Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election
The general elections in May 2015 took place against a fair, but mixed economic background. After three years in the previous parliament when the UK economy had been flat-lining (mid-2010 to mid-2013), partly as a result of the Coalition’s policy of fiscal consolidation, the pick-up in activity duri...
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Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/528 |
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| author | Nicholas Sowels |
| author_facet | Nicholas Sowels |
| author_sort | Nicholas Sowels |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The general elections in May 2015 took place against a fair, but mixed economic background. After three years in the previous parliament when the UK economy had been flat-lining (mid-2010 to mid-2013), partly as a result of the Coalition’s policy of fiscal consolidation, the pick-up in activity during the second half of 2013 provided the outgoing government with a reasonable economic record to present to the electorate. The three main parties – the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Labour – all ran manifestos based on fiscal responsibility, as in some ways did UKIP. Only the SNP proposed a clearer leftwing agenda based on stronger public services and higher taxation. Given the outcome of the elections, the Conservatives appear to have had a more successful electoral strategy, in which they succeeded in portraying themselves as economically competent while characterising Labour as having wrecked the economy during the Blair-Brown years. Yet the economy was not the only major issue to have shaped the electoral results. Since resuming office unexpectedly, the Conservatives have pursued the policy of deficit and debt reduction begun under the Coalition, as part of a tougher neo-Thatcherite approach. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0d9dac81ec2e4ff58f2953e5f0e91f27 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0248-9015 2429-4373 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique |
| spelling | doaj-art-0d9dac81ec2e4ff58f2953e5f0e91f272025-08-20T02:37:40ZengCentre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation BritanniqueRevue Française de Civilisation Britannique0248-90152429-43732015-12-0120310.4000/rfcb.528Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General ElectionNicholas SowelsThe general elections in May 2015 took place against a fair, but mixed economic background. After three years in the previous parliament when the UK economy had been flat-lining (mid-2010 to mid-2013), partly as a result of the Coalition’s policy of fiscal consolidation, the pick-up in activity during the second half of 2013 provided the outgoing government with a reasonable economic record to present to the electorate. The three main parties – the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Labour – all ran manifestos based on fiscal responsibility, as in some ways did UKIP. Only the SNP proposed a clearer leftwing agenda based on stronger public services and higher taxation. Given the outcome of the elections, the Conservatives appear to have had a more successful electoral strategy, in which they succeeded in portraying themselves as economically competent while characterising Labour as having wrecked the economy during the Blair-Brown years. Yet the economy was not the only major issue to have shaped the electoral results. Since resuming office unexpectedly, the Conservatives have pursued the policy of deficit and debt reduction begun under the Coalition, as part of a tougher neo-Thatcherite approach.https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/528United Kingdomgeneral electionscoalition governmentConservative partyfiscal policypublic spending |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Sowels Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique United Kingdom general elections coalition government Conservative party fiscal policy public spending |
| title | Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election |
| title_full | Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election |
| title_fullStr | Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election |
| title_short | Fiscal Policy, Public Spending and the 2015 General Election |
| title_sort | fiscal policy public spending and the 2015 general election |
| topic | United Kingdom general elections coalition government Conservative party fiscal policy public spending |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/528 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicholassowels fiscalpolicypublicspendingandthe2015generalelection |