political parties Flashcards
define party funding and features and examples
the ways party get money in order to run their party and campaigns
- MPs are given basic salary of £76k a year paid by general taxation and can claim expenses to run their office
- electoral commission monitors party funding
membership subscription, fundraising, events, donations, loans, self financing, state funding
define membership subscriptions and evaluate
money raised from membership fees
- differing amounts and size of membership depending on party
+ more popular parties get more money
- less people interested in party memberships, small parties cannot breakthrough
define fundraising events and evaluate
ways to raise money in the community
- party conferences- people pay to attend, businesses can hire stands
– dinner events
- local quiz, fish and chip, bingo
+ shows who is more popular- more people attended Labour Conference in 2023 which hints at their potential win, local event encourage MPs to interact with constituents
- smaller parties can’t afford conferences and businesses aren’t willing to invest
define donations and evaluate
money from members, wealthy individuals, companies and money left in wills
- people can gain influence through donations
define loans
from companies and individuals but the money has to be paid back
define self financing and evaluate
pay for your own campaign
- almost guaranteed candidate, stops smaller candidate from winning
define state funding and evaluate
money from government to aid campaigning
- up to £2 million of grant available from the Electoral Commission per party
- Policy Development Grants- money to hire advisors on policy
- Short Money- money given to the opposition parties to facilitate their parliamentary work, decided by number of votes and seats
- Cranborne Money for HoL
+ help opposition to create good policy and hold government to account, stops wealthy groups influencing
- smaller parties have less seats so less money and are less likely to breakthrough, disagreement on allocation of money
donation scandals
- ecclestones £1 million donation to Labour in 1997 to let F1 be exempt from
ban on advertising tobacco - Mandelson met with Brian Davis, founder of the International Fund for Animal Welfare he collected a £1m cheque, which led to ban on go hunting
- 2012 Peter Cruddas was offered access to PM in exchange for £250k
- Dominic Johnson donated £300k to Conservatives for peerage under Truss
- single largest conservative donor hester made a racial comment about dianna abott and labour calls for the £10m to be returned
2018 donations data from institute for government
- labour got £30m from donations and £9.1m from state
- under £1m state money for state parties
2000 political parties, elections and referendums act
- independent electoral commission set up to supervise policy spending
- £30k per constituency
- donations more than £5k to main party or £1k to local constituency party has to be declared
- donations over £7.5k were to be placed on electoral register
- donors not on electoral roll were not accepted
- applied to loans in 2010
trade union act 2015
instead of part of membership fees automatically going to Labour, people have to opt in
alternative party funding methods
- impose restrictions on size of individual donations
- tight restriction on how much parties can spend
- replace all funding with state grants by general taxation
evaluation of alternative party funding methods
+ allow parties to have a level playing field and gives them more of an opportunity to
- bigger parties will always have more donors, restrict education and engagement, liberty and rights of people, individuals will have links to businesses, may not want their taxes to support a party
traditional conservative views on state
- defence of property
- traditional authority against the threat of revolution
- appeal to middle class and land owning aristocracy
- hierarchical state
traditional conservatives views on economy
-gradual reform in order to protect and conserve established institutions
traditional conservatives views on foreign policy
- security
one nation conservatives view on state
- bridge the gulf between the classes through a paternalistic social policy
- obligation to act benevolently to the disadvantaged so they let you stay in power
- social reform
- welfare state
- pragmatic and non-ideological state
one nation conservatives view on economy
- mixed economy, where there is free enterprise with some state intervention
- maintain high level of employment
one nation view on foreign policy
- patriotic foreign policy
new right conservatives view on state
- privatisation of industries and services
- legal limits on trade unions
- tough approach on law and order- police and judicial systems
