2.4 - UK Political Parties in Context

Question 1

What is a one party system and EGs of countries who use it?

Answer 1

China, Cuba, NK - All three countries describe themselves as communist states – the Communist party is the only legal party

Question 2

What is a dominant party system and EGs of countries who use it?

Answer 2

Scotland (SNP) - The SNP holds nearly all the UK Parliamentary seats and has governed Scotland since 2007, holding many more seats than any other party in the Scottish Parliament

Question 3

What is a two party system and EGs of countries who use it?

Answer 3

USA - Dems and Reps hold virtually all elected positions at all levels of gov in the USA

Question 4

What is a two and a half party system and EGs of countries who use it?

Answer 4

Canada - Liberal and Conservative parties are the two dominant parties in Canada, with the New Democratic Party emerging as a serious third party

Question 5

What is a multi-party system and EGs of countries who use it?

Answer 5

Italy, Germany - Italy has so many parties it is remarkably unstable – govs regularly tend to fall – Germany has four parties with the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats dominating, but they have to form coalitions with either the Greens or the Free Democrats

Question 6

What % of seats and % of votes were won by the two major parties in the 2019 general election?

Answer 6

• 87.2% of seats (86% in 2010 - lowest)
• 77.6% of votes (65% in 2010 - lowest)

Question 7

Why have the minor parties not won the amount of Westminster seats their support deserves?

Answer 7

• Almost wholly due to the electoral system discriminating against the minor parties as they are not able to consolidate their support in any constituencies and instead have support spread out across the UK

Question 8

What is the electoral situation in Scotland, Wales, NI and London Mayor elections?

Answer 8

• Since 2007, the SNP has dominated Scottish Parliament making it a one-party system
• Since Wales secured devolution, Labour has always been the majority party, sometimes working in coalition and sometimes in a minority gov – two-party system
• London mayoral elections are always either Con or Lab – two party system
• NI Parliament appears to be multi-party but is dominated by the DUP and Sinn Fein – two-party system

Question 9

What do the relationships between major and minor parties suggest about the overall political system of the UK?

Answer 9

• Therefore, the UK as a whole is a multi-party system with many parties in different areas competing to gain power
• However, in terms of electoral results UK elections reveal a dominant or two-party system

Question 10

Factors that affect party success - Leadership - Why is leadership important?

Answer 10

Voters respond to the quality of an individual who leads a party – qualities voters prefer include experience, decisiveness, the ability to lead, media image, intelligence and honesty

Question 11

Factors that affect party success - Examples of leaders damaging and enhancing their parties?

Answer 11

• Damaged - Brown, Miliband, Clegg
• Enhanced - Blair, Thatcher

Question 12

Factors that affect party success - How do smaller parties use leadership?

Answer 12

Smaller parties use this more so than the main parties – in 2015, UKIP’s Nigel Farrage and the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon made good impressions in TV debates, arguably contributing to strong electoral campaigns from both parties

Question 13

Factors that affect party success - Overall judgement on leadership?

Answer 13

Overall, leaders do not win or lose elections, but from 2010 to 2019 there is no doubt that party fortunes were linked to the performance and image of their leaders

Question 14

Factors that affect party success - Unity - What happened in the 1980s?

Answer 14

In the 1980s, Cons rallied around Thatcher while Lab was split between left and right – resulted in two huge Con victories in 1983 and 1987 generals

Question 15

Factors that affect party success - Unity - What happened in 1997?

Answer 15

In 1997 Lab completely rallied around Blair and New Labour while John Major and the Cons were wracked by internal division mainly over the EU – led to a landslide Lab victory

Question 16

Factors that affect party success - Unity - What happened in 2015?

Answer 16

In 2015 the united Cons under Cameron dismantled the disunited Labs under Miliband but in 2017 Labs gained back ground around a radical left wing manifesto under Corbyn

Question 17

Factors that affect party success - Unity - What happened in 2019?

Answer 17

In 2019 with the Cons united around Brexit BJ won a massive majority against a Lab party divided over Brexit, antisemitism, and the radical nature of its manifesto

Question 18

Factors that affect party success - The Media - Relationship between newspapers and political opinions

Answer 18

• Research suggests that newspapers only reinforce existing political opinions and don’t change minds but there is a possibility that campaigns may well persuade voters to vote for the party their newspaper supports – also swaying swing voters
• Usually a correlation between political views of a newspaper and its readers

Question 19

Factors that affect party success - The Media - Is there evidence to suggest that newspapers impact voting? (EG 2017)

Answer 19

There is little evidence to suggest newspapers significantly influence voting – in 2017 the vast majority of papers backed Cons, mainly because their owners did so, but Cons lost their majority after a Lab resurgence

Question 20

Factors that affect party success - The Media - The role of TV and radio broadcasters

Answer 20

• TV and radio broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV must be politically neutral by law by TV does give people exposure to party leaders
• TV debates in particular impact party’s fortunes – in 2010 LibDem leader Nick Clegg’s performance in the debates was widely praised – LibDems went on to a coalition gov after doing well in the election

Question 21

Factors that affect party success - The Media - Examples of good and bad performances in TV debates? (2010, 2015 and 2017)

Answer 21

• In 2010 LibDem leader Nick Clegg’s performance in the debates was widely praised – LibDems went on to a coalition gov after doing well in the election
• In 2015 Ed Miliband performed poorly in the debates and Labour failed to win the election
• In 2017 May refused to participate and Corbyn put in a surprisingly good performance, helping to shift the media perceptions of the two leaders

Question 22

Factors that affect party success - The Media - The role of social media?

Answer 22

• Also been a growth in the role of social media – allows politicians and political actors to speak directly to the public, bypassing many rules surrounding traditional media
• However, social media is difficult to control and its effects and importance are difficult to grasp

Question 23

Factors that affect party success - The Media - Negative impacts of social media on voters?

Answer 23

• Worryingly, social media can be used to target voters in intrusive and forceful ways, as highlighted by reports from Cambridge Analytica surrounding Facebook’s collection on personal data of millions of users
• Data was taken not only from those who agreed to take the survey, but also their friends and contacts on Facebook to utilise and sell for political advantage

Question 24

Factors that affect party success - Judgement on factors that affect party success

Answer 24

Overall, the media, unity, and leadership on their own are not decisive – but put together they are influential – however it is still the performance of the gov and the policies of the parties that determine the outcome of elections