PARTIES Flashcards

Question

values of thatcherism

Answer 1

- individualism / no dependency - trade unions were undemocratic - meritocracy / functional inequality (incentives) - entrepreneurs not aristocrats - euroscepticism - the commonsense revolution which would cut taxation and promote euroscepticism - tough on crime - minimal expenditure and austerity - freedom to buy, sell and employ is a foundation of freedom - businessmen were philanthropic - limited welfare - minimal state intervention because this erodes freedom / efficiency and creates a dependency culture - economic efficiency and growth - market principle into a welfare state - idea that it should be market oriented - privitisation to improve efficiency - British Telecom and British Airways

Answer 2

- reduction in inequality through progressive taxation - less of a focus on co-operation in foreign policy - high tax and high spending - promote a peaceful and co-operative society - collectivism and social solidarity - emphasis on workers rights and that workers should receive the benefits for their efforts - equality and everyone in society having equal chances - support for working class citizens by redistributing wealth and redistributive tax policies - socialist foreign policy which would promote collective security and disarmament - more emphasis on the control of workers - social / public ownership, especially more intervention in the economy - aligned with the Social Democrats which promoted trade unions, decentralisation and a market economy - opposition to the EU - resources should benefit the public, not private shareholders - workers rights and control over wages, security etc - more socialist in its values - state ownership / collective ownership and nationalisation - support for trade unions - more extensive welfare programmes and more state / public ownership through nationalisation - less tolerance (ie antisemitism scandal) - high taxes and high spending

Answer 3

1. 2016, Conservatives propose laws on Sunday Trading Rules, which are defeated 317 -286, if the 59 SNP MP's didn't vote, the Conservatives would have won - undermining power of Conservatives to orientate themselves around the market 2. 2014 - the Scottish independence Referendum (55% no) - forced Cameron to make significant devolution concessions (ie Smith Commission and 2016 Scotland = primary power over taxation) 3. DNP - Arlene Foster controlling the Brexit deal with May, to ensure there was a customs border and union with Northern Ireland, so NI is still in the UK - veto Brexit negotiations made by May in order to create a customs border and union which would mean that there is no distinction between the UK and NI 4. in 2017, the DUP secures 3 billion extra pounds of funding for the DUP and NI from the confidence and supply agreement, as May feels an obligation to have the support of the DUP 5. Green Party pressure introduced a tax on plastic bags of 20p from 2014 6. The Green Party has advocated for the banning of no fault evictions, which labour has promised to fulfil in 2024, and the Green Party ending VAT exemption for private schools which Rachel Reeves implemented in Jan 2025 7. SNP vote to support tuition fees in England, despite voting to abolish them in Scotland 8. small parties combine and form an alliance, leading to one of the first major defeats against Blair

Answer 4

1. commitment to the ECHR - in Sept 2023, they called on the government (Conservatives) to commit retaining in the ECHR after the government attempted to leave, in order to protect individual freedom - internationalism and human rights - promoting global ties and peaceful relationships, whilst maximising freedom 2. defence of the HRA - defended the Human Rights Act as it safeguards citizens rights in the UK, and plans to tackle the rise in hate crimes - idea of protecting the fundamental rights of those it represents 3. refused to support the 'snooper's charter' which would expand surveillance capabilities and the Investigatory Powers Act - maintaining the liberty of individuals and their basic access to human rights 4. 2013, refused to support the Justice and Security Act and the introduction of Closed Material Procedures which would undermine open justice and fair trials - this would violate equality, fundamental rights and equality

Answer 5

1. advocated for the UK to remain a part of the EU - the 2019 manifesto rejected any attempts to pursue Brexit - ideas of internationalism and embracing global co-operation which will allow the UK to grow more 2. commitment to international development, by supporting the pledge of the UK to spend 0.7% of GNP on foreign aid - idea of internationalism, peacekeeping and co-operation

Answer 6

1. 2014, Cameron holds the Brexit referendum to appease right wing conservatives, forcing a permanent shift in Conservative policy to the right, and Cameron resigns due to increasing right wing influence -- divisive issues also present opportunities for much smaller issues to occupy the middle ground, ie the Lib Dems in 2017 2. split in conservatives and labour (factions including Corbyn v Blair or Badenoch v Jenrick) 3. defections from the conservatives to UKIP - ie mark reckless in 2024 4. there is ideological pluralism, and there are multiple visions within the parties - with more internal party tensions, smaller parties can command support - ie DUP and May in 2017 over the EU Withdrawal Agreement

