2.3 Emerging Political Parties

Question 1

3

How important are minor parties?

Answer 1

P1: May divert votes away from larger parties - UKIP 2015, SNP decimated Lab support in 2015 vs support base limited to one region - SNP, NI parties, will never form govt (or at least be major party in coalition)

P2: Pluralism - provide wider choice at ballot box, can fill ideological hole, cater policies to reach range of groups and interests commonly ignored (e.g. WE party) vs success limited to one election - e.g. European Elections Brexit Party, FPTP (e.g. 2015 - UKIP 13% of vote, 0.2% of seats)

P3: May affect policies of larger parties - UKIP on conservatives, Coalition or Confidence and Supply Agreement, DUP vs policies can be taken by larger party - e.g. Lab implemented bringing forward the Net-Zero target year in their 2019 manifesto, originally a Green Party policy - take credit and votes

Question 2

5

Green Party: ideas

Answer 2

• Left-wing
• Green Politics - promote Green New Deal
• Progressivism
• Pro-Europeanism
• Pro social Justice - more equal distribution of wealth

Question 3

4

Reform UK: ideas

Answer 3

• Right-wing populism
• Euroscepticism
• Anti-immigration
• Economically Thatcherite (low tax and low regulation)

Question 4

2

Describe the collapse in SNP membership

Answer 4

• 2019 peak: 125k
• 2023: 72k

Question 5

4

Green Party: economic policy

Answer 5

• £89 basic weekly UBI (higher for children and pensioners) - £86bn total cost
• Spend £100bn a year to cut carbon emissions
• Tax on carbon emissions
• Scrap HS2

Question 6

4

Green Party: welfare policy

Answer 6

• £89 basic weekly UBI (higher for children and pensioners) - £86bn total cost
• Free social care for over 65s
• Scrap tuition fees
• Net Zero 2030

Question 7

2

Green Party: FP

Answer 7

• Critical of Israel - demand ceasefire
• Rejoin EU as soon as politically feasible

Question 8

5

Reform UK: economic policy

Answer 8

• £50bn in spending cut
• Lift min band of income tax from £12,500 to £20,000 (affects 1 in 5 taxpayers)
• Scrap interest rates on tuition fees
• Nationalise 50% of shareholdings of utility companies (other 50% go to British Pension funds)
• Reduce corporation tax from 25% to 20%

Question 9

3

Reform UK: FP

Answer 9

• Half Foreign Aid
• Leave ECHR
• Abandon Windsor Framework

Question 10

2

Reform UK: welfare policy

Answer 10

• Reduce some 3yrs degrees to 2yrs
• Zero NHS waiting lists - private vouchers

Question 11

5

Reform UK: law and order

Answer 11

• 40k new front line officers over 5 year Parliament
• Mandatory life imprisonment for drug dealing/trafficking
• Scrap PCCs
• 10k new detention places
• Pick up Migrants out of Boats and Take Back to France. (We are legally allowed to do this under international treaties).