The Impact of Political Marketing on Internal Party Democracy

Political marketing has been argued to have improved the parties’ responsiveness to voter concerns, and revolutionised aspects of campaigning. There are however negative consequences of employing marketing techniques within politics. One important consequence has been the move from mass to cadre party, where decision making is placed in the hands of the party leaders and their consultants rather than involving the party members. Equally, the targeting of specific voter groups can mean that core supporters are left behind in the name of electoral success. Drawing on evidence from qualitative research among Labour supporters and members, MPs and PPCs from Labour and the Conservatives, and members of a local Conservative association, this article argues that political marketing has the capacity to undermine the relations between parties and their core supporters by the way that it has been implemented, but also suggests that there may be a tension between retaining a mass party base and using marketing techniques.