Choosing Party Leaders Flashcards
From what year was the selection of Conservative leaders a two-stage process?
2001
What was the two-stage process of the selection of Conservative leaders which began in 2001
- First, MP’s were balloted, bottom candidate eliminated at each ballot until until two candidates remained
- Then, regular party members were given the chance to make a choice between the final two candidates on an OMOV basis
Why was the selection process of Conservative leaders changed in 2001 ?
as William Hague wanted to democratise the party’s internal processes
What was the main problem with William Hague’s 2001 change to the selection process of Conservative leaders?
Conservatives MP’s could manipulate the final choice presented to rank and file members by voting tactfully in the initial ballots
What happened in 2001 which highlighted the major problem with William Hague’s 2001 change to the selection process of Conservative leaders?
those on the right of the party deliberately switched their votes in the final ballot of MPs in such a way to eliminate the early favourite Michael Portillo in order to present the rank-and-file members with a choice between the Eurosceptic Iain Duncan Smith and the moderate Kenneth Clarke, a candidate who Duncan Smith supporters know would not be able to defeat their man in a ballot of individual party members
In the instance of 2001 where MP’s manipulated the ballot, who did those on the right of the party manage to eliminate?
the early favourite, Michael Portillo
Why was Iain Duncan Smith usurped by Michael Howard?
as he failed to command the full support of the parliamentary party in the year following his election as leader
Why were the rank-and-file effectively excluded from the process of electing Iain Duncan Smiths successor in 2003?
As the elected Iain Duncan Smith had not been the right leader for the Conservative party
Who succeeded Iain Duncan Smith?
Michael Howard
What does process by which Labour leaders are chosen involve?
It involved an electoral college made up of three equal parts
What are the 3 parts of the electoral college Labour uses to select leaders?
- one third of the votes are held by the parliamentary party
- one third are held by affiliated organisations
- one third are held by members of constituency Labour parties on an OMOV basis
Which party is regarded as having the most democratic selection process to choose its leader?
the Lib-dems
How does the Liberal Democrat system for selecting leaders operate?
on an STV system using OMOV
How can someone be selected as a Liberal Democrat leader?
must be proposed and seconded by fellow MP’s and nominated by no fewer than 200 members from at least 20 different local parties
How many members from how many local parties must nominate a Liberal-Democrat candidate in order to be selected?
No fewer than 200 from 20 different local parties
