Political Parties Flashcards
Features of Political Parties
- organised
- present policies
- seek to gain public approval
- fairly select candidates
- effective leadership
Function of Representation
parties represent the views of people with a certain set of beliefs
Conservative - right wing
Labour - left wing
Function of Recruiting Office Holders
candidates can learn political skills as campaigners and organisers
for some, party membership leads to recruitment for public office
contributes to UK’s representative democracy
Function of Participation
in order to win power and influence, parties encourage people to get involved
e.g. to vote, join a party, funding a party
How did Labour increase its membership?
through an annual subscriptions of £3 which later increased to £25
Function of Providing Government
party who wins election controls business of parliament
goal is to pass their manifesto into law
When is a prime minister vulnerable? Give example.
if they lose the confidence of party
Thatcher lost support of a large number of Conservative MPs and failed to win a leadership contest outright
she resigned and John Major replaced her
Function of Formulating Policy
generate policies that embody the ideas they stand for
in a general election they put forward these proposals in a manifesto
What was the policy focus in 2015?
NHS
Conservatives - promised to give access to a GP 7 days a week
Labour - pledged that patients would be given an appointment within 48 hours
How are MPs paid?
through general taxation
How do most political parties receive income?
membership subscriptions
Historically how was the Labour party funded?
fees paid by trade unions
Historically how was the Conservative party funded?
bankrolled by wealthy business interests
How has the Labour party finances been adversely affected?
Blair reduced influence of trade unions which led to falling revenues
due to this there has been a development of wealthy individuals
How have party finances become a controversial issue? Give example.
Suspicion that powerful interest offer financial support in return for political influence
Tony Blair and Bernie Ecclestone 1997 - Ecclestone, motor racing boss, donated £1million to Labour. Alleged connection between this and a delay in implementing a ban on tobacco advertising in Formula one racing
What act did Blair government pass to help with party funding?
2000 act which created an independent electoral commission to supervise party spending on election campaigns
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
- amount a party could spend was capped at £30,000
- donations of more than £5,000 nationally/£1,000 to a constituency had to be declared
- donation from individuals not on the UK electoral roll were banned
Arguments for state funding
- if not funded by taxpayer would be funded by special interest groups
- parties play important role in representative democracy so deserve it
- allows politicians to focus on representing their constituents rather than on campaigns etc
- smaller parties can compete on equal financial terms
Arguments against state funding
- why should taxpayers bankroll parties that they may not support
- could lead to calls for greater state regulation possibly reducing party independence
- acceptable that parties will always have unequal resources
- public funding could isolate parties from the wishes of the voters
What are the basic principles of the conservative party?
- strong defence of country (military, navy etc)
- law and order
- protection of property
- respect for monarchy and church of england
- respect for institution of power (parliament, judiciary etc)
- love of tradition
Principles of One Nation Toryism
- paternalism and noblesse oblige
- social reform
- patriotic foreign policy (British Empire)
- national unity by uniting all social classes under patriotism
Principles of Thatcherism/NewRight
- control of public spending with tax cuts
- privatisation of state industries and services
- limits to trade union power
- strong british interest abroad
- protect loss of sovereignty to EU
- ‘roll back the state’ individuals to take more responsibility for themselves and their families
Explain monetarism
reducing the amount of money in the economy would ultimately benefit the economy because since there was less money it would hold more value
How did Thatcher government control public spending?
