Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The purpose of this study was to provide a database for investigating the impact of demographic and socio-economic milieux on party support and turnout in parliamentary constituencies. The dataset has been designed as a reference file for researchers. It contains basic electoral information (total votes cast, votes for each party, structure of party contest, whether a by-election won/held) in raw numeric form such that the secondary user can construct his or her own indices for each constituency. In addition, a selection of electorally relevant social and demographic variables drawn from the 1966 Sample Census is provided for the pre-1971 constituencies (053, 206 and 661).
Main Topics:

Variables
The parliamentary boundary changes of 1983 radically redrew Britain's electoral map. This study combines data on the relationships between the old and the new seats, estimates of 1979 voting within the new boundaries, the results of the 1983 General Election and socio-economic data from the 1981 census for each of the 633 seats in Great Britain.
Shifts in constituency electorates, 1979-1983; simulated 1979 election results for the 1983 constituencies; General Election results for 1983; socio-economic data on the 1983 constituencies and demographic characteristics.
Sex of 1983 candidate for the main parties; whether a candidate was a former MP.
The data set includes one variable (the ACORN classification) which is used with permission of CACI Ltd.