Abstract

London at the Polls: The 1981 GLC Election Results JEFF BARTLEY and IAN GORDON TUDIES of electoral behaviour have often concluded that local election results reflect the level of public support for the national government, and that variations in these results are a consequence of local conditions.l In this respect, Greater London Council elections are of particular interest since they are fought on the basis of parliamentary constituencies and this facilitates the detection of national political trends. Moreover, slightly more than one-seventh of these constituencies lie in the GLC are, and, in the last three general elections, the voting pattern in London has closely reflected the national trend. However, in addition to providing a useful barometer of public opinion, the London results are also of intrinsic interest. Indeed, notwithstanding some of the difficulties the GLC has experienced over policy implementation,2 changes in the control of the GLC affect not only the composition of the Inner London Education Authority but also the policy direction of the country's largest local authority and the level of the rate precept imposed upon the London boroughs. Attempts by the Conservative government to control public expenditure also added a further dimension to the 1981 GLC