1.2- Political parties Flashcards

1
Q

What are the functions of a political party

A

Representation
- A political party serves the function of representing people with a specific set of beliefs

Participation
- In orde to win power of influence people often participate through the encouragement of a party. parties vary broadly but all the main parties allow for some selection in their leader from their members. Labour reduced its membership to £3 during the leadership t o allow for this

Recruiting office holders-
Party membership can lead to recruitment of office holders. Candidates learn political skills- they can deselect candidates for example conservatives Thirsk and Malton and South Suffolk didn’t allow their candidates to stand again.

Formulating policy
needs to body political theory of the party- there is often competition over this. For example the conservatives offered 7 day GP access while labour offered an appointment within 48 hours

Providing government-
Manifesto into law.

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2
Q

How do parties fund themselves and what steps have been made- what reforms have been suggested?

A
  • The state does not fund parties- rather subscriptions and donations from constituents.

Party funding is a controversial issue as people worry money is being used to gain influence. The conservatives have always been the party of big business, however Labour saw an increase in big business donations under the new labour years.

The 2000s political parties, elections and referendums act means that

  • An independent electoral commission set up to supervise party spending
  • £30,000 cap per constituency
  • £5000 national and £1000 constituency donations has to be declared and published regularly
  • Donations from people not on the UK electoral roll banned

This did not end the issue. The cash for peerage scandal showed that many large donors had been nominated for peerage.

A suggestion supported by Labour and the Liberal Dems was to impose limits on individuals. The conservatives wanted to put the same rules on labour trade union backers. the 2016 Trade union act meant that new trade union members had to choose whether to opt in to making payments towards the political levy.

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3
Q

What are the arguments for state funding

A

For-
Parties play important role in public so deserve funding
Public funding would remove disparity in resources
Curb possibility of corrupt backers

Against-
Deuces party independence
Decide how much support a party needs for funding
Isolate parties from issues of voters
Forces people to contribute to parties they do not approve

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4
Q

What is Traditional conservatism - give a brief outline of its history

A

The conservative part has its roots in the 17th century Tory Party who came in support of the Church of England and landowning aristocracy

BY 1830 under Robert peel it moved toward the defence of property and authority- in defence of a revolution. Peel stressed the need for gradual reform in order to protect established institutions

This was very successful are the conservative party broadened its support to the middle classes

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5
Q

What is one nation conservatism?

A

A strand of conservatism associated with Benjamin Disraeli- the name came from one of his books Sybil in which he talks about the growing devision between the rich and poor under industrial development.

The on nation sought to bridge the gap between the classes through a paternalistic social policy. The ‘natural leaders’ of society would accept an obligation to act benevolence towards poor, in reward they would accept their right to rule . This is how the campaign was run along with a patriotic foreign policy to create a sense of national unity.

This peaked the generation after the second world war. They pride themselves on a pragmatic and non-ideological approach. For example they supported and kept in place most of the post-war labour government reforms.

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6
Q

What is Thatcherism?

A
  • A key change in British conservatism- it seeks to reduce state intervention while restoring society. IT rejected the on nation’s seek to comprise

It wanted to:

  • Control public spending- combined with tax cuts to provide an incentive to business leaders
  • Privatise industry and promote improvement in said industries through competition and more choice
  • Legal limits on the power of trade unions
  • Tough approach for law and order- more police and judicial power
  • Assertion of British interest abroad
  • Protect national sovereignty against the EC

FOCUS ON MONETARISM- the belief their is too much money and to increase productivity in the economy we need to reduce the amount of money in the economy. Very unpopular- 3 million out of work. Recession- Thatcher would not budge- “you turn if you want to- the lady’s not for turning”
It is all about rolling back the state and taking responsibility for the self. The NHS was never privatised however- public support limes radical action

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7
Q

How has the conservative party developed since thatcher

A

The party has struggled to detach from her and her image-

John major continued to privatise coal and railways. HE ended up losing when heading a party that was split over the issue of Europe

The next three leader- William Hague, Ian Duncan smith and Michael Howard failed to unseat Blair- they could not distance themselves from Thatcher.

