C1: Political Parties Flashcards
What are the five functions of political parties?
Representation
Participation
Recruiting Office holders
Formulating Policy
Providing Government
How are MPs Paid?
General Taxation
How much are MPs paid? (as of 2017)
£76,000 a year
How is the Conservative Party mostly funded?
Donors and big business
How is the Labour party mostly funded?
Trade Unions
What are some criticisms of the ways in which large parties get their funding?
They’re on the bankroll of the rich
What scandal in 2006 raised the issue of private donor funding?
‘Cash for Peerages’
What was set up as a result of the 2000 Political parties, Elections, and Referendums Act?
An independent Electoral commission was set up to supervise party spending on election campaigns
What is the maximum spend of a party per Constituency?
£30,000
How large does a donation have to be for it to be declared?
£5,000 nationally, or £1,000 to a specific constituency
What are some arguments that parties should be state-funded?
Parties play an important role in representative democracy.
Public funding would remove the gap between bigger & smaller parties
It could encourage participation if the state matched funding to party membership
It would curb the influence that potentially corrupt donors have over party policies.
What are some arguments that parties should not be state funded?
It could reduce parties’s independence.
It is hard to say how much support would be needed to qualify for funding
Taxpayers wouldn’t like that their taxes go to parties of which they disapprove.
Who drastically changed the Conservative Party in the 1980s?
Margaret Thatcher
Why did the Conservatives see a fall in support 1992-2005?
They struggled to find an identity separate from Thatcherism
Who started to move the Conservatives away from Thatcherism in 2005?
David Cameron
What did Cameron refer to himself as?
A ‘Liberal Conservative’
What were Cameron’s main Economic policies?
Austerity - public sector cuts of up to 25%
What was the purpose of Cameron’s main Welfare policies?
To cut costs & make people more self-reliant
What was Cameron’s approach to Law & Order?
Tough on Crime, Tough on the causes of Crime
What was Cameron’s approach to Foreign Policy?
Strong ties to the USA, pragmatic Euroscepticism
Who was the last ‘Old Labour’ PM?
Jim Callaghan
Who was elected leader of the Labour Party in 1994?
Tony Blair
What did Tony Blair revoke that finalised the party’s shift to the centre-left?
Clause 4 - promise to nationalise
Which 3 elections did Tony Blair win?
1997, 2001, 2005
Why was New Labour controversial?
Moved away from traditional socialism
What were the five main features of New Labour policy?
Emphasis on wealth creation rather than redistribution
People need to be aware of social responsibilities as well as social rights
Responsibility of government with public spending & the economy
Enlisting the Private sector to help provide public services
Influence of Liberal ideology
What caused a major shift in New Labour policy under Gordon Brown?
2008 Financial Crash
What were some of Brown’s new policies that were seen as a move away from New Labour?
Part-nationalisation of the most vulnerable banks
Treasury pumped money into the banking system in an attempt to boost economic activity
Brown broke a promise not to raise income taxes
What did Milliband’s policy try to do?
Reconcile the ideas of New Labour with the classic Labour ideals of helping the working class.
What was Miliband labelled as by the media?
Red Ed
What was Jeremy Corbyn’s main economic policy?
Re-nationalisation
What was Jeremy Corbyn’s main goal in welfare policy?
Oppose benefit cuts & cuts to public services
What was a foreign policy commitment Corbyn advocated?
UK withdrawal from NATO
What was Corbyn’s stance on crime?
Strongly opposed to the harsher policies of New Labour
How many seats did the Lib Dems have in 1997?
46
How many seats did the Lib Dems have in 2010?
57
What was Lib Dem Economic Policy in 2015?
Emphasised commitment to reduce the defecit, but in a way fairer to the poor.
What was the Lib Dem Welfare policy in 2015?
Increase NHS funding, control benefits spending
What was the Lib Dem Law & Order policy in 2015?
AImed to see personal freedom wasn’t eroded as a consequence of giving authorities more powers to fight crime
What was the Lib Dem foreign policy stance in 2015?
Very Pro-EU, reluctant to accept Brexit even after the referendum.
What is the main purpose of the SNP?
Scottish Independence
How many Westminster seats do the SNP have as of 2019?
48
Where is the only seat held by the Green party?
Brighton Pavilion
What is the main Purpose of UKIP?
Britain’s exit of the EU
What is a One-Party system?
A system in which only one party will ever realistically hold power
What is a Two-Party system?
A system in which two parties fight over which one will hold power.
What is a Two-and-a-half party system?
A system in which two parties compete for power, but they are threatened by the growth of a third party.
What is a multi-party system?
A system where many parties vie for power. Coalitions are commonplace in these systems.
Why is Westminster considered a Two-Party system?
The effects of FPTP Voting
What party system are devolved assemblies considered to be?
Multi-party: Hollyrood has a minority government led by the SNP
What are the four main factors that affect a party’s success?
Strength of Leadership
The extent to which the party is united
The role of the media
Funding
What are some examples of weak party leadership?
John Major, Gordon Brown, Theresa May
What are some examples of strong party leadership?
David Cameron, Tony Blair
What is the slogan used by the Sun to reinforce their effect on elections?
It’s the Sun wot won it
