2.1 Political Parties Flashcards
1
Q
2
What are political parties?
A
- associations of people who hold similar political views and seek to promote those views
- seek to gain govt power at local, regional and national levels
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2
Q
2
Describe the membership of political parties
A
- Most have hierarchy and formal membership including leader, activists and followers
- United by broad ideology, but contain factions
3
Q
6
Functions of Political Parties
A
- Policy formulation
- Recruitment and training of leaders
- Represent political ideologies and ideas (e.g. Martin Bell)
- Organisation of govt (at local, regional or national level) OR call existing govt to account
- Educate public
- Participation and mobilisation
4
Q
2
Describe the current state of party funding
A
- Parties have seen decline in membership and thus subscription fees
- Parties increasingly reliant from individuals, corporations and trade union - accusations of political parties effectively buying influence and power
5
Q
4
List examples of cronyism (money buying power)
A
- Tony Blair with Sir Bernie Ecclestone (£1m donation)
- Lebvedev
- cash for honours scandal
- Mohammed Mansour
6
Q
1
Describe Green Party funding
A
Reject conditional donations from companies as want to represent individuals
7
Q
2
Describe supermarket funding
A
- Tescos donates to Con
- Sainsbury’s to Lab/LD
8
Q
4
Describe current funding rules
A
- Have to have be elector to donate (have to be UK citizen) - students often get this point mixed up
- PPERA 2000 (updated 2009)
- trade union members have to ‘opt in’ from 2016
- Candidate spending in short campaign: fixed £11,390 + same allowance per regsiterered voter as long campaign
9
Q
6
Describe PPERA 2000 (updated 2009)
A
- Established Electoral Commission to oversee laws relating to party finance with an aim to improve transparency
- parties must submit audited annual accounts
- published details of party spending during elections
- all donations in excess of £7,500 must be declared by Commission - made available to public scrutiny
- increased ‘short money’, though Cons cut it by 19% in in 2015
- written in era before social media, needs updating
10
Q
3
List ways parties are funded in the UK
A
- Membership fees - collapse for Con and SNP, surge for Greens
- Donations
- Grants - limited amount of public money made available to parties (‘short money’ and ‘cranborne money’)
11
Q
3
Describe donations to Con and Lab
A
- Trade union funding almost exclusively directed towards Labour
- Conservatives by major business backers (finance, insurance and real estate)
- Accusations this exerts undue influence over process of policy development
12
Q
4
Describe ‘short money’
A
- Help opposition parties in HoC with Parliamentary duties
- not for election/campaigning expenses
- proportional to seats
- cut by 19% in 2015
13
Q
1
Describe ‘cranborne money’
A
similar scheme for HoL for ‘short money’
14
Q
2
Describe the Policy Development Grant Fund
A
- Electoral Commission has £2m from UK Parliament
- allocates to parties with at least 2 sitting MPs, to develop policies including election manifestos
15
Q
4
Describe funding in the 2019 GE
A
- Total donations: 63% Con, Lab 18% (81% total)
- Individuals’ donations: 71% Con vs 6% Lab
- Corporations made up 30% of Con funding
- top 50 donors donated £35.5m, £24.9m of which to Con, £3.6m from Lord Bamford (JCB)