With an ageing membership and outdated policy the conservative party was struggling

Only in 2005 did a serious attempt to rid of the thatcher image begin. He claimed to be liberal conservative tolerant of other groups. He showed an interest in the environment- even hugging husky dogs on meting Norwegian glaciers.

There is a stress on standing on the side of ordinary people . Co-opperation is needed to bring about one society.

This helped him form a coalition following 2010.- however there were still similarities to the Thatcherite party

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8
Q

What were the economic, welfare, law and order and foreign policy beliefs of the modern conservative party

A

Economic-
Camerons priority was to reduce the deficit. Accusations that the overspending caused the financial crises.
Public spending cuts were needed to maintain confidence of financial markets.
The budgets of most departments (with exceptions to health, schools and international aid) were cut by up to 25%.
Many regarded the ida of a big society a smokescreen for cutting costs

Welfare-
Wanted to cut costs by reducing dependance
Osbourne showed a difference between hard workers and ‘shirkers’ who he wanted to penalise.
Under universal credit- which merged many different benefits- it simplified benefits and tried to encourage people to talk cup work- it is considered by most to be a failure
The NHS now allows the private sector to compete

Law and order-
More liberal approach
He wanted to understand young offenders more- as shown n his ‘hug a hoodie speech”
He supported tough sentencing for some crimes- especially after the 2011 riots- but wanted to focus on rehabilitation.
Rewarded private firms and charities that helped criminals- using a payment by results scheme- similar to Blair- “tough on crime tough on the causes of crime”

Foreign policy-
Similar to Thatcherism-
Strong links to the USA and support of Air strikes of Syria and Iraq and pragmatic eurosceptacism

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9
Q

What is the traditional Labour party and how did it develop

A

Founded in 1900 by a group of socialist societies and trade unions- until 1906 the the labour representative committee- wanted to get more working class MPs in parliament

They wanted to push for greater working and living conditions. Clause 4 committed it to working for ‘common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange”- nationalisation for community rather than profit

First time in parliament was in 1924 under Ramsay MacDonald- but was short lived. Not until 1945 was the Labour party able to ,are important changes- the nationalisation of coal, railways, power, steel an civil aviation and social security as inspired by the Beverage report.

from 1945-1979 the Labour party was social democratic rather than socialist, despite what they claimed. Wanted to manage capitalism to ensure it did not exploit the work force through welfare and redistribution. I.e the creator of comprehensive schools.

After Callaghan in 1979 the far left captured the party under Michael foot. They lost on claims for more nationalisation, taxation, spending, abolishment of our nuclear weapons and withdrawal of the EC in 1983. Neil Knock started the parties rebuilding

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10
Q

How did old labour transition into New labour

A
The labour party moved away from its far left image- 
They acknowledged that the old industrial base for the party had disappeared and they needed to work beyond their traditional working class voter 

In 1992 Blair tired to complete this. It dropped clause 4 in 1995. Trade unions played less of a role. They became more pro- EU and adopted policies that protected workers rights- such as the social chapter.

This was part of a rebrand to New labour- Anthony Gidden’s third way. Needed to manage a media project. won a landslide in 1997

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11
Q

How different is New labour to Socialism- what are the key features of New Labour

A

Many traditional socialists reject these development as a betrayal of their history. The 2003 Iraq invasion damaged further his image of being progressive. He wanted to embody “traditional values in a modern setting”

Wealth creation than redistribution-
Sought to reduce poverty, but not eradicate inequality. They introduced a minimum wage- £3.6- less than the trade union wage want. Aspiration was the key

People need to be aware of responsibility-
Impose conditions on receiving benefits, ASBOs to deal with anti social behaviour. They can ban a person from certain activities or even places. “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime”

Responsibility in handing national finances
- wanted to distance from traditional view- rather conserve resources. I.e the national insurance increase 2002- led to largest increase in NHS. Enlisted public sector to work in private sectors- private firms build new schools and hospitals.

Liberal thinking’s impact
Devolution- transfer of central government
Human rights act
they were willing however to curb civil liberties in the public interest- wanted to increase time able to be kept, widened police powers and proposed the introduction of identity cards.

