This work examines political communications in British general elections. Like its predecessors it has a dual purpose: first, to make available the reflections of those who participated in it; and, second, to provide analysis of the media, the parties and public opinion polls in the campaign.
Part 1 Introduction: political developments, 1997-2001, John Bartle; the campaign, Simon Atkinson and Roger Mortimore. Part 2 Party strategy: Labour Party strategy, Philip Gould; Conservative Party strategy, Andrew Lansley; Liberal Democrat strategy, Chris Rennard. Part 3 Party campaigns: the Labour campaign, Greg Cook; the Conservative campaign, Andrew Cooper; Charles Kennedy's campaign, Dick Newby. Part 4 Aspects of the campaign: the polls - what are the lessons from 2001?, Simon Atkinson, Peter Kellner and Nick Moon; the most boring election ever?, Bob Worcester and Roger Mortimore; constituency campaigning in 2001 - the effectiveness of targeting, David Denver, Gordon Hands, Justin Fisher and Iain McAllister; the party election broadcasts - a sleeping giant or an old pair of shoes?, Robert Pipkin and John Bartle; partisan dealignment and the British press, David Deacon and Dominic Wring. Part 5 The campaign on television: public service in transition? Campaign journalism at the BBC, 2001, Jay G. Blumler and Michael Gurevitch; the parties and television - some antidotes to apathy, Richard Tait; the people's voice?, Stephen Coleman; democratic renewal and public service broadcasting - implications for election news coverage, David Mena-Aleman; the electoral commission, Sam Younger.
