Fluctuating Party Identification in Great Britain: Patterns Revealed by Four Years of a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The concept of party identification is widely used in British electoral studies, but its value as a measure of underlying links between voters and parties, irrespective of short-term fluctuations in partisan popularity, has come under increased scrutiny recently Data from the first four waves of a longitudinal study provide evidence of substantial variability in the strength of voters' identification with the three main British political parties, suggesting the need for research into the causes of, and meanings associated with, such fluctuations.