Emerging and minor UK political parties Flashcards
what are the mainstream parties
conservative, labour and libdems
what are the nationalist parties
SNP and plaid Cymru
what are the single issue parties
UKIP and green party
Why have minor parties gained influence (intro)
Because mainstream parties are gradually moving towards the centre left
-this means that some voters feel unrepresented
proportional elections are used in other elections outside of westminster
-UK parties are seen to not be representing local issues enough
-This explains why there has been an increase in votes for Greens and Ukip and more seats and votes for the SNP
what is a minor party
a party whos electoral strength has a smaller role than mainstream parties in a country’s politics and elections
eg UKIP, SNP and green party
why are minor parties good
- they give clarity on singular issues: direct manifesto; have a specific political agenda on issues that the public may deem important to solve to them (UKIP)
- important to represent parties from devolved nations (SNP)
- they can offer policies that aren’t being met by major parties
what are negatives of minor parties
- disproportionately under-represented by the FPTP electoral system: it creates a two party system designed to form a strong majority gov; minority may have radical views and FPTP keeps them from getting power (UKIP)
- governments in devolved nations don’t hold the same weight in Westminster; they are devalued because of Westminsters reserved powers, they may have power in their nation but have little impact on British politics (SNP)
how does/did UKIP give clarity on singular issues
Anti-EU policies; It is undoubtedly one of the most eurosceptic parties in Britain
Victory in the 2014 European Parliamentary Elections by winning a large number of UK seats. Those 24 seats made UKIP the biggest UK party in the European Parliament, this makes it a challenge to the main political parties and to the British political system as a whole.
UKIP secured 3.9 million votes in the 2015 general election, although it only achieved one seat. UKIPs success at the European level demonstrates that minor parties have the ability to influence voters with their clear and direct manifesto
UKIPs increasing popularity over the years strengthened the party as a fundamental catalyst for the 2015 EU Referendum and the ‘victory’ of Brexit
How does FPTP hinder minor parties
2015 General Election:
UKIP: 3.8 million votes = 1 MP
The Green Party: 1.1 million votes = 1 MP
This is because the votes weren’t all in the same constituencies, they were dotted across the country bar 1
This could mean that the majority of people waste their votes, discouraging people to vote for them in the first place
How are the SNP important at representing devolved interests
- SNP has support from 45% of Scotland
- 2014 independence vote represented the nationalists of the country despite losing, the feelings are still there
- Nicola Sturgeons drive and strategy to get independence, increased her following after the defeat
and in the 2015 General Election there was a great success for SNP, which won 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland at Westminster, making them the third party - 1987 Margaret Thatcher won big across the UK but lost more than half the Conservative seats in Scotland – the ‘doomsday scenario’. That year the Conservative number of seats fell from 21 to 10 in Scotland
How are SNP voices not being heard in parliament
2016 EU Referendum:
Scotland voted in favour of the UK staying the EU by 62% to 38%- with all 32 council ares backing Remain
Although Scotland had delivered a strong vote to remain in the EU, the UK left the EU.
How does a small party fill in the gaps that major parties cant fill
Green Party:
Been able to spark an interest, particularly in the younger demographic, on the issue of climate change.
Environmental concerns are becoming a priority for the electorate, with millions of young people across the world protesting this year demanding climate action.
The increase in awareness of climate change has been reflected in the growing support for the Green Party.
The number of people voting Green increased by 40% from 2017