Answer 7

- violate values when a part of the coalition government in order to maintain co-operation and realistically govern - trying to maintain partnership with the conservatives to prevent fragmentation - they feel that during the coalition, maintaining co-operation with the Conservatives is more important than breaking public promises - they compromise their critical values in order to shift right and align themselves more closely with those who have more power, as to not fragment power - took a more protectionist approach to governing - ie forcing the government to hold the electoral referendum in 2011 for the AV voting system, despite the Conservatives not wanting to - when not in power, their values are consistent

Answer 8

1. power over policy 2. power in elections 3. each main party is a broad, ideological umbrella term, many factions of which small parties have power within 4. power over local elections and local politics

Answer 9

- the SNP and Green coalition broke down in April 2024 in the Bute House agreement, leading to the SNP leading the Scottish Parliament with a minority (63/129 seats) and therefore having little opportunity to pass legislation - for example the GENDER RECOGNITION REFORM BILL was blocked by Sunak under section 35 - overarching power of westminster - lack the legitimacy to pass legislation - due to the rise of the Ulster Unionist Party, the DUP lost 3 seats in Westminster and in Northern Ireland - the alliance group is geographically dispersed and sparse, meaning they lack the traction and pressure to be able to have an impact in one concentrated area - section 35?? - gender recognition billl

Answer 10

- SNP membership increasing from 20,000 in 2013 to 100,000 in 2015 after the referendum - critical traction - the narrow divide between yes and no in the 2014 Scottish Referendum forced key concessions from the government - including the 2016 Scotland Act, providing power over taxation, which allowed the SNP to have power over creating progressive taxation - local parties having power in areas such as Cornwall and Brighton - for example, the Green Party and their support in coastal areas for campaigning to remove a ban on plastic bags, net zero carbon by 2030, and the establishment of a Cornish assembly by campaigning to the government to hold a referendum - parties such as Reform have over 300,000 followers on platforms including Tik Tok, which has been used to amplify much larger messages on a local scale

Answer 11

- immigration policy - economic policy - environmental policy - social policy (healthcare, education etc)

Answer 12

- idea of social and political harmony, people should be enabled to become what they want to be, which will ensure social balance and harmony - imperfect, corruptible human nature - people will take rather than give - overarching importance of the rule of law - law is a procondition of liberty and is the basis of freedom - the law is used to limit selfish actions of individuals - social institutions will create society and a nation to bind imperfect individuals together - foreign policy is just the pursuit of state interests - mass defence of national interests and national sovereignty - liberty is a sovereign political value, we should all be free from oppression, and we should not infringe on the liberty of others - government through checks and balances - divided and equal power, not an over accumulation - belief in property which provides peace, security and stability - property provides security to individuals - equality of opportunity, but not result - there should be a meritocracy, but some people will naturally get further in society (uneven wealth = uneven ability) - inequality provides incentives to motivate people through the unequal distribution of wealth - idea of one nation - alliance between aristocracy and lower orders to create unity - rule by elite - distributed unevenly - suspicious of political change - change disrupts system builders as it challenges an organic society, and change can no longer be resisted - experience brings economic wisdom

Answer 13

1. introduction of climate change initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. They have backed the Paris Agreement - follows ideas of environmentalism and safeguarding the environment for future generations 2. 2024 manifesto - pledged to generate 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 - follows ideas of environmentalism and displays a specific policy of the lib dems / target

Answer 14

1. privatisation of public services, including British airways, British gas, British Telecom etc to promote private sector efficiency as continued under Thatcher from the 1980s in areas of healthcare, transportation and education 2. tax reductions for individuals and corporations, reducing from 28% to 20% in 2010 to increase business investment into the UK - also leveraged the personal income tax allowance to increase worker control over earnings, as people can keep the fruits of their labour 3. introduction of austerity measures in the 2010s under Osborne and Cameron to reduce national expenditure in public sectors in welfare, local government funding and freezing public sector pay - this would reduce government debt and create an environment of economic stability - FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY*** 4. promotion of free trade agreements which would expand the UK's global trade presence through independent trading deals with Japan and Australia - free trade to drive economic growth and expand opportunity

Answer 15

LABOUR: 1. 50% of labour funding in 2017 came from contributions of less than 20 pounds - membership of labour surged in 2017 to 500,000 members - exponential increase in subscriptions and donations 2. Momentum (a local organisation) raised more than 350,000 pounds in only a couple of days - power of local participation to fund campaigning TORY: - events including the Black and White Ball which attracts participation from donors such as Murdoch and business leaders who associate themselves w politicians - direct engagement between party donors and party GREEN PARTY: - 2019 = green party raised 200,000 pounds in 2 weeks through online portals - power of local canvassing and membership

