. Perhaps the ''only'' memorable incident was when the then deputy Prime Minister John Prescott punched a protestor.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/16/newsid_4098000/4098929.stm 2001: Prescott punches protester] ''BBC News'', 2008</ref>

On their part, the Conservatives did try to put up a fight; but not only had they not recovered from their previous drubbing but more importantly, there wasn't a huge amount Blair and Company had done that they ''really'' objected to. In the end, it mainly featured an attempt to make the election a [[Euroscepticism|Eurosceptic]] 'referendum on joining the [[Euro]]'<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/jun/07/election2001.uk16 Save the pound group attacks Tory tactics] ''The Guardian'', 7 June 2001</ref> and promising unspecified [[tax cuts]].

The [[Liberal Democrats]] continued their policy of running to the 'left' of Labour, this time proposing several policies explicitly ruled out by Blair, much to the chagrin of both [[socialists]] and social liberals of his party. Basically, it was a bet that as [[Third Way]] shifted Labour into the political centre, the Liberals could make hay on the exposed flank.

==Results==
[[File:House of Commons elected members, 2001.svg|thumb|right|250px|Post-election composition of the House of Commons.]]
The bookmakers started to pay out on bets made on a Labour victory even before the election, and they were right; another Labour landslide, 'only' a working majority of 170. The only real movements were between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but due to the fact the two parties are rarely direct competitors, the shift represented a slight Labour loss to the Conservatives, while an ''equal'' shift led Conservative seats being lost to the Liberals.

[[File:UK General Election, 2001.svg|thumb|right|400px|Map of the results.]]

{| class="wikitable"

! Turnout: 59.4% (-11.9%) !! Seats !! Change !! Vote % !! Change
|-
| <u>'''Labour'''</u> || '''413''' || <span style="color:red">'''-6'''</span> || '''40.7''' || <span style="color:red">'''-2.5'''</span>
|-
| <u>'''Conservatives'''</u> || '''166''' || <span style="color:green">'''+1'''</span> || '''31.6''' || <span style="color:green">'''+1.0'''</span>
|-
| <u>'''Liberal Democrats'''</u>  || '''52''' || <span style="color:green">'''+6'''</span> || '''18.3''' || <span style="color:green">'''+1.5'''</span>
|-
| <u>'''Other'''</u> || '''28''' || '''-1''' || '''9.4''' || '''+0.1'''
|}

[[File:2001 UK General Election Constituencies.svg|thumb|left|225px|Map showing constituencies as equal area to better indicate the number of seats.]]

{{clear}}

==External links==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/news/vote2001/ BBC's 'Election 2001' website]; still (mainly) functional.

==References==
{{reflist|3|80%}}

[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:British politics]]
[[Category:UK general elections]]

Categories: Elections, British politics, UK general elections