Welcome to the new divide

So, we have a new Parliament and one that is also full of new faces and first-time MPs. In part, this is because many long-standing MPs decided to stand down and retire from front-line politics. But the changed nature of the Commons is also a reflection on a more fundamental shift in our politics.

Politics and policy James Mildred

It used to be the case that the great dividing line in British politics was left and right and people tended to vote on a class basis. Working-class voters tended to be more supportive of the Labour Party, while middle-class votes tended to shift towards the Conservatives. The electoral system supported a two-party system, with voters basically voting for one of two possible winners.