Gender and UK elections: the gendered dynamics of campaigns, leadership, voting behaviour and party platforms

ABSTRACT UK politics has experienced unprecedented levels of upheaval and volatility since 2015. The rapid succession of European elections, the EU referendum and three general elections within five years of each other have provided British political scientists with much to analyse and study. In this special issue, we focus our attention on the role of gender in UK electoral politics. We argue that the increased descriptive representation of women in politics, both as Members of Parliament as well as in leadership roles, gives the illusion that women’s place in British politics is secured and unchallenged. This hides the many ways in which UK electoral politics are and remain gendered. The contributions of this special issue shed light on these dynamics, focusing on themes of political violence, masculinity and the representation of women’s preferences and interests.