The spatial division of society into distinct groups; as manifestations of divisions within society, social cleavages are held to be linked to geographic patterns of electoral politics (Secor (2001) Pol. Geog. 20, 5; see also Perepechko et al. (2007) Pol. Geog. 26, 2). However, Blondel (U. Siena & Eur. U. Inst., Occ. Paper 16/2005) argues that ‘the time has come to consider whether it is realistic to continue to regard as correct the view that social cleavages are the paramount…factor accounting for the relationship between “modern” parties and their supporters’.