A last gamble for a UK prime minister who has run out of road

This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.

Read our full range of politics picks here.

Specification:

• AQA Component1, Section 3.1.2.2: Elections and referendums: patterns of voting behaviour/changes over time

• Edexcel Component 1, 4.1: Case studies of three key general elections: the factors that explain the outcomes of these elections

Background: what you need to know

This article suggests that Rishi Sunak has called the general election unexpectedly early because he has run out of ideas and does not expect his party’s prospects to improve if he waits until the autumn. The timing has been influenced by one piece of good news, this week’s fall in the inflation rate, which Sunak hopes will bolster his claim to be a safe pair of hands. The article argues that this is unlikely to reverse his party’s poor showing in the opinion polls.

Click the link below to read the article and then answer the questions:

A last gamble for a UK prime minister who has run out of road

Also follow the link to this UK general election poll tracker article:

UK general election poll tracker

which contains this stark observation:

Labour’s 21-point poll lead over the Conservatives when the election was called on May 22 is the largest of any opposition party since 1997. No ruling party has recovered from such a large polling deficit so close to an election.

Question in the style of AQA Politics Paper 1

Question in the style of Edexcel Politics Paper 1

• Evaluate the view that the perception of governing competence is the most important determinant of voting behaviour.

  You must consider this view and the alternative to this view in a balanced way. [30 marks]

   

  TIP: Over the next six weeks, if you are in Year 12, you should follow the election campaign closely — read summaries of the parties’ manifestos, look at how the party leaders present themselves, and keep an eye out for incidents that may affect the eventual outcome.

Graham Goodlad, Portsmouth High School