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12
Q

What happened under Brown?

A

The financial crises caused a shift in policy.

  • Pumped money into banking system
  • Nationalised more vulnerable banks
  • 50p rate
  • Wanted to maintain public spending
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13
Q

What happened under Miliband

A

There was some development-
- Wanted to restore 50p rate and to temporarily freeze energy prices

He di dont develop it too much however. They concentrated their attack on unpopular conservative policy- rather than rejecting it as a whole.

Wanted to try and unite traditional workers and business- making a distinction between good and predatory capitalism.
He wanted to wanting to crack down on tax avoidance and spend more on the NHS.
He called for a 10% starting income tax.
He vowed to reduce the deficit every year

he lost and their was pressure to move to the left

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14
Q

What are Corbyn’s economic, welfare, law and order and foreign policy policies

A

Economic
Called for a large scale funding of industry and infrastructure- organised by the national investment bank. This was to decrease regional inequality,
re-nationalisation of the railway and demanded that companies publish adults pay- to decrease inequality
He supported the re-introuction of the 50p rate and rejected austerity claiming it was a political choice rather than an economic necessity.
Big business to re-distrubute 10% of profits to workers

Welfare-
He opposed benefit cuts. The poor were victims of capitalism who needed support.
He reject edit use of private sector for public services.
He argued for a fully state NHS and to remove student tuition fees- compared to Miliband’s proposed 33% decrease

Law and Order
- opposed to more hardline policy such as increased power to combat terrorism and identity cards.
This is less controversial- both sides are against cutting police numbers and thus jeopardising public safety

Foreign policy
Corbyn is against the use of force and favoured the removal from NATO.
He is against Trident.
He did not engage much with the Eu ref- however claimed a remain side saying the Uk protected workers rights
He was against the air strikes of Syria

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15
Q

Give a history of the Liberal Democrats

Why did it decline?

A
  • The Liberal democrats were founded in 1988, but have a much greater history. They were originally an aristocratic faction of the Whigs who joined forces with many middle and working class supporters of social reform, in order to create the Liberal party

Classic liberals were committed to the freedom of the individual and the minimal of the state. It supported widening the franchise, free trade, giving civil liberties to non-anglicans and widening educational policy.

Liberal governments adopted many social policies, such as old age pensions and National insurance- to discourage potential labour voters. this was the start of Modern liberalism- a recognition that many individuals could not be truly free on account of the inequalities produced by capitalism. Freedom is not merely being left alone.

The liberals declined quite rapidly- their was a fierce rivalry between its leaders. There was difficulty in appealing to both middle and working class voters, while keeping a sense of identity in increased class polarisation and the identities of the conservatives and labour being clear. It fell into the single fugues in the post war era

There were some revivals, but it was near impossible to make a difference under FPTP. They joined forces with the SDP- a faction of the labour party. This was first an electoral agreement, but later then an official merge in 1988

It has grown modestly through tactical voting and rose to 62 seats in 2005.

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16
Q

How did the Liberal democrats experience coalition -

How did the liberals have crises in their ideninty

A

During the referendum their was an emphasis on ciivl liberties, conditional reform and internationalism- i.e positive EU stance.

There has however been some internal devision and lack of ability to present themselves constantly. Under new labour they were essentially a centre left middle ground. Under Kennedy they were opposed to the Iraq war, identity cards, tuition fees and in favour of an increase to the 50% tax band for those earning over 100,000. Another strand- the orange book(2004) free market liberal- who supported a free market approach.

Nick Clegg became a leader- one of the orange books authors- his approach was to position a party that could work in coalition. They held 57 seats in 2010.

They saw themselves as a moderator. They went along with conservative party cuts, The party was bound- it had no choice. It has been accused of lying. Despite the referendum on the alternative vote- the Lib Dems got nowhere. They originally wanted STV, but thought the former was more realistic, quite symbolic of their bargaining power. This caused many to grow disillusioned, which explains their 2015 decimation.

17
Q

What do the liberal democrats stand for- in terms of economic , welfare, law and order and foreign policy.

