Party success factors Flashcards
What counts as ‘success’ for a party?
For the main parties it is a period in government when they
can implement a good number of their policies. For minor
parties it can be simply gaining MPs, or influencing policy.
three important
factors that tend to influence a party’s success are:
Leadership
Party unity
Media image of the party
leadership
What makes good leadership?
Experience; charisma; decisive; popular - blair, may.
Leadership can make a considerable impact for smaller
parties – sometimes their success appears almost
completely dependent on one particular leader
However, party leadership is fragile: leaders who start very
strong, do lose their popularity at some point (Thatcher, Blair, BJ
May).
party unity
All parties have factions and internal differences. However, too
much infighting tends to be a real disadvantage.
Examples of divided parties not doing too well: back bench rebellions - theresa may cons party 2016-2019, labour 2015-2019 - nine lab mps quit in protest at party’s leadership in 2019
However, party divisions often seem the consequence of
failure rather than the cause of it. Disappointing election
results cause unhappiness about the leadership and strategy of
the party, more rebellions against the leadership, and more
divisions.
media image of the party
The way the party is reported in the media can be another
important factor. Having sympathetic newspaper reporters
behind you makes a significant difference.
As we found out earlier, most newspapers tend to support
the same party each time. However, some switches can be
significant - the sun
The way the party is reported in the media can be another
important factor. Having sympathetic newspaper reporters
behind you makes a significant difference.
Persistent negative reporting can also have an impact
However, as we learned earlier, the influence of the media can
be exaggerated;
most people tend to read newspapers (and social media) they
agree with. Often it confirms views, not change
