Political parties Flashcards
What is an ideology?
A coherent set of ideas and values about how the society, the nation or the world should run.
Traditional left wing ideas.
Collectivism Reduce inequality Nationalisation Close relations with trade unions Multiculturalism Higher taxes Liberal
Traditional right wing ideas.
Individual Free market with no government influence Limited trade union influence Privatisation Shared national identity Lower taxes Traditional/conservative
What does pragmatic mean?
Does what works or gets the wanted results
What does dogmatic mean?
Sticking closely to beliefs and ideas.
What is conservatism?
Clear social heirachy
People are individuals who work for their own benefit
Industry should be privately owned
Strong leaders run country
Name an example of conservatism
Conservative party 1945-79
What is modern liberalism?
People are individuals and are competitive Most businesses privately owned Some industries owned by state Allowed as much freedom as possible Everyone has equality of opportunity
What is classical liberalism?
People are competitive Vote through elections Work hard for money Have to make the best of their situation As free as possible to live their lives as they want
Name an example of classical liberalism.
Victorian britain
What is anarchism?
Communities regulate themselves Should be no state Achieve goals through community cooperation No laws and rules Small groups cooperate with each other
Name an example of anarchism.
Catalonia 1936-39
What is socialism?
People are naturally cooperative and want to work and live together
State is neutral and can make people equal
Everyone is equal
State runs industry and shares profits with all the people
Big changes should be chosen by people via elections
What is social democracy?
People are naturally cooperative and should be relatively equal
State is important for ensuring social justice
Change happens through a democratic system
Equal opportunities
Capitalism needs to be regulated by the state
Name an example of social democracy.
Labour party
What is marxism/communism?
People are equal but capitalism makes people unequal
Change can occur through violent revolutions
Elections will not be needed
Radical change will be needed to take over industries
State will force decisions at first but eventually people will be happy to make their own
Name an example of marxism.
Soviet Union
What is fascism?
People compete and the strong defeat the weak
Elections are unecessary
Clear social heirachy
Fascists think their country is the best
Power is based on strength and strong leaders will make the right decisions
Name an example of fascism.
Nazi Germany
When did political parties emerge in Britain?
18th century
What is a political party?
A group with broadly similar views whose purpose is to participate in government by securing the elections of their candidates.
What is a party system?
The way parties dominate politics. Nearly all elected officials represent a party and parliaments/assemblies/councils are normally organised based on parties.
What are factions?
Different wings of a party
What is factionalism?
The idea that the groups will inevitably fight each other and there will be an unhealthy struggle between factions.
What is consensus politics?
That there are many philosophical and policy similarities between the main political party.
What is adversarial politics?
The idea that main parties are divided by fundamental philosophical and policy differences.
What is a manifesto?
It sets out what a political party seeks to achieve if it is able to form a government.
When are manifesto’s published?
During the general election campaign.
What is a mandate?
If a political party wins a general election it can be said to have a mandate to govern the country.
This means that it has the authority to try to enact its manifest commitments.
Name six functions of political parties.
Represent the views of the voters
Campaign in elections
Make a manifesto based on the party’s idead and aims
Select candidates to contest elections
Winning parties provide personnel to government (MP)
Allow a legitimate government- translate public views into effective governments
How much was party spending in the 2019 General Election?
£50 million
How much did the Conservatives spend on ther General Election in 2019?
£16 million
How much did Labour spend on ther General Election in 2019?
£12 million
How much did the Lib Dems spend on ther General Election in 2019?
£14 million
How much did the Conservatives recieve during the 2019 campaign?
£19 million
How much did Labour recieve during the 2019 campaign?
£5.4 million
Name three ways parties are funded.
Short Money
Canbourne Money
Policy development grants
What are policy development grants?
A grant that allocated £2 million to all of the main parties
What is Short Money?
Short Money (named after Ted Short) is allocated to the opposition parties for their work in the House of Commons based on the number of seats. The Leader of the Opposition will receive around £800,000
What is Cranbourne Money?
Named after Lord Cranbourne, Cranbourne Money subsidises the work of scrutiny carried out by the opposition.
Name two Acts surrounding party funding.
2000 Act
2016 Trade Union Act
What is the 2000 Act?
States all donations over £7500 must be declared and the donor must be registered to vote in the UK.
What is the 2016 Trade Union Act?
Union members must agree to their union using their fees to fund the Labour Party.
Name four scandals surrounding party funding.
Pandora papers
Blair/Ecclestone
Foreign Influence
Blair and ‘Cash for Honours’
What are the Pandora Papers?
Leaked in October 2021.
The Pandora Papers is a leak of almost 12 million documents that reveals hidden wealth, tax avoidance and, in some cases, money laundering by some of the world’s rich and powerful.
