Political parties Flashcards
What are the reasons for having political parties?
Parties choose election candidates - withut elections there would be too many candidates for each seat
Parties provide he personnel for govt
Party members elect the political leader
Parties decide on policies for the manidesto e,g the National policy forum work on the Labour party manifesto
Parties are needed to campaign during elections
Parties represent the views of people
What are the disadvantages of political parties?
It is rare for a voter to agree with everything a party stands for
Whips force MPs to follow the party line even if it goes against their beliefs or the interests of constituents
Parties make politics confrontational rather than encouraging people to work together
Parties have the power to choose their leader and influence policy in ways that might not represent the wider population
Large parties have more funding making it harder for small parties independent candidates to be heard
How do parties create factions?
In Labour herer was a split between Blairites and cornibistas
What is consensus politics?
Similarities between parties e.g Blair supported lower taxes 1994 - 2007 which is a Tory policy
What are adversary politics?
The main parties are divided by philosophical and political differernces e.g Michael Foot’s socialism v Thatcher’s free market conservatism in the 1980s
How are parties funded?
Private funding - membership fees, donations. Labour has over 400 k members, Trade Union funding. Conservatives get their funding from wealthier donors
State funding e.g short money funds opposition parties to scrutinise he govt. This makes up the majority of the Labour parties funding at the moment
What were party donations March - June 2022?
Conservatives - 4.7 million, Labour 1.5 million, Lib Dem 775 K, Greens 166L, SNP 48k, Reform UK 20k, Plaid Cymru 4k
What is the Parties, elections and referendum act 2000?
Sets rules for the party funding/spending at elections.
Donations of over 5k have to be declared
Donors have to be on the UK electoral roll
Electoral commission was set up to monitor campaign funding and spending
What funding scandals have hit parties?
2021 - banker Peter Cruddos donated 3 million to the Con party and was given a peerage by Boris Johnson
1997 election Labour received 1m donation from Bernie Ecclestone F1 bossand later the govt granted F1 an exemption from the tobacc advertising ban
2006 Chai Patel secretly loaned Labour 1.5 million and was nominated for a peerage
what are the arguments for state funding of political parties
2007 the Phillips report argued parties should be funded by tax . This would reduce funding scandals and improve trust
It would be fairer e.g the conservatives with ther rich backers wouldn’t be at an advantage
What are the arguments against state funding?
Free democracy people could support whatever cause they wish
It would be controversial deciding how much money to give to parties
It would be controversiak if far right parties e,g Britain First received funding
It could lead to greater stae regulatin and poss reduce their independence
Public funding might isolate parties from the wishes of the voters.
