Political Communications - Why Labour Won the General Election of 1997 (Paperback, Revised)

British election campaigns are shaped not simply by what politicians do and say, but by how they are reported to the public through the mass media. This book examines the dialogue conducted via the press, television, advertising and the opinion polls beween politicians and the people in the 1997 campaign and its run-up. Special attention is paid to the innovations and changes that marked the 1997 campaign, including the Labour Party's Millbank communications machine, the Sun's endorsement of Labour, the political parties' strengthening grip of the campaign agenda, party campaigning on the Internet, the role of satellite TV, and changes of technique in the opinion polls. One expected innovation that failed to materialize - a television debate between the party leaders - is also explored.