Answer 16

1. no power over policy 2. no power in elections 3. each main party is fairly united and cohesive, maybe less divided than expected 4. no power in local elections and local politics

Answer 17

1. 28% of former 2019 conservative voters, voted Reform - detracted from a conservative support base, giving reform 7% of the vote 2. 2015 = SNP gains 56 seats in Westminster, and in 2011, the SNP won the Scottish Parliament election, which placed indirect pressure on Cameron 3. membership of the SNP increased from 20,000 in 2013 to 100,000 in 2015 4. members of the conservatives shifting to UKIP - including Mark Reckless in 2014 as a result of euroscepticism - more traction to reform in 2024 5. the vote share of the two major parties has decreased from 82% to 60% 6. the Conservatives relied on the DUP to obtain a majority in 2017 -- confidence and supply agreement

Answer 18

1. support for marriage and family values, by introducing the marriage tax allowance in 2015, for married couples to obtain a tax break - idea of stability to incentivise marriage, as marriage was a traditional institution 2. increase in police funding and tough sentencing, promise of 20,000 new police officers by 2023 under Sunak to promote local law and order and a strong police force to maintain social stability - supported by the 2021 Policing Bill which introduced stricter measures on public protest and would maintain national order / authority 3. educational reforms and emphasis on traditional academics under Gove, which promoted traditional academic subjects, including maths, sciences etc to place an emphasis on structure and discipline from 2010-2014 - introduction of "free schools" and academies which would allow for devolved government control -- halted vocational training schemes to place more emphasis on traditional education

Answer 19

1. influence of smaller parties over policy - ie DUP in 2017 - ie SNP over sunday trading rules - ie SNP over tuition fees increasing - ie Greens on banning no fault evictions and fine on plastic bags *major policies (ie brexit) have created opportunities for the emergence of small parties - UKIP influence the conservatives to hold the referendum in 2016 for Brexit 2. influence of small parties in ELECTIONS - decreasing influence of two major parties - ie vote share fell from 82% in 2015 to 55% in 2024 - neither party in 2017 could obtain a majority - in 2024, small parties begin to erode support for later parties, which limits their perception as the official majority - use stats from small party influence - ie Reform take 28% of old conservative voters, SNP gain 57 of the available Scottish seats in Westminster in 2015 - Lib Dems gain highest seat share of 70 seats in 2024 3. polarization of the two main parties - so factionalised they will soon split, and as the major parties both move left and right, it creates a middle ground and opportunity for a small party to dominate the centre - each party is just a broad ideological faction 4.

Answer 20

1. in need of reform to stop the excessive influence of wealthy donors VS not in need of reform because of significant engagement in politics INFLUENCE OF WEALTHY DONORS: 1. Arron Banks donating 2 million to UKIP in 2014 2. Black and White Ball by the Conservatives --- ie 19000 pounds of funding from Murdoch toward Michael Howard SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENT: 1. green party raises over 200,000 pounds in two weeks through internet 2. 50% of labour funding in 2017 was from donations of 20 pounds or less - increase membership to 500,000 members 2. in of reform because the UK needs a system of more transparency and fairness NOT TRANSPARENT: 1. Arron Banks scandal and Russian interference of 2 million in 2014 after having meetings with Russian officials 2. Constitutional Research Council donating 435,000 to the DUP in 2016, yet the source of the money could not be traced IS TRANSPARENT: 1. Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act of 2000 stipulating that all donations are given to the EC 2. donations over 7500 to a national party, or 1500 pounds to a local association must be declared 3. starmer was forced to give a speech to condemn his actions of accepting money in the elections 4. Parliamentary report in 2020 held on Russian interferance with the conservatives 3. in need of reform to eliminate the uneven benefits to different political parties UNEVEN BENEFITS OF POLITICAL PARTIES: - Short Money - based on electoral success and influence, but FPTP system only yields influence to 2 major parties - in 2017, the Conservatives spent 20 million on the election, compared to 4 million (combined of all smaller parties of the DUP, SNP, PC, Greens etc), and Labour spent 12.5 million EVEN BENEFITS TO POLITICAL PARTIES: - 30,000 pound spending limit per constituency per election cycle so larger parties with more access to funding cannot out-fund other parties *OVERALL ARGUE IT IS IN NEED OF REFORM

