Ref working for small owner managed businesses - I learnt a lesson that they make their own rules up and can do because its their business. I am sure many are fair and competent, but when they are not it can be painful, if you are used to working in a larger organisation with rules and regulations and more professional managers.
My experience in England is that politics swings, but that there are few permanent changes since the early 1950s. UKIP did appear 15 years ago but they are now finished. In Scotland the SNP has become the dominant force by taking most of Labour's support.
In the 1970s the country was very evenly balanced, in 1979 the Tories got ahead and stayed ahead in the 1980s based on Thatcher cult with a swing to more capitalist values and some nice giveways (heavily discounted council owned properties, cheap privitisations). When the giveaways stopped the indifferent results of the Thatcherite years came home to roost, voting swung back to the centrist policies of pre-1979 and with a rebranding of Labour as New (cool) Labour again with Blair as the New Thatcher like figure. The Liberals (and later Greens) became to me more a left wing party than Labour in the Blair/Brown years. Labour under Corbyn was left wing, first time since Foot and gained 41% vote, but that could be the high tide mark for a solid left wing party (excluding Scotland).
It appears Labour are now very much aiming for the Centre vote, avoiding much policy and having a very quiet leader (at present). Allowing Tories to shot themselves time and time again with sleaze and too many poor policy decisions based on too much self interest of their "friends" (asset rich over 55s) - examples low tax on inheritance, pensions, capital gains (until last budget). They have encouraged older people to buy extra properties, squeezing young people out and that is starting to have a big effect now, especially when they have limited new build (of all types). The people now entering their 50s are not as asset/pension rich as in previous years e.g someone born in 1953 compared with someone born in 1973. This will have political voting implications, to me.