Political Parties Flashcards
E+A 3 key policies of the conservative party
- Europe.
the pledge in the 2019 manifesto to ‘Get Brexit done’ and the generally more Eurosceptic tone of Conservative policy compared with that of Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
how Europe has historically proved a divisive issue for the
Conservative Party, and it proved impossible for May to unite her party behind a Brexit deal. You could also mention Thatcher’s Bruges speech and/or Cameron’s decision to hold the 2016 referendum. - economic policy
Conservatives strongly support low taxation and the place of private business as opposed to higher public spending (austerity) and nationalisation.
explained by Conservative belief in ‘trickle down’
economics and the view that high taxes stifle enterprise.
in practice Conservatives are sometimes willing to raise public spending, e.g. the fiscal stimulus and relief programme during the pandemic. - social policy
You could explain how the Conservatives were much more
traditional in their policies, for example gay rights, and emphasised the centrality of the nuclear family.
shifted towards a more liberal stance, e.g. Cameron’s support of same-sex marriage yet 136 voted against it
attempts to further liberalise Sunday shopping hours. You should also comment on how Cameron still faced strong opposition on both policies from many of his own backbenchers.
E+A 3 ways ordinary members can play a role in one of the main UK political parties
- Labour members help choose the leader having the final say via one member, one vote (OMOV), after MPs and peers have effectively compiled the shortlist. Specific reference should be made to the election of Corbyn and Starmer. Corbyn elected without the support of parliament group Starmer won over 50% of the vote and didn’t need a second round
this is a change from the electoral college system, where party members comprised only a third of the electing body. You could also explain how voting is open to registered supporters as well as to full members, but that the membership has no part in drawing up the initial shortlist, perhaps
reflecting desire for peer review of candidates. - campaigning and local activism.
local members are crucial in fighting elections on the ground, e.g. canvassing, delivering leaflets etc
Labour is helped at least in theory by having by some margin the largest party membership of all the parties in Europe 555,000 in the 2020 leadership election.
local party members can help swing some results with an effective grassroots campaign, although you should balance this by explaining how most elections are largely decided at
national level. A popular local candidate and enthusiastic party activists on the ground are unlikely to be
able to make a massive difference to the final outcome. - candidate selection
this is one of the main functions of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs), and is often jealously protected.
increasingly the central party has become more involved, e.g. all-women shortlists, as they seek to promote
diversity but also ensure promising candidates have a strong chance of being selected. You could cite Ealing
North as one constituency in which the central party organisation caused resentment in the local party.
Explain that there is often a clash between locally preferred, often ‘homegrown’ candidates and the
priorities of the national party.
E+A 3 factors that can explain why some parties do better than others in elections
One paragraph could focus on leadership, and for AO1, explain how parties and their electoral
performance are very much bound up with the image and personality of their leader. For AO2, a brief
analysis of 2019 could work well. Johnson received support for his clear stance over Brexit, while Corbyn
was criticised for Labour’s more convoluted Brexit policy. Corbyn also lacked appeal among some Midlands
and northern traditional Labour voters, leading to a loss of several former strongholds in those regions, e.g.
Bolsover.
A second paragraph could focus on media support and for AO1, you could discuss examples such as the
traditional stances of various national papers, including the Sun’s proud (inflated?) boast in 1992. For AO2,
explain how the press has declined significantly in circulation and influence, although it often remains
highly partisan, e.g. headlines and leader columns before the 2019 election. You could also explain how a
great deal of focus now goes into advertising on social media by citing several examples.
A final paragraph could focus on the electoral system. For AO1, explain how FPTP partly explains how both
the Conservatives and Labour tend to dominate Westminster elections in both England and Wales. You
should provide recent figures comparing the share of the vote and MPs. For analysis (AO2), explain how
this disadvantages the Liberal Democrats and the smaller parties such as the Green Party and UKIP. A
contrast could be drawn with other elections such as for the European Parliament, where these parties fare
much better, e.g. in 2019, the Conservatives fell to fifth place and the Brexit Party triumphed.
E+A 3 factors that can explain why some parties do better than others in elections
- Leadership
parties and their electoral performance are very much bound up with the image and personality of their leader.
2019 Johnson received support for his clear stance over Brexit, while Corbyn was criticised for Labour’s more convoluted Brexit policy. Corbyn also lacked appeal among some Midlands
and northern traditional Labour voters, leading to a loss of several former strongholds in those regions, e.g. Bolsover. - media support
traditional stances of various national papers, including the Sun’s proud (inflated?) boast in 1992 It was the sun wot won it. the press has declined significantly in circulation and influence, although it often remains highly partisan, e.g. headlines and leader columns before the 2019 election. The Sun: “Don’t chuck Britain in the Cor-bin”
a great deal of focus now goes into advertising on social media 2017 labour mobilize young voters, who are less likely to turn out. The party’s “For the Many” campaign, which included content featuring Jeremy Corbyn, was seen as a major factor in the party’s unexpectedly strong showing.
2019 surge in political advertising on Facebook Conservative spent over £1 million on Facebook ads alone Labour Party spent just under £500,000. - electoral system FPTP
the Conservatives and Labour tend to dominate Westminster elections in both England and Wales.
97 (15%) of the house of commons is third parties
this disadvantages the Liberal Democrats and the smaller parties such as the Green Party and UKIP. A contrast could be drawn with other elections such as for the European Parliament, where these parties fare
much better, e.g. in 2019, the Conservatives fell to fifth place with 4 seats and the Brexit Party triumphed with 29 seats
