Variations in third/minor party support in English constituencies

The paper presents an ecological analysis evaluating two explanatory perspectives on third/minor party advances in recent English general elections. The impact of community cohesion on third/minor party mobilisation is complex and differentiated. Cohesion stemming from the socio-economic homogeneity of constituency environments tends to buttress support for the two main class-based parties. However, communal cohesion stemming from workplace-residence proximity tends to favour the channeling of collective protest into third/minor parties. Third/minor party advances are also shown to be positively related to prior situations of major party dominance in constituencies, particularly in the 1983 election.