Answer 21

- social policies now are not being followed as much - ie NHS, housing etc when introduced tends to not follow labour values - Starmer has followed the approach of Blair, in shifting further right to appeal to the median voter and is more strict within the party itself - foreign policy tends to stray away from labour values because the government is forced to act impulsively and they violate the values which they previously placed emphasis on - much more emphasis on immigration in order to provide an alternative view for the electorate - strategic decisions are much more in line with Labour values, especially strategic domestic decisions - starmer initially proposed policies which would appeal to the median of the labour party, before shifting right to appeal to the median electorate - CAMPAIGNS AND MANIFESTO = FOLLOW - LARGE MAJORITY = AUTHORITY TO DEVIATE

Answer 22

- they are forms of public funding which help the official opposition in Parliament fulfil their functions Short money: - allocated to parties of the opposition (ie SNP, Greens, Conservative, Lib Dems etc) based on how they performed in the election and how many seats they hold --- proportional nature - short money is used to cover administration, staffing etc Cranborne money: - aims to support Peers in the Lords to fulfil their functions in legislative debates in the upper chamber by allowing them to start inquiries

Answer 23

1. Brexit - represented a commitment to national sovereignty, in which the UK would have more influence over borers, laws and trade policies - idea of Johnson and "get Brexit done" in 2017 2. support for the Iraq war, Blair was forced to maintain continuous support for Bush, because it was in the best national interest to pursue this - idea of international co-operation, but also foreign policy being the result of self-interest actions 3. strict immigration policy - ie 2021 points based immigration system which would increase national sovereignty and emphasis on a domestic economy to protect domestic employment - prioritisation of highly skilled immigrants

Answer 24

1. increase in tuition fees in 2010 to 2015 - increased university fees and contradicted their campaign pledge - contradicts ideas of equality and equal educational opportunities 2. reduction in welfare spending, the lib dems capped on the amount of household benefits people could receive - violates community / equality of opportunity for every household

Answer 25

- the presence of the welfare state - support for working class citizens - nationalisation of industry

Answer 26

OLD LIB DEM: - individual liberty - equality - a mix economy - a mix of regulation to protect state interests (combined socialism and capitalism) - expansive welfare state - reformed voting system which promoted wider devolution and wanted the decreasing influence of FPTP - 1996 committee w Labour on constitutional reform - shift of power to the consumer and ordinary citizen, development of worker shareholding - left of centre conscience, and establish more relations with Labour on constitutional reform in 1997 and 1996 - no tuition fees - higher tax for the rich - pro EU - public sector dominance ie in health New lib dem: - reformed voting system - coalition gov AV referendum + 2024 manifesto advocate for STV - shifted to the right, aiming to take votes from the Conservatives by taking a more business friendly approach - promoted tuition fees for university students - more free market approach which is more accepting of business interests - not keen on a free market, but more open to it now - more market oriented - anti-war stance over Iraq - MORE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN ECONOMY - interventionist - introduction of tax cuts - can be seen by Nick Clegg - pro EU - upset when Cameron alienated the UK from Europe in 2016 - public sector dominance and reducing top down organisation - ie health - ie the coalition government paused in may 2011 to reconsider Lansley's demands for privitisation of the NHS

Answer 27

follow: - foreign policy - human rights - environmentalism / social policy don't follow - foreign policy - social policy - economic policies

Answer 28

1. introduction of anti-social behavioural orders which banned specific behaviour, including teenagers wearing hoodies, or participating in gatherings, initially proposed in 1997 and continued by Starmer, which erodes individual freedoms 2. sick people benefits - Milburn proposed that long-term sick individuals would need to seek jobs in order to satisfy this labour idea of higher levels of economic productivity and efficiency (shift from a welfare state to a department of work) - supported by Liz Kendall 3. two child benefit cap in 2017 - refused to remove the two child benefit cap, although it could remove over 300,000 children out of poverty - Starmer also punished 7 MPs for supporting it (including Ian Byrne) - erode welfare support and removing elements of a dependent welfare state - contradicts the emphasis placed by Blair and Brown on universal childcare and early equality 4. introduction of NHS league parties 2024 , which would promote competition for funding and a more capitalist approach, to promote efficiency and productivity - introduced by Wes Streeting 5. introduction of work capability assessments in 2008 to obtain disability benefits, which aimed to reduce welfare dependency, but it didn't support genuinely disabled people which contradicted ideas of equality and limited access to social services 6. labour cut diability benefits 2025 - 5 billion in cuts - outrage from miniters inc - outrage from andy burnham