A prominent Tory donor who contributed to Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign was involved in one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals, which was when he worked on a series of controversial deals for a Swedish telecoms company that was later fined $965m (£700m) in a US prosecution.
What was the Blair and Ecclestone situation?
Ecclestone funded the Labour Party in exchange for Blair allowing F1 to have tobacco advertising on the cars for longer than was legal.
What is traditional conservatism?
Support a strong monarch and Church of England
Country ruled by aristocracy
Not keen on allowing more people to vote
What is one nationism?
Allows more people to vote
Improve living and working conditions for working classes
Conservatives during the post war consensus.
Agreed with the welfare state
High taxes
Wanted to reduce the power of trade unions
Prepared to nationalise industries if necessary
Joined EU in 1973
One nation conservatism
Thatcherism and the Conservative party.
Economic liberalism and social conservatism New Right Taxation to a minimum Reduce inflation Limit influence of trade unions Give government extensive powers Discouraging permissive and alternative lifestyles Strong defence policy
Early history/formation of the Labour Party
Formed in 1900
Joining of all the small socialist parties
In 1906 had 29 MPs and became the Labour Party
Lost the 1926 election
Labour became the largest party after the 1929 election
PM in 1929 election (Ramsey McDonald) was expelled after forming a government with the conservatives.
Old Labour in the post war consensus.
Nationalised industries such as coal mines and gas
Created the NHS in 1948
Set up elements of the welfare state
Withdrew from their empire and India, Burma and Pakistan were all given independence
Redistribution of wealth
Full employment
Trade unions
Labour party in the 1970s and 1980s.
Further nationalisation Increased taxation to the wealthy Nuclear disarmament Moved further left due to Michael Foot In early, 1980s some politicians formed the Social Democrat Party.
New Labour in the 1990s and 2000s.
Moved left wing socially and right wing economically
Belief in wealth creation instead of redistribution
Abandoned commitment to nationalisation
Preserved Thatcher’s low tax
Introduced tuition fees
Introduced civil partnerships for same sex couples
The Conservatives in the 1990s and 2000s
Coalition with the Lib Dems
Policy of austerity following the financial crash
Legalised same sex marriage
Brexit
Johnson and May promise to end austerity
Move towards to high taxes and ‘levelling up’
Who was the first Labour MP?
Keir Hardie
Which Conservative PM is associated with one nationism?
Benjamin Disraeli in the 1860s
Which Labour PMs are associated with the post war consensus?
Clement Atlee and Harold Wilson
Was Ted Heath associate with one nation conservatism?
Yes
Name five terms associated with Thatcherism.
Individual responsibility Privatisation 'Roll back the state' Anti-welfare 'Family values'
What is individual responsibility?
Individuals are responsible for paying for their own lives and retirement.
No welfare state
What is privatisation?
The selling of industries to private companies.
What is ‘roll back the state’?
Decrease the role of the state-
What is anti-welfare?
Reducing the welfare state
What are ‘family values’?
The presentation of the traditional family
Who mainly supportes old Labour?
Working class
Who mainly supports new Labour?
Middle class
Economy and old Labour.
Keynesianism and redistribution of wealth.
What is keynesianism?
The idea that state intervention is both necessary and justified to prevent the collapse of capitalism.
Economy and new Labour.
Free market
2000 -> increased spending
Welfare state and old Labour.
Large welfare state
Welfare state and new Labour.
Supreme welfare state but emphasis on responsibility.
Equality and old Labour.
Equality of outcome
Equality and new Labour.
Equality of opportunity
Culture and old Labour.
Collectivism
Culture and new Labour.
More individualism
National identity and old Labour.
Patriotic and anti immigration
National identity and new Labour.
Multicultural and with immigration
Name two politicians associated with New Labour.
Blair
Starmer
Name two MPs associated with Old Labour.
Prescott
Corbyn
Current new Labour position.
Free market economy Helping the worst off Pragmatic/realistic Moderate policies (such as £10 minimum wage) Traditional social attitudes
Current old Labour position.
Left wing
Keynesianism and nationalisation
Multiculturalism
Minority groups
What are some of Johnson’s Conservative Party’s one nationism ideas?
Pragmatic Increased NHS funding Covid spending- this may not be very indicative however Network Rail nationalisation Corporation tax slightly raised Covid regulations Social views
What are some of Johnson’s Conservative Party’s Thatcherist ideas?
Cut universal credit Brexit Free trade Free ports Against free school meals
What is the idealogical position of the Green Party?
Left, possibly radical
What is the idealogical position of the DUP?
Right wing
Socially conservative
Protestant
Unionist
What is the idealogical position of Sinn Fein?
Left
Republican-> united Ireland
What is the idealogical position of Reform UK?
Right wing
Nationalist
What is the idealogical position of the Liberal Democrats?
