THE PRICE OF CONSCIENCE - THE ELECTORAL CORRELATES AND CONSEQUENCES OF FREE VOTES AND REBELLIONS IN THE BRITISH HOUSE-OF-COMMONS, 1987-92

Conventional accounts of British politics play down the electoral impo rtance of MPs' actions in the House of Commons. Party, it is assumed, is the key feature in shaping voters' preferences: few voters are awar e of how their local representative voted on a particular issue, and i n any case most MPs vote along party lines. On occasion, however, MPs do vote against the party line. Where the issue involved commands cons iderable public interest, this may raise an individual MP's profile wi th his or her constituents, with consequent effects upon future electo ral prospects. This article investigates the connection' between MPs' votes on a series of free votes and rebellions during the 1987 Parliam ent and their share of the vote in the 1992 general election. Generall y, Conservative MPs' actions in the Commons had no effect on their sub sequent share of the popular vote. However where an issue was of marke d public interest, such as capital punishment or the poll tax, how the MPs voted did exert a small but discernible effect on the support tha t they received in 1992.