- government increased interest rate in order to get people to save more and spend less
- government destroyed million of paper cash
- cut public spending drastically
How did the conservative party change under Cameron and May?
became more socially liberal (legalisation of same sex marriage)
became more media friendly
Economic Policy - Conservative LibDem coalition
cuts in public spending
Welfare Policy - Conservative LibDem coalition
introduction to universal credit to encourage welfare recipients to take responsibility and seek employment
Law and Order Policy - Conservative LibDem coalition
focus on rehabilitation
Origins of Labour Party
political arm of trade union movement
Basic Principles of Labour Party
- social and economic equality
- equality of opportunity
- state ownership over private ownership
- collectivism and universalism
- progressive taxes
- trade unions are essential
Principles of Old Labour
- very much ‘socialist’
- welfare state and NHS introduced
- praised power of the state and criticised the market economy
- higher taxes on rich
- strong link to trade unions
- most support was working class
New Labour - economic policy
- emphasis on wealth creation rather than wealth distribution
- responsibility of handling national finances
New Labour and national minimum wage
National minimum wage at a less generous level than the trade unions wanted
Blair quote about people needing to be aware of their responsibilities
“tough on crime, tough on causes of crime”
How does New Labour ensure responsibility in handling national finances?
conserving resources before investing in more
increasing in national insurance (led to rise in spending on NHS)
New Labour - public sector
enlisting public sector to deliver public services
Private finance initiative contract to private firms to build new schools and hospitals
Influence of liberal ideology on Labour thinking
Passage of Human Rights Act
Willing to curb civil liberties in campaign against crime and terrorism
What are the two factions within Labour party and which politicians represent them?
New Labour - Blair
Traditional Labour - Corbyn
New Labour - Blair
- Majority of current Labour MP’s
- Labour should appeal to middle class voters
- Advocate a combination of capitalism and some socialism
Traditional Labour - Corbyn
- far left
- Reject social democracy as too weak
- Small minority of Labour MP’s but strong membership
- Reject New Labour and prefer to return to left wing socialism
Labour in 2019 General Election
support collapsed due to allegations of anti-semitism and risky economic promises
Corbyn - Economic Policy
- Renationalisation of railways (new labour refused this)
- Increased investment in economy
- Large scale funding of industry and infrastructure
Corbyn - Welfare Policy
- opposed benefit cuts
- regarded the poor as victims of capitalism
- opposed use of private sector to deliver public services
- wholly state run NHS
- opposed tuition fees
Corbyn - Law and Order Policy
- opposed New Labour’s harder stance on Law and Order
- Oppose cuts to police numbers
Corbyn - Foreign Policy
- against use of force
- supported british membership of EU
Principles of Classic Liberalism
- freedom of individual
- constitutional reform
- minimal role of trade
- free trade
Principles of Modern Liberalism
- equality enforced by state to bring about any real freedom
- redistribution of income and resources
- not in favour of going as far left as labour
1997 Liberal Democrats
took 46 seats as a result of tactical voting
2010 Liberal Democrats
formed a coalition with Conservatives
What was Nick Clegg’s intention when forming a coalition with Conservatives?
to tame right wing tory agenda
What were the successes of the LibDem Conservative coalition?
- legalisation of same sex marriage
- secured referendum on changing voting system
What were the compromises of the LibDem Conservative coalition?
- drop opposition to tuition fees
- accepting austerity budget cuts
What are the two factions within Liberal Democrats?
- Social/Modern Liberals: make up majority of party, socially liberal
- ‘The Orange Book’: centre right views on economic management and favour classic liberalism
Where is the SNP on the political spectrum?
centre left
What is the SNP’s main aim?
to secure scottish independence
When did SNP grow in strength?
after Labour came into power in 1997 and established a scottish parliament
How are the SNP restricted in Westminster?
constrained by ‘English Votes for English Laws’
they are restricted from voting on matters that only affect England
SNP in 2017
lost 24 seats
lost influence at Westminster
Why has popularity for nationalist parties risen?
- devolution
- rising demographic in NI
- loss of faith in UK leaders
- raised awareness of national/self identity (particularly in the wake of Brexit)
National Front
extreme British nationalism
advocates white supremacy, repatriation of migrants and complete ban on immigration
How did UKIP start?
as a fringe nationalist party by Nigel Farage
Why did UKIP grow in popularity?
due to dissatisfaction with three main parties and quickening pace of european integration
When did UKIP support collapse?
since victory of leaving EU as this was their main aim/policy
