Minor Parties And The Liberal Democrats Flashcards
1
Q
The emergence of the liberal party
A
- earliest form of liberalism in English political system was in the 17th century, when the Whigs emerged as opponents of the Tories.
- joined with variety of middle and working class class supporters of social and political change in the mid-19th century to form the liberal party.
- from then until the start of WWI, they remained one of the two major parties in UK politics, competing with the Conservative Party for government.
2
Q
Classical liberals
A
- committed above all else to the freedom of the individual and the minimal role of government in society.
3
Q
Modern Liberals
A
- recognised that many individuals couldn’t be truly free due to inequalities produced by free-market capitalism.
- positive freedom
New Liberal govts of the Edwardian era (1901-10) marked the beginning of modern liberalism, adopting a range of social reforms such as old age pensions and national insurance.
4
Q
Liberal party declined following WWI
A
- declined rapidly due in large part to a rivalry between its two most significant figures H.H Asquith and David Lloyd George.
- attempted to appeal to both middle and working classes, but suffered from an inability to define their identity in an era of increasing class polarisation between Labour and the Conservatives.
- in the post-WW2 consensus era, their reputation fell to single figures.
5
Q
The emergence of the Liberal Democrat’s
A
- in 1981, the liberals received a boost from the break off of the centre-left Social Democratic Party from the Labour Party.
6
Q
Charles Kennedy and The Liberal Democrat’s in the early 2000’s
A
- in some areas, notably constitutional reform, civil liberties and internationalism expressed by being pro-EU, the Lib Dem’s have been consistent in their policy.
- when New Labour were in power and especially when Charles Kennedy was in power, they were a centre-left party, rather than trying to be equidistant between the two major parties. (They were opposed to the Iraq War, identity cards and tuition fees and wanted to introduce a new 50% tax rate for those earning over £100,000)
7
Q
2010 conservative - Lib Dem coalition
A
- following the May 2010 general election, the Lib Dem’s who had 57 seats went into coalition with the conservatives, having favoured them over Labour.
- the party was persuaded that, due to the gravity of the Financial Crisis, it needed to go along with the conservatives’ immediate austerity policies, in order to demonstrate its credentials as a responsible party in government.
- they became associated with the Conservative party’s harsh austerity policies, u-turned on their promise to nit increase undergraduate university tuition fees and saw a more proportional electoral system rejected by the electorate in the 2011 AV referendum
8
Q
following the May 2010 general election, the Lib Dem’s who had … seats went into coalition with the conservatives, having favoured them over Labour.
A
57
9
Q
The Liberal Democrat’s since the coalition
A
- punished in the 2015 election
- should not arguably be considered a major party anymore and have significantly decreased in relevance, support and power since 2010.
10
Q
Current policies and ideas of the Liberal Democrat’s
A
- opposes tax rises
- back green causes and green investments
- support constitutional reform, including reforming the HoL and introducing proportional representation
11
Q
Historical development of the SNP
A
- founded in 1934
- centre-left party
12
Q
SNP in Westminster
A
- Nicola Sturgeon became a key figure in UK politics, particularly during COVID when Scotland and England took different approaches.
- when EVEL was in place, the power of Scottish MPs in Westminster was reduced, but it has since been scrapped.
13
Q
Ideas and policies of the SNP
A
- Scottish independence
- opposed austerity and argued in 2017 and 2019 that it should be ended.
- introduced free tuition fees in Scotland
- support immigration and want control over migration to be devolved
- support further devolution
- support increasing healthcare spending
14
Q
Growth of UKIP
A
- began as a fringe nationalist party in 1991
- after securing victory in the 2016 EU referendum, Farage saw his job as done and the party has steadily declined in importance since.
15
Q
The Return of Farage and the Brexit party
A
- By 2019, Britain had still not left the EU and Nigel Farage launched the Brexit Party ahead of the May 2019 European Parliament elections to pressure for a hard Brexit deal and oppose Theresa May’s more moderate withdrawal agreement. (Brexit won the most votes and seats out of any party 30.5%)
