… Judging by the results, which saw Labor secure barely 30 percent of the vote against 37 percent for the Conservatives, the politics of fear trumped the politics of inequality — despite significant increases in income inequality in Britain over recent years. Moreover, as both parties ran neck and neck in the final weeks of the campaign, Cameron upped the ante by claiming that a minority Labor government would move even farther to the left to secure SNP support in Parliament. A late surge in electoral support for the Conservatives suggests that this message hit home. Issues of inequality may not resonate with voters, even in an era of rising inequality. CONT.
Peter Hall (Harvard), The Monkey Cage