What is significant about the 1997 GE?

Gender: There was a swing to Labour in both genders, with no real difference in the final result.
Many women decided to vote Labour in the 1997 general election due to the increase in women working, mainly in the public sector.
Also, Thatcher’s impact was reducing in the Conservative Party and the advantage with women voters was reduced, too.
Age: Labour support increased in all age groups and the party won in all groups, with an increase in younger voters.
The largest increase was felt among young women on low incomes, with losses in the Conservatives in the middle-class.
Class: In the early 1990s, Labour had been losing support due to the decline in trade union membership and traditional manufacturing industries as they lost support from the working class.
In the 1997 general election, the Conservatives won 41% of the AB (middle class) vote, whereas 50% of the C2s and 59% of DEs (working class) went to Labour.
In the C1 (middle class) vote, both parties gained 37% of the vote, and Labour had experienced a clear swing in the C2 and DE classes.
Region: In every UK region, Labour support increased against a decline in Conservative support.
In London, the Conservatives lost 14 points to Labour, similarly in the South East with a 13-point drop.
However, there was also an increased support for third parties, such as the liberal Democrats in the South West and the SNP in Scotland, which distorted the result for the two main parties.

The Sun, a recognisable right-wing newspaper, swung left and endorsed the ‘New Labour’ direction two months before the vote. Daily Mirror, The Independent, and The Guardian also supported the Labour Party.
The Conservatives were endorsed by the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, The Daily Tele.
There had been a huge increase in internet and media usage since the 1992 general election, and therefore the BBC created a special website covering the election itself. It was set up as an efficiency test for an online news service.

Voter turnout ended up being 71%
Labour, under leadership of Tony Blair – 418 seats, with 43% of the vote
Conservative, under leadership of John Major – 165 seats, with 31% of the vote
Liberal Democrats, under leadership of Paddy Ashdown – 46 seats, with 17% of the vote
Labour won a landslide victory with its largest parliamentary majority (179) to date.
Marked the start of Labour government for the next 13 years, until the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010.