2.3b Minority Party Case Studies Flashcards
UKIP: UKIP’s ideas
Founded in 1993 by members of a group opposed to the Maastricht Treaty.
UKIP have continually been against greater European integration.
UKIP is a populist and right-wing party.
UKIP’s main ideas are anti-EU membership (“Euroscepticism”), pro-sovereignty, and promotion of British nationalism and British unionism.
UKIP: Policies
UKIP’s single major policy idea is for the UK to leave the European Union, and control UK immigration.
Before Brexit, policies were broadened to attract more voters.
Policies included: opposition to gay marriage, tax cuts and support for grammar schools.
In 2014 the party had two MPs in parliament.
UKIP: After Brexit
After Brexit, UKIP lost most of their local council seats, and since the 2015 and 2017 general elections have no MPs.
Since the EU referendum, there has been a disagreement on UKIP’s party direction.
Gerard Batten, who led the party after the 2017 general election, has been criticised by many former high-ranking members for taking the party too far towards the far-right.
There have been several leaders and lots of controversies.
The SNP: Policies
Historic policies involved increasing Scottish independence, by campaigning for the creation of a Scottish parliament, and for the independence referendum in 2014.
The leader as of 2019, Nicola Sturgeon, supports another independence referendum after Brexit.
Policies have moved away from just independence, but all focus on putting Scotland first.
In the 2017 election, the SNP supported higher public spending, anti-austerity, protecting Scotland during Brexit and more devolved powers.
The SNP: Ideas
Have existed as a party since 1934, with aims to promote political and cultural independence from the UK.
The party’s supporters have historically come from a broad range of ideologies (and were sometimes nicknamed ‘tartan tories’).
Since the 1970s the party has supported more social democratic and left-wing policies.
