2.1 - Political Parties Flashcards
What are the functions of parties?
- making policy
- representation
- selecting candidates
- identifying leaders
- organising elections
- political education
- teen forcing convent
What is a political party?
A group of people that is organised for the purpose of winning, government power, by electoral means
What are the features of Political Parties?
- see to gain governmental power at local, regional and national levels
- Formal Organisation - normally anchirearchy including leaders, activists and supporters
- Have a system of memebershio
What is populism?
A rapidly emerging party who typically represent people feel feel as if they were being ignored by conventional parties?
What are the views of Right Wing
Typically they include the promotion of indivdualism in contrast to left wing ideas of collectivism, the withdraawal of the state from economic and social control, low person and company taxation, a strong authoritarian position on law and order and a stress on patriotism and nationalism
What are the views of left wing?
- redistribution of income to the rich to the poor through taxation and welfare
- public ownership and state control of key enterprise
- elimination of privilege and its replacemnet by equal rights
- promotion of equality of oppourtunity
What is the importance of policty making functions?
especially importnant when a party is in opposituion to replace the government of the day
What is aggregation and why is it important for the policy making function?
Indentifing the wide range of demands made on the political system, from prouds, and then coverting these into programmes of actions that are consistant and compatabe
What is an example of a political party being internally democratic
What is an example of a political party being internally undemocratic
What are examples of Conservatives biggest doners?
- Frank Hester (TTP) - £15 million
- Mohamed Mansour £5 million donation
What are examples of Labours biggest doners?
- David Sainsbury - £5 million
- £7 Million from trade unions
What are the key figures for money donated in 2024 to parties
Labour - £9.5 mill
Conservatives - 1.8 million
Lib Dems - 1.6 million
Reform UK - £1.6 million
What are the key figures for money donated in 2019to parties
Conservative - £19.3 million
Labour - £5.4 million
Lib Dems - £1.2 Million
BREXIT - £4 million
Define Short Money
available to opposition parties to help them with their parliamentary duties but not with campaign or election expenses. It is calculated on the basis of seats and votes won at the last election with additional income for the leader of the Oppositions office to assist them with their key constitutional role of holding government to account
What were the short money allocations in 2019/2020
Labour - £8 million
SNP - £800k
Liberal Democrat’s - £650k
DUP - £200k
Green and a plaid crmru - £100k
What weee the Policy Development Grants in 2018-19?
- Conservative, Labour and Lib dem’s all got £400k
- SNP - £200k
- Plaid Cymru and green £170k
How much of party funding was from individuals?
68% (2019)
How much of Labours funding was from trade unions?
93% (2019)
How is party funding regulated?
in 2000, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act was introduced (updated in 2023)
What were the features of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act?
- people not on the UK electoral roll could no longer make donations
- limits on how much could be spent on parliamentary elections (£34 million)
- candidates have their own spending cap (£46 million)
- donations over £500 have to be declared
- donations over £12,000 were to be placed on an electoral register
Why is party funding controversial?
- funding by large donors represents a hidden and unaccountable form of political influence
- “cash for honours” - donors may expect to receive an honour after donating
What are two examples of party funding controversy?
- by 2006, of 22 people who had “loaned” £100,000 or more to party coffers, 17 has received an honour. Of those giving £1 million or more all but one has received a knighthood or a peerage
- Between 2018 and 2019, £500,000 was donated to the conservative party from Russian Business Figures
