The Effect of Social Identity on Voting Behaviour in the U.K.

Voting behaviour, meaning why people vote in the manner they do, in the United Kingdom has long been examined along the lines of class (Cutts, 2020). Within election analysis, there is an emphasis on which party the working, middle, and upper classes support, often providing economic justifications for this support (Cutts, 2020). However, this analysis excludes an increasingly important consideration of social issues and social identity as an influential factor in voting behaviour. For example, ethnic minorities are more likely to support Labour Party candidates over Conservative Party candidates (House of Commons 2019). This post will seek to explain the importance of social issues and identity, and examine how and why it influences voting behaviour.
Discriminatory experiences
One possible explanation for how social identities, such as ethnic identity, can affect voting behaviour can be found by looking at the discrimination faced by ethnic minorities. It is important to note that discrimination can come in many different forms, and the type of discrimination experienced can influence how the experience impacts voting behaviour (Oskooli 2020). One study distinguished between political discrimination and societal discrimination, finding that they had different effects on voting behaviour (Oskooli 2020). Political discrimination was defined as marginalisation by organisational actors, such as the states. This discrimination can include the denial of equal treatment or access on a systematic level. Societal discrimination was defined as discriminatory treatment on the individual, interpersonal level such as microaggressions. Both of these forms of discrimination are present in the United Kingdom. For example, within the justice system, Black people receive longer sentences and on the interpersonal side, ethnic and racial minorities have reported fearing physical assault in their daily lives (Oskooli 2020). These experiences with discrimination manifest themselves in voting behaviours. Experiences with political discrimination increased levels of electoral participation while experiences with societal discrimination reduced levels of voter participation (Oskooli 2020).
However, this study only examines the role of social identity in voter participation. Examining who ethnic minorities vote for and the reasons motivating them to vote this way may reveal more about how social issues can influence voting behaviour. In the most recent election in 2019, ethnic minorities continued to vote for the Labour Party over any other option, with 64% of all Black and Minority Ethnic voters voted for Labour compared to only 20% voting for the Conservatives (House of Commons, 2019). One possible explanation for this support is that in the 2019 election, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party embraced a more socially conservative message, including comments about identity (Cutts 2020). From these facts, it is possible that by embracing a more socially conservative message, the Conservative Party drove people to vote based on social issues, thus partially explaining the support for the Labour Party.
Politicisation of identity:
Not all aspects of social identity are relevant in political behaviour. An identity must be politicised in order for it to influence political behaviour (Bornschrier 2020), which means if an aspect of one’s identity does not seem relevant to politics then it will not influence political behaviour. This finding aligns with the earlier explained research, as political discrimination triggered a greater level of political engagement while discrimination on the interpersonal level decreased political engagement. Thus, it is possible that through the experience of political discrimination, one’s ethnic identity is politicised and will influence political behaviour.
Conclusions:
While class will continue to affect voting behaviour in the United Kingdom, social issues should also be considered in this analysis. As ethnic minorities experience political discrimination, it increases their participation in elections. This increase is possibly due to the act of discrimination politicising this aspect of their identity, and thus this aspect of their identity begins to influence their voting behaviour. One aspect of social identity that may be increasingly important in the next election is that of transgender people. Given the Prime Minister’s recent comments on transgender people (Reuters 2024), it is possible that the voting behaviour of this community will be affected. While their identity had already been politicised, these comments further the politicisation of their identity, and thus this aspect of their identity may become more salient in their voting behaviour.

Bibliography:
Bornschier, S., Häusermann, S., Zollinger, D., & Colombo, C. “How “Us” and “Them”
Relates to Voting Behavior—Social Structure, Social Identities, and Electoral Choice.” Comparative Political Studies 54 no. 12 (2021), 2087-2122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414021997504

Cutts, D., Goodwin, M., Heath, O. and Surridge, P., “Brexit, the 2019 General Election and
the Realignment of British Politics”. The Political Quarterly 91, (2020): 7-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12815

House of Commons Library. “GE2019: How did demographics affect the result?” UK
Parliament. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/ge2019-how-did-demographics-affect-the-result/

Oskooii, K. “Perceived Discrimination and Political Behavior.” British Journal of
Political Science 50, no. 3 (2020): 867–92. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123418000133.

“UK PM Sunak makes transgender jibe during visit of murdered girl’s mother.” Reuters. 8
February 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-sunak-makes-transgender-jibe-during-visit-murdered-girls-mother-2024-02-07/#:~:text=Sunak%20has%20said%20%22a%20man,%2C%20opens%20new%20tab%20is%22.