Political parties Flashcards
Functions of parties
Rep members and interests Formulate policies Contest elections Recruit members to provide not only candidates for elections but also offices in govt and leaders in national/social context Provide education Ensure leg is passed
LW ideas
Desire to introduce change into the political system-often of social construction to engineer a ‘better’ society
Welfare, economic intervention and wealth redistribution. Optimistic in general about humanity and feel that the status quo is to be challenged not confirmed
Favour collective group solution > individual
RW ideas
Desire not to change and widespread acceptance of status quo
Stress need for order and stability in society-fear that changes is destabilising and dysfunctional. Emphasis also on authority and its use in society
Favour individual > group or collective approach
What is LW and RW associated with?
French revolution. Right of King-supported him. Left-advocated change
Funding UK parties
Most western demos have state funding of parties e.g Aus for cost of elections, Germany matches what parties raise in donations, Netherlands for research
Phillips report and Committee on Standards in Public Life 2011 rec state funding
Could help create financial equality not provided by party donations and membership subs (large part of funding)
Issues with party funding
ESR research shows public deeply concerned about ‘big money’:
3/4 believe big donors have too much influence on parties
-65% believe party donors can effectively buy honours
-61% believe system of funding corrupt and should be changed
History of party funding
Opp parties receive state funding to pay admin cost; short money in HoC starting in 1975 and Cranbourne Money in HoL starting in 1996. Cut by Osbourne but still received as a form of state funding today
Until 1990s-Labour party funding came from fees paid by trade unions and conservatives was said to be bankrolled by wealthy business interests
Decline in party membership and decrease of role of trade unions by Blair led parties to seek donations from wealthy individuals e.g Lord Sainsbury Kabour and Sir Paul Getty for Conservatives
Recent developments in party funding
Perception emerges that you can buy influence e.g Ecclestone’s £1mn to Labour to delay bay on tobacco ad in F1 1997
Attempts to reg party funding-2000 political parties and elections act, Put overall limit on party spending in GE campaigns and req parties to declare all donations of £5k (loophole-pay £4999 a day to avoid). Built on this by giving electoral comms more powers for investigations and limiting donations >£7500 to those who could prove they were UK residents for tax purposes
Sir Hayden Phillips-Strengthening demo: Fair and Sustainable funding of Political Parties 2007-concluded that way forward might be greater state funding for parties perhaps on a ‘pence-per-voter’ or ‘pence-per-member’ formula
Arguments for state party funding
Play imp role in rep demo so deserve public funding
Public funding would remove great disparity in resources available for dif size parties
If state matched donos by party members, it might encourage participation by public and recruitment to parties
Curb possibly corrupt influence of private backers on PP
Arguments against state party funding
Inc state funding-calls for greater state reg which could reduce party indy
Hard to decide how much support a party should have to qualify for funding
Public funding could iso parties from voters wishes
Taxpayers may resent compulsory contributions for politics they disapprove of
Conservative party early history
Emerged out of tories in 18/19th century
Became tories following Peel’s 1834 Tamworth Manifesto favouring caution, pragmatism, defence of tradition and order and a minimalist approach to change
1872 Crystal Palace Speech-Disraeli outlined One Nation Conservatism as favouring defence of traditional institutions, the empire and social reform to elevate ‘condition of the people’
Prolonged periods of dom in govt e.g Lord Salisbury 1886-1902, 51-64 w/ four tory PMs e.g Churchill, Eden, Macmillan, Douglas-Home
‘one nation conservatism’ ; pragmatism and prudence dom during these govts
What did Thatcher deprioritise?
One nation < neo-liberal. Changed to ‘compassionate conservatism’
Conservative party: Thatcher 1979-90
43 maj 1979 GE. Despite opp from within party and cabinet she pursues; free market economics, reduction of state intervention, advocated individualism, promoted strong law and order, traditional values and British nationalism
Falklands war victory (and Labour-SDP split) helped her secure 143 major in 83
83-87 advocate Thatcherism. Began more extensive programme of privatisation and derug of economy
87-102 maj
Cont. pursue thatcherite agenda and demo increase euroscepticism-becomes bigger than party (one woman govt).
88 poll tax-unpop over next 2 years was crucial in her downfall
Resigned Nov 1990 following Heseltine leadership challenge
Conservative: Major
- Wins ‘92 GE w/ 21
Marred by infighting over Europe post-1992 maastricht treaty, economic problems like Black Wednesday and sleaze
Res June 1995 as party leader and put himself up for re election, beat Redwood
97-Tories lost winning 165 seats and 30.7% of vote. Worst defeat for party since 1906
Conservatives in opposition
97-2001. Hague leads party to win 166 seats in 2001
2001-2003. Duncan smith elected leader, poor leadership and removed w/o contesting an election
2003-5. Caretake leader Howard. Won 198 seats 2005 (support Iraq)
2005-Cameron advocated modernisation of party’s image (e.g enviro) and repeatedly referred to his ‘compassionate conservatism’ i.e vote blue go green
Conservative: Cameron
Wins 306 seats 2010, forms coalition w/ Lib Dems. Won back Sun support
2010-15, Cameron leads coalition as it introduces austerity, large scale changes to welfare/immigration policy/education/healthcare.
Privatised royal mail and some other state assets, legalised same sex marriage
Military intervention in Libya and against ISIS.
Domestically-Av, Scottish Indy refs which confirmed Cameron’s favoured outcome
15-single party govt w/ 12 maj. Concerned about euroscepticism and rise of UKIP in own party, offered ref on EU membership
June 2016-Bremain. Resigned after leave won(51.9%) immediately
Conservative: May and Johnson
2016
Trig Article 50 March 2017 to start Brexit
Snap elected April 2017 to inc maj-strong and stable govt
June 2017-humiliation w/ 317 seats. Formed minority govt w/ DUP confidence and supply
Largest govt defeat ever in 2019-lost Commons vote by 230
23 July 2019-Johnson won leadership contest, 2x votes as Hunt
After no. reversal, he calls GE in Dec 2019. Won 365 seats w/ maj of 80
One nation beliefs
Traditional institutions and values Hierarchy Social stability and order Nationalism Pragmatism and prudence Empirism
Thatcherism beliefs
Neo-liberal: free market econ, reducing state intervention, individualism, anti trade union and welfare
Neo-tory: traditional moral values and lifestyle choices, authority and discipline, strong law and order, British nationalism and stressing of British national interests (put britain first)
Key facts about Labour party
