EXTRA-Funding

Question 1

What % of the UK population were members of a party in 2000?

Answer 1

2%

Question 2

Who described political party funding as the ‘mothers milk of politics’?

Answer 2

Jesse Unruh

Question 3

What did Jesse Unruh describe political party funding as?

Answer 3

the ‘mothers milk of politics’

Question 4

How much state funding do German parties receive?

Answer 4

generous subsidies often over a quarter of their income

Question 5

Other than public subsidies what are 3 other ways in which parties receive funding?

Answer 5

• subscriptions from party members
• donations
• contributions from bodies

Question 6

What is the common phrase used when describing when individuals or bodies pay large amounts to parties?

Answer 6

“he who pays the piper calls the tune”

Question 7

What are the 4 types of expense needed to finance British parties?

Answer 7

1) Maintaining party headquarters
2) Maintaining a reverse fund
3) Campaign costs
4) Local constituencies’ expenses

Question 8

Why is money needed for maintaining party headquarters?a

Answer 8

as money is needed to fund research, pamphlets and publicity materials

Question 9

Why is money needed for a reverse fund?

Answer 9

In sudden cases of emergency, such as a new roof at party headquarters or other major capital repairs

Question 10

How much did the Conservatives spend in the 1997 campaign?

Answer 10

20m

Question 11

How much did Labour spend in the 1997 campaign?

Answer 11

15m

Question 12

How much did the Liberal Democrats spend in the 1997 campaign?

Answer 12

3.5m

Question 13

What is the legal limit to spend on constituency election campaigning?

Answer 13

c£6,000

Question 14

What is the money called which is given to Her Majesty’s Official Opposition?

Answer 14

Short Money

Question 15

When was short money first introduced?

Answer 15

1975

Question 16

how much did short money amount to in 2006/2007?

Answer 16

£7m

Question 17

At election time what type of facilities are made free? (2)

Answer 17

• mailing

- air time

Question 18

Briefly what are the 4 arguments in favour of state aid for political parties?

Answer 18

1) Party activity is essential to democratic government
2) Help reduces party dependance on backers
3) Parties to the centre left suffer a disadvantage
4) Parties face difficulties due to the amount of elections and referendums

Question 19

What are the 5 arguments against state aid for political parties?

Answer 19

1) Nothing wrong with institutional backing
2) Politics is a voluntary activity
3) Public cannot be expected to bail out parties
4) Evidence of abuse and corruption
5) The time is not ripe

Question 20

How is state funding essential to a democratic government?

Answer 20

because parties would be able to carry out their functions if they were better funded

Question 21

How is state funding essential due to the disadvantages those on the centre left face?

Answer 21

Conservative strength lies in the middle and upper class and therefore have members who are in a more able position to fund their party generously.

Question 22

What year (and what happened in this year) is an example of when parties faced difficulties due to the many elections and referendums?

Answer 22

1997 where there was a general election, local elections and later in the year 2 referendums on devolution.

Question 23

Why is state funding not necessary because there is nothing wrong with institutional backing?

Answer 23

As long as the process is open receiving financial support from interested bodies is not a bad thing.

Question 24

Why should state funding not be given because politics is a voluntary activity?

Answer 24

If a party is popular with the public then they should be able to raise their own funds, if they cannot this suggests that there is a lack of enthusiasm for its ideas and performance

Question 25

Why should state funding not be given as the public shouldn’t bail out parties?

Answer 25

Voters might think that the money is going on glossy brochures which do not tell the truth

Question 26

Why should state funding not be given due to the argument that the public cannot be expected to bail out parties?

Answer 26

this could create new opportunities for illegal payments

Question 27

What year was the loans for peerages scandal?

Answer 27

2006/2007

Question 28

What did Sir Hayden Philips in March 2007 suggest that there should be? (4)

Answer 28

• a £50,000 limit on donations from individuals or organisations
• a cap on spending by the largest parties between elections
• new measurements to prevent the breach of regulations on donations
• increase in state funding by 25million a year

Question 29

Who proposed in 2007 that there should be
-a £50,000 limit on donations from individuals or organisations
-a cap on spending by the largest parties between elections
-new measurements to prevent the breach of regulations on donations
-increase in state funding by 25million a year
?

Answer 29

Sir Hayden Philips