A

Economics- 2015 general election they emphasised wanted to reduce the deficit. They wanted to do this without being unfair to the poor. They actually proposed the policy of progressively rating the income tax threshold. They stressed their middle ground- “borrow less than Labour, cut less than labour”. They stressed economic environmentalism. With an expansion of the Green investment bank and Renewable bank

Welfare- Controlling spending on benefits- while uprating pensions and extending free childcare . Pledged to curb benefits paid to better paid pensioners, in order to support the poor. They pledged to increase NHS funding

Law and order- They aim to see that civil liberties are not eroded to stop crime. They opposed snoopers charter- communication data bill. They focus rehabilitation of prisoners, using community service as an alternative to prison sentences.

Foreign policy- Very enthusiastic. Reluctance about referendum result .

18
Q

What is the importance of Minor parties within the UK’s political context

A

There is a growing trend of smaller parties- this was symbolised by 7 parties being involved in the debates in 2015

Two of these have derived importance from being dedicated to one issue or group of issue. Their aim is not to create government, rather to force government to consider their agenda. Almost like pressure groups.

Most others are regional.

19
Q

Who are the SNP

What have they done ?

What are they concerned with?

A

The SNP was founded in 1934 as a centre left party who’s main concern is securing Scottish independence.

Their growing support lead to Labour’s promise of devolution in 1997 and the setting up of the regional assembly. Wanted to make the SNP redundant, This worked till 2007 when Alex Salmond formed a minority SNP government- and then majority in 2011. This is what likely what led to further extensions of policy in the area of Taxation of borrowing for example.

The SNP saw their greatest impact in the 2012 Scotland aAct and the holding of a referendum in 2014. It was defeated however, it was a clear issue and still is, Nicola Sturgeon argues that Scotland faced being taken out of the EU against its will and its entitled to another vote.

They also are concerned about their ability to impact westminster legislation. In 2015 they won 56 out of 59 seats. Their official position was to not vote on English laws. This was confirmed in EVEL. However Scottish SNP Mps helped defeat the Sunday trading laws- arguing that UK wide employers would set less advantageous rates of pay both sides of the boarder.

The SNP still uses its parliamentary influence to put forwards its case.

20
Q

Who are UKIP- what do they stand for?

A

UKIP started as a fringe nationalist part in 1991 and is often associated with a single man- Nigel garage.

It is nearly entirely dedicated to removing the UK from the EU

It owes its growth to the increased lack of action by major parties in terms of European integration.

In 2014 UKip gained 24 MEPs and gained 3.9 million votes in 2015. ITs voters are more traditional, older people who feel left behind in a changing world. They often have less job security and education.

Immigration is often the major concern. It is more respectable than BNP- he is trying to move away from the liberal establishment.

They also want to scare green takes, support grammar schools, increase NHS funding (but migrants would have to pay) and need to restrict immigration through skills based selection and caps

21
Q

Who are the Green party?

A

Evolved from a party founded in 1973- PEOPLE- chasing to ecology and in 1985 becoming green.

It won its first seat in 2010 and gained more than one million votes

Focus om social equality

Policy_

Environmental-

  • Phase out fossil fuels
  • Ban Fracking
Social- 
- End privatisation of NHS
- Abolish tuition fees
- Wealth tax 
Minimum living wage- £10
22
Q

How has our party system developed

A

From 1945-74 is a pinnacle of a two party system- winning on average 91 percent of votes and almost 98% of seats

This came under strain after a period of minority labour governments.

It was established again in the single governments until 2010. between 1979 and 2010- the average note share was reduced to 73 percent- the liberals were making gains. but FPTP helped them. They still averaged 91% of seats.

The Liberal democrats helped form enough of a vote- 23%- to secure a role in government. In 2010- 35% supported the non major parties.

Westminster went back to usual at 2015- but the vote was diversifying, however FPTP was refusing to acknowledge it.

in 2017 no government formed a majority

23
Q

How to Devolved bodies use multi party systems

A
  • The use of the Additional member system in Scotland has caused very different result. It is more promotional- There have been many combinations governments- Wales have had labour, Labour-lib dem and Labour- Plaid

Northern Ireland has a fully proportional system. There power sharing agreement allows it.