Party Funding Flashcards
What do all main parties receive income in the form of?
membership subscriptions
Until the 1990’s where did the party of the Labour Party’s funding come from?
trade unions and other affiliated organisations
What has the decline in political parties as mass-memeber organisations had an adverse impact on?
on party finances
By the 1990’s which pressure group had more members than all the three main UK parties?
the RSPB
Which 3 Labour leaders attempted to reduce the influence of trade unions?
Kinnock, Smith and Blair
What impact did Kinnock’s, Smiths and Blairs efforts to reduce the influence of trade unions on the party have on the party?
falling revenues
Which two wealthy individuals have been noted to donate to the Labour Party?
- Lord Ecclestone
- Lord Sainsbury
Which two wealthy individuals have been noted to donate to the Conservative party?
- Sir Paul Getty
- Stewart Wheeler
What perception was created from the rise of large individual donations to political parties in the 1990’s?
That one might be able to ‘buy influence’
Who claimed to have bought influence with individual Conservative MP’s such as Neil Hammond in the closing years of John Majors time in office?
Mohammed Al Fayed
Which individual Conservative MP’s did Mohammed Al Fayed claim to have bought influence from in the closing years of John Majors time in office ?
Neil Hammond
What do some people feel Bernie Ecclestone’s £1 million donation to the labour party in 1997 led to ?
the delay in the introduction of the ban on tobacco advertising in Formula 1
Who gave the Labour Party a £1 million donation in 1997 which led to the delay in the introduction of the ban on tobacco advertising in Formula 1 ?
Bernie Ecclestone
What does the PPER Act 2000 stand for?
the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act
What were the 2 main points of the PPER Act 2000
- placed overall limits on party spending in general election campaigns
- required that nationally all parties have to publicly declare all donations over £5,000
What did the PPER Act 2000 require all parties to publicly declare?
all donations over £5,000
Despite the changed made in the PPER Act 2000, what did donations to UK political parties total to in 2010?
£59.2 million
What did the Labour party encourage supporters to do in order to entirely circumvent the PPER A’s regulation of donations?
encouraged them to pay long-term, low-interest loans instead of donations
How did the Philips report come about?
it was government initiated review under the chairmanship of Sir Hayden Philips
What did both reports which became the “Philips Report’,conclude ?
that the one way forward might be greater state funding for political parties
What did the Philips Report propose as a funding formula?
a “pence-per-voter” or “pence-per-member”
What are the 3 advantages of state funding ?
- If not funded by tax payers, will be by interest groups
- allow focus on representing constituents
- smaller parties would be on equal footing
What are the 3 reasons against state funding ?
- taxpayers should not fund parties they do not support
- It is good that interest groups are at the heart of government
- Parties will always have unequal resources
How much did UK parties receive in 2010 in public funds?
£8.1 million
