Party System Change

Question 1

How many seats did the SNP get in Scotland during the 2015 general election?

Answer 1

56 out of 59

Question 2

How has UKIP’s vote share increased 2010 - 2015 in general elections?

Answer 2

2010 - 900,000

2015 - 3.8 mil

Question 3

How has the Green Party’s vote share increased since 2010?

Answer 3

2010 - 1% of national vote

2015 - 3.8% of vote

Question 4

How has the number of candidates the BNP field during elections declined?

Answer 4

2010 - 388

2015 - 8

Question 5

Who formed a majority government in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections?`

Answer 5

SNP

Question 6

What was Plaid Cymru’s performance compared to Labour in the 2011 Welsh Assembly elections (Clark, 2012)?

Answer 6

PC - 18.6%

Labour - 39.6%

Question 7

According to Mitchell (2015), why did the SNP experience success at the 2015 general election?

Answer 7

The prospect of a hung parliament gave them potential governing relevance.

Question 8

According to Johns et al. (2013), why were the SNP successful at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election?

Answer 8

Because voters regard the elections as influential on everyday concerns because of devolution so the SNP are perceived as standing up for Scotland’s interests.

Question 9

Why has UKIP become the largest party in seats at the EU elections?

Answer 9

Seen by voters as more relevant to EU/immigration and protest vote because not forming a government

Question 10

Who said that the dilution of eurosceptism in the coalition makes a favourable platform for 2014 EU elections for UKIP?

Answer 10

Lynch et al. (2011)

Question 11

Why does Birch (2008) argue that the Green’s have been more successful?

Answer 11

Gain exposure because of PR in EU and devolved elections, ability to target and build support base (in Brighton for Caroline Lucas)

Question 12

How important is the Green Party?

Answer 12

• environment issue taken on by mainstream parties
• but got few seats in councils and devolved assemblies and increasing vote share (in 2015 50% Green voters had voted Lib Dem in 2010)

Question 13

How important is UKIP?

Answer 13

• not considered for coalition in 2015 in event of hung parliament with Cons so still not serious
• set agenda on EU & immigration and now having a referendum and renegotiation so put pressure on

Question 14

How important is SNP?

Answer 14

Control Scottish Parliament, considerable force in HoC

Question 15

How important is Plaid Cymru?

Answer 15

relatively small role in Welsh Assembly, not yet made a breakthrough and no real demand/mandate for nationalism, turnout is lower than Scot Parl (McAllister and Cole, 2013)

Question 16

What obstacles do niche parties face?

Answer 16

electoral system
funding
broadening policy without losing support
being seen as a viable vote in general elections

Question 17

What does Lynch et al. (2011) show in relation to UKIP voters? And what do they argue that UKIP needs to do to win office?

Answer 17

• YouGov (2010) data shows that 49% of UKIP’s EU election voters switched to Cons at general election
• they have to broaden policy whilst remaining distinct

Question 18

What does Birch (2008) see as the major barriers to Green Party successes?

Answer 18

simple majority system
lack of public funding
pressure groups can work with other parties

Question 19

What do Ford and Goodwin (2014) perceive as the barriers to UKIP success?

Answer 19

FPTP - UKIP being perceived as a wasted vote. 2012 survey found that 42% of all voters thought this. Their support is also not locally concentrated like the SNP/Plaid which makes a breakthrough harder.

Question 20

What do Johns et al. (2013) argue in relation to the relevance of devolved elections performance? (in relation to SNP and Scotland)

Answer 20

Performance is only important at devolved elections if voters attribute powers and responsibilities to the devolved level.