Leaving the red Tories

Ideology, leaders, and why party members quit

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6315340
AutoresMatthew Barnfield (0000-0002-1237-9594), Tim Bale (0000-0001-5917-1312, Queen Mary University of London)
Ano2022
Volume28
Fascículo1
Páginas3-9
Data de publicação2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoParty Politics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1354-0688 • E-ISSN: 1460-3683
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1354068820962035
OpenAlexW3089537035
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas15

What little research exists on why party members quit has tended to find that exit is driven primarily by political and ideological concerns. This research note builds on this, framing this finding theoretically and arguing that such theory should allow for the role of negative triggers – events that cause people to quit. We focus on the example of changes of leadership. Using data from four Party Members Project surveys, we find that British party members seem to leave parties mainly for political and ideological reasons, and because of disillusionment or disagreement with their leaders. This disillusionment, in turn, is often based on perceived ideological differences. We illustrate this with tweets by Labour members cancelling (or considering cancelling) their membership in the immediate wake of the election of Keir Starmer as party leader in April 2020

Framing (construction · Ideology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Psychology · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Psychology