Centre
Liberal and social democrat
What is the idealogical position of Plaid Cymru?
Left wing
Welsh nationalist
What is the idealogical position of the SNP?
Left wing
Scottish nationalists
Name the 7 main minority parties.
Green party DUP Sinn Fein Reform UK Lib Dems Plaid Cyrmu SNP
Electoral strength of Green Party
In 2019 had 2.7% of the vote
53000 members
1 MP- Brighton Pavilion
Electoral strength of the DUP.
8 MPs 26 MLAs (members of the NI Assembly) in 2018
Electoral strength of Sinn Fein.
7 MPs- don’t go to Parliament
Why don’t Sinn Fein MPs go to Parliament?
Sinn Féin MPs believe that as British political institutions should play no part in governing the people of Ireland, they as MPs should not make decisions on behalf of British people.
Electoral strength of Reform UK.
Had 2 MPs at one point
In 2015 has 12% of the vote
Electoral strength of the Liberal Democrats.
2019 had 11% of the vote
11 MPs
Around 90 Lords
Electoral strength of Plaid Cyrmu.
3 MPs
Welsh Parliament- 13/60 seats
How many seats do Labour have in the Welsh Parliament?
30
How many seats do the Conservatives have in the Welsh Parliament?
16
Electoral strength of the SNP.
45/59 Scottish seats in parliament
64/129 Scottish MPs
What is the Welsh Parliament called?
The Senedd
Which two parties are in co-operation to form a government in the Scottish parliament?
SNP and Scottish Greens
How many seats do Labour have in the Scottish Parliament?
22
How many seats do the Conservatives have in the Scottish parliament?
31
Impact of the Green Party.
Set Green agenda
Impact of the DUP
Supported the Conservatives and gave them a majority in 2017.
Impact of Sinn Fein
Links to the IRA
Part of the NI executive
Impact of Reform UK.
Brexit
Nigel Farage
Impact of the Liberal Democrats.
2010 coalition with the Conservatives
Strongest in the 2000s
Impact of Plaid Cymru.
Welsh language
Welsh coalition with Labour in the past
Impact of the SNP.
3rd biggest party in the Commons
2014 independence referendum
Formed the Scottish Government since 2007
What are the positives of state funding for parties?
Prevent corruption
Helps minor parties
Helps democracy due to more trust
What are the negatives of state funding for parties?
Free choice- limits democracy?
Public opinion
How should we allocate funding?
How much money?
What is a one party dominant system?
Only one party has any chance of winning. Rival parties do exist, but are much weaker.
Evidence for a one party system in the UK.
SNP seem to dominate Scottish politics and have formed the government there since 2007.
There is no clear alternative opposition party who is likely to beat them- split between Labour and Conservatives.
They have 45/59 Scottish seats in Westminster.
They have 64/129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, under a proportional voting system which is designed to make it difficult for one party to win a majority.
Evidence against a one party system in the UK.
Between 1999-2007, the Scottish Government was run by Labour and Labour/Lib Dem coalitions.
The SNP lost seats in the 2015 and 2016 elections- but have gone back up in recent elections.
Did not win a majority in the Scottish elections of 2021- are in a coalition with the Greens.
The SNP are limited to Scotland and have limited impact on politics for the rest of the UK.
What is a two party system?
Only two parties have a chance of winning and getting into Parliament and forming a government.
Evidence for a two party system in the UK.
During most of the 20th century the UK has been dominated by two main political parties- Labour and Conservatives.
In 2017, Conservatives and Labour won 89% of seats- this was their biggest share of the popular vote since 1970.
In 2019, Labour and Conservatives made up 568 MPs out of 650
Evidence against a two party system in the UK.
In devolved areas other parties can form government for example the SNP in Scotland.
In 2010, there was no majority and so the Conservatives had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
What is a two and a half party system?
Two large parties and one medium sized party which may hold the balance of power.
Evidence for a two and a half party system in the UK.
The Lib Dems holding the balance of power after the 2010 election.
The breakthough of the SNP in the 2015 election.
Success of the Lib Dems in the 90s and 2000s.
Lib Dems have around 90 Lords.
Evidence against a two and a half party system in the UK.
Coalitions are generally an anomaly in British politics, most elections result in majority governments.
Support for the Lib Dems collapsed post coalition.
SNP has 59 seat limit.
What is a multi-party system?
Where lots of parties have a chance of winning power.
Evidence for a multi-party system in the UK.
Power is shared much more equally among the parties in all of the devolved assemblies.
Many smaller parties can have an influence.
Evidence against a multi-party system in the UK.
Conservatives and Labour still dominate Westminster.
In 2017, Conservatives and Labour won 89% of the seats.
FPTP forces voters towards the two main parties.
Media coverage and funding favours Labour and Conservatives.
