POL PARTIES: party systems & minor Ps Flashcards
minor parties shar eof the vote in 2024?
43%
the party that formed a C&S deal w cons in 2017?
- DUP
labour’s share of vote in 2024?
- 33.7%
minor parties share of the vote in 1951?
- 4%
reform’s share of vote in 2024?
- 14.3%
minor partie’s share of seats in 2024?
- 18%
labour’s share of seats in 2024?
- 63%
the party in power in scotland since 2007?
- SNP
minor partiie’s share of seats in 1951?
- 2%
reform’s share of seats in 2024?
- 0.8%
what is co-optation?
- when a major party ‘steals’ the popular policy of a minor party
what is a party system?
- how parties are organised in a democracy, specifiaclly how many have a realistic chanec of forming the government
why does FPTP seem to create two-party systems?
- the need for GCS leads to tactical voting from supporters of min Ps, parties often group together
evidence to show the UK has a 2 party system?
- maj Ps get WB & min Ps underrespresented in HoC- 33->63%, 14-0.8%
- since 1945, only lab & Ts have formed gov, bar the 2015 coalition
- NP/ media outlets tend to follow T or lab
- 2019- lab & Ts had 87% of seats, 2024= 82%
- parl tends to operate on the basis of gov vs opposition- clear even from layout of HoC- and ‘official opposition’ in our constitution
why do PR systmes tend to create multi-party systems?
- lack of need for GCS avoids pressure to vote tactically- min Ps get more supp
what evidence shows the UK has a multi party system?
- 1951- min parties had 3% of seats in hoc
- 2010- have 35%
- co-optation- min Ps have infl even if not able to achieve power- reform’s 4 million votes (14%) has had huge impact on pol agenda, immigration becoming a maj issue once again
- devolved- power here
- in 2024, 9 parties won a signif no (3+) of hoc seats
what evidence sshows the UK have a one party system?
- 2010-2024, 1997-2010- just have periods of lab or Ts being in power, swinging between lab or T dominance
- FPTP creates large super-majs where a single P dominates gov
- UK naturally leans cons (apparently lol)
when have the SNP dominated Holyrood elections?
- 2007-2021 (then 48% of vote)
when was the SNP’s ‘high point’?
- 2015- won 56 seats in HoC, w Nicola Sturgeon as leader
when did Sturgeon resign as SNP leader?
- 2023 following a scandal abt party funding
what was the Scottish Independence Act?
- 2013
- passed by sc parl, se out arrangements for a ref following agreement beteen uk & sc parls
what was the turnout of the 2014 scottish indep ref?
- 84.6%- highest recorded for ref/ GE since 1910 GE
what was the result of the 2014 scottish indep ref?
- 55% NO- free uni fees would not be financially possible/ would have broken up UK’s armed forces, sc would need to start its own/ DC said he’d devolve more powers to sc from westminster anyway
- 44% YES- free uni fees could continue/ wanted sov
how have SNP performed recently?
- John Swinney= leader
- only 9 seats in hoc 2024 GE- ‘failed to convince ppl of the urgency’
what did the SNP try to do in 2022 and why did it fail?
- tried for indep- drafted a bill for a 2nd ref, but its legislative powers were still limited by the 1998 scotland act
- S/C ruled it cannot pass bills relating to matters reserved for UK parl- includes aspects of the const incl union of sc to uk
how was ukip connected to the tories?
- high risk of voter defection from cons to ukip- they capitalised on the EU/ migrant crisis
- cons had moved centralist under Cameron- many left dissatisfied w the coalition gov & w/c feeling marginalised & alienated
- so cons pledged to hold a ref on EU membership, attempting to curb electio threat from ukip, esp as DC= remainer
what was ukip originally founded as?
- euro-sceptic, single-issue party, but, under NF, utilised growing anti-immigration sentiment in uk
how did Farage’s leadership alter ukip?
- fused core policy on eu w issue of migration- monopolising issues- min P
- adopted a right-wing populist narrative, presenting themselves as a ‘common-sense’ P focused on helping interests of ordinary ppl
when did ukip achieve success under farage?
- rapid succes in local elections & 2014 EU parl election- won 24 seats & 27% of vote- first time naither lab or cons had won a British national election- gives momentum to path for ref & pressures Ts
- 2015 GE- 12.6% of vote
how have ukip’s infl faded?
- reasopn for existance, brexit, has been achieved
- NF left
- lack GCS
- internal instabiliity & infighting
- NF criticised the party’s drift towards a far-right, anti-islam platform under leadership of Gerard Batten
why have min Ps had increasing infl?
- lab & cons converging on middle ground- room for min Ps to rep interest soutside of centre, eg ukip’s brexit stance not supp by maj Ps
how can min Ps have infl?
- CO-OPTATION & PRESSURE- maj Ps may steal ideas/ policies of min- concerns over pop of green P- many majs more environmental policies, br ref
- GOVERNING- devolution & prop v systems- gain power eg SNP since 2007/ libdems part of 2010 coa, DUP in 2017 C& S deal
- DEMOCRACY- provide an avenue for voices outsid ethe centre to be heard- those who feel unrepresented eg ukip
lab and Tories share of vote in 2024?
- 58%
what evidence shows min Ps have decreasing infl?
- 2017, lab and Ts gained over 80% of vote, 2019 this was 76%
- % of v going to min Ps fell frrom 32% in 2015 to 24% in 2019 BUT back up to 43% in 2024
what are barrieres to min P influence?
- electoral system of PTP
- lack of consistent supp- tends to be short-lived eg ukip gained 12.6% of v 2015, but down to 1.8% in 2017 and 0.07% in 2019
- lack of finance
- media profile- NPs endorse either lab or Ts in 2024- set agenda etc
