UP AND DOWN WITH THE GREENS - ECOLOGY AND PARTY POLITICS IN BRITAIN, 1989-1992

The rather sudden up- and down-swing of Green Party support in Britain is analysed with the help of time-series and cross-sectional data. A combination of different cycles, namely issue-attention, economic, and electoral cycles, provided a political framework in which green suppo rt could rise but was destined to fall again. The effects on the varia tions of support in time are supported by individual level data which show that the 1989 green vote was an environmental protest vote that d id not lead to any realignment of party allegiances. However, there is strong evidence that the Green Party has many potential supporters, a nd that there is a Green-Liberal Democrat 'axis' of voting choice to s upplement the main Labour-Conservative dimension.