2.2 established political parties Flashcards
What did the Labour Party do when it changed from ‘Old’ to ‘New’ Labour?
dropped unpopular policy proposals and revised its clause so it was no longer committed to nationalisation
What did New Labour place a strong emphasis on?
managing the media to project a more modern image
When was the first Labour government?
1924
When was Labour founded and what was its original purpose?
1900, to get more working class MPs in Parliament
When was the first Labour majority government and with who?
1945, Clement Atlee
What did Clement Atlee do whilst he was prime minister?
made changes including nationalisation of coal and railways
Who was the last ‘Old Labour’ PM?
James Callaghan
How did Browns changes lead to claims New Labour had been forgotten?
Brown had to change policies after the financial crash and this led to claims New Labour had been forgotten
What did Miliband do as leader of the Labour party?
Miliband shifted the policies slightly to the left and had a perceived policy to the public sector
What were the main Labour policies when Corbyn was leader?
Economic = increased investment, re-nationalisation of railways
Law + order = opposed New Labours hard-line policies, opposed police cuts
Welfare = opposed benefit cuts and wanted a state run NHS, ‘national education service’
Foreign = continued EU membership, wanted to leave NATO
How was New Labour a departure from socialism?
- emphasis on wealth creation rather than distribution
- responsibility in handling the national finances
- influence of liberal ideology on Labour thinking
- people need to be aware of their responsibilities to the community as well as their rights
- enlisting the public sector to deliver public services
What are the five missions of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party?
1) Get Britain building again
2) Switch on Great British Energy
3) Get the NHS back on its feet
4) Take back our streets
5) Break down barriers to opportunity
What were Cameron’s main policies in the Conservative Party?
Economic = reduce the budget deficit, spending cuts
Welfare = cut costs and encourage those on benefits to be more self-reliant, radical overhaul of the NHS
Foreign = strong links with the USA, Brexit referendum
Law + order = more under-standing of young offenders balanced approach to crime ‘rehabilitation revolution’
What are the five pledges of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party?
1) Halve inflation
2) Grow the economy
3) Get debt falling
4) Cut NHS waiting lists
5) Stop the boats
When was the ‘Conservative’ Party first started and what was its purpose?
17th Century, called the Tory Party, in defence of the historic privileges
What did Robert Peel do in the 1800s?
gradual reform in order to protect
What were the main aims of Thatcherism and the New Right?
- aimed to ‘roll back the state’
- encourage individuals to take more responsibility
- sought to reduce state intervention in the economy
What did one-nation conservatism sought to do?
bridge the gulf between classes, the ‘natural leaders’ would accept an obligation to act benevolently to the disadvantaged
When did one-nation conservatism peak?
the generation after WW2
What was wrong with the post-Thacherite Conservative Party?
- they had an aging membership, outdated policies and failed to appeal to an increasingly diverse society
- the next 3 leaders failed to defeat Tony Blair
What happened during John Major’s time as leader?
he had a narrow victory in 1992, and was defeated in 1997 after a series of troubles and scandals
What did Cameron do differently as leader and what did this lead to?
- ‘detoxify’ the party, he demonstrated that he valued public services and maintained they stood with ordinary people
- his moderate tone led to him forming a coalition
What are the main Lib Dem Policies?
Economic = eliminating budget deficit, ‘borrow less than Labour, cut less than the Tories’
Welfare = control benefit spending, uprating pensions, free childcare, increase NHS funding
Foreign = EU membership
Law + order = personal freedom, defence of civil liberties
When was the Liberal Democrats founded?
1988
What was the Lib Dems known as before 1988?
17th century = known as the whigs and opposed the Torys
mid-19th century = formed the Liberal Party
What were classic liberals main ideas?
committed to individual freedom and wanted the state to play a minimal role
Who did the Liberals form an alliance with?
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), formed an alliance in the elections and they merged in 1988
What happened to the Liberal Party after WW1?
rapidly declined
What happened to the Liberal Party in the 60s and 70s?
it was unable to make a breakthrough due to FPTP
When was modern liberalism started and why?
early 1900s, many individuals could not be free because of inequalities
What were the main themes of the coalition government?
constitutional reform, civil liberties and internationalism
When did the Lib Dems coalition government occur?
in 2010 with the conservatives
What did the Lib Dems manage to get in the coalition governement?
a referendum on the use of alternative vote in Westminster = it didn’t win
What was Nick Clegg’s approach prior to the coalition government?
to position the party so that it could work with one of the larger parties
