Political Studies Association Annual Lecture Offers Insight into UK 2024 General Election
The results in 2023 from two by-elections in traditionally Tory constituencies that swung to Labour renewed global attention on the next United Kingdom general election now scheduled for July 4, 2024. What lessons do political science research offer us for interpreting the upcoming vote and the voters themselves?
Kate Dommett, professor of digital politics at the University of Sheffield, and Sir John Curtice, senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research and professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, plan to delve deep into that question at the upcoming Political Studies Association’s annual lecture. The online event was held on November 2, 2023.
In “Getting Under the Skin of General Election ‘24,” the two academics examined the bleeding-edge of campaigning and contrast that with the traditional expectations of the vote. Dommett, for example, will reflect on how artificial intelligence and micro-targeting co-exist with the traditional “ground game” of retail politicking. Curtice, meanwhile, in a talk he’s calling “A Return to Normality? The 2024(?) General Election,” will discuss how he sees the public responding to the campaigning and the election.
Following their talks Sam Coates, Sky News’ political editor, hosted an interactive question-and-answer session.
Lecturers
Sir John Curtice has written extensively about voting behavior in elections and referendums in the UK, as well as on British political and social attitudes more generally. A former co-director of the British Election Study, he has been a co-editor of NatCen’s annual British Social Attitudes reports series for nearly 30 years. He is president of the British Polling Council.
Kate Dommett’s research focuses on digital campaigning, political advertising, data and democracy. Her first book, The Reimagined Party was published in 2020, and her latest book Data-Driven Campaigning in Political Parties: Five Advanced Democracies Compared, will published shortly. More details about her research and publications can be found at www.katedommett.com.
