Chapter 2.3- parties in context

Question 1

why is the UK a traditionally two party system

Answer 1

• • traditionally class based voting created a political duopoly in a tory and labour two party system

Question 2

what barriers are there for small parties to gain importance?

Answer 2

• FPTP makes it difficult for parties to gain representation as they lack the depth needed for seats
  ex lib dem’s wide support but lack of westminster representation has lead to belief that voting for smaller parties is a wasted vote

-

Question 3

how was two party dominance eroded recently?

Answer 3

-YES- lib dems opposition to iraq war gained them importance in 2005 and a stong clegg campaign mixed with poor performance of brown and cameron lef to them being in 2010 coalition

• NO- 2015 election saw lib dems popular support slip to just 7.9% of poular vote
• 2017 saw lib dem and snp votes slip (snp lost 21 seats)

Question 4

why did 2017 pull UK back to two party?

Answer 4

increasingly adversial nature of british politics meaning that voters now have a clear choice between tories and lib dems

Question 5

how has multi party democracy derived from devolved assemblies

Answer 5

• scottish parlaiment in 2016 dominated by 63 snp seats with only 31 going to tories
• national assebily of wales labour dominate with 29 seats
• northern irish assembly dominated by the DUP with 38 votes