UK A-Levels Politics Practice Exam

A safe seat is one where a specific political party has a strong, established support base, allowing them to expect victory by a significant margin in elections. These seats are characterized by a history of consistent voting patterns and high levels of party loyalty among the constituents. Such seats provide considerable advantage to the party, often leading them to focus their campaigning resources on more vulnerable areas instead, as the outcome is largely seen as predictable.

In contrast, marginal seats are closely contested and could be won by either party in an election, making them essential targets for campaigning. Target seats refer to constituencies identified by a party as priorities for their electoral strategy but do not inherently ensure victory. Contested seats are those where two or more parties actively vie for control and do not generally offer a significant margin to any one party. This distinction highlights that a safe seat is a stronghold for a party, providing them a reliable source of representation in parliament.