- roll back the state- however is difficult with demands of NHS
- ideological and dogmatic approach
- neo conservatism
- ideological
- authoritarian approach to morality
- section 28- no promotion of homosexuality
new right conservatives view on economy
- reduce state intervention- laissez faire
- control of public spending
- tax cuts
- neo liberalism
- privatisation of industries and services- BT, BA
- toleration of high levels of unemployment
- deregulation like finance
new right conservatives view on foreign policy
- British interest abroad
- protect natural sovereignty against growth of European community
- division between Eurosceptics and people who wanted to integrate more
- USSR, Falklands
modern conservatives view on the state
- more interest in environment
- valued public services like NHS
- legalisation of gay marriage
- reforms of voting system
- upgrading britains nuclear weapons
- tough sentencing on crimes
- rehabilitation facilities
- tripled tuition fees
- state needs to help the most deprived but as minimally as possible
- big society- union between state and charities
modern conservatives views on economy
- encourages low income people and on benefits to take up employment- universal, credit
- reduce the budget deficit
- austerity
- maintain confidence of the financial markets
- prevent britains borrowing costs from rising
-whitehall departments cut by 35% - power and desirability for free markets
modern conservatives view on foreign policy
- strong links with USA
- support air strikes against Islamic terror group
- pragmatic Euroscepticism
- EU referendum
- Syria, Iraq, Libya
current conservatives views on state
- cutting NHS waiting lists
levelling up policy across the UK - social care reform
- Johnson wants to be liberal, but becomes authoritarian due to Covid
- laxed attitude towards law and order- commitment to 200,000 more police officers
- sunak- smoking ban and longer sentencing, national service
- badenoch- very right wing stance
current conservatives views on economy
- mini budget- low taxes, high spending
- cut taxes
- johnson- spend £70bn on furlough (80% of wage) during covid
- cut down on public spending
- Sunak- halving inflation, reducing NI by 2%, scrap non dom status which is usually left wing policy
current conservatives views on foreign policy
- rwanda policy- harsher restrictions on immigration
- delivery of Brexit
- Ukraine/Russia
- Sunak- air strikes with houthi rebels
old labour views on state
- get more working class MPs into Parliament
- improve living conditions for working class
- NHS
- system of social security
- importance of welfare policy- beveridge report
- creation of comprehensive schools
- political party of the trade unions- workers rights
old labour views on economy
- common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange- clause IV
- nationalise key industries and services- rail, coal, utilities
- increase taxation and spending
- keynesian policy- mixed economics
old labour views on foreign policy
- withdrawal from European Economic Community- too capitalist and against free markets
- scrap trident nuclear programme- nuclear weapons on standby
- oppose war
new labour views on state
- welfare benefits- more conditions for them
- ASBOs (anti social behaviour orders)
- tough on crime- extending time suspects can be detained in terrorism suspicion, proposing ID cards
- devolution
- human rights act
new labour views on economy
- revising clause IV of labour constitution and no longer committed to nationalisation
- emphasis on wealth creation and reduce poverty- minimum wage
- conserving resources before investing more in public services
- increase in NI contributions which led to largest rise in NHS spending
- downgrade trade unions
- private sector to deliver public services- private finance initiative contracts to private firms for more schools and hospitals
- makes bank of england independent
new labour view on foreign policy
- pro european with more EU adopted policies
- close links with US government - Iraq
miliband view on state
- reduce tuition fees to £6k
- freeze energy prices
opposed private sector to deliver public services
corbyn view on state
- austerity opposition- stop cuts
- nationalise railway, royal mail and broadband
- workers rights- banning 0 hours, trade union power
- opposed tuition fees
miliband view on economy
- restoration of 50% top rate income tax
- 10p tax band
- no to bedroom tax
- mansion tax
corbyn view in economy
- 50p tax rate
- increase in corporation tax
milband and corbyn view on foreign policy
-withdrawal of UK from NATO
- wants to abolish Trident nuclear weapons
- support brexit
- voted against use of force (corbyn) and wants UN backing and Parliament before violence
-miliband- no to syrian airstrike
starmer view on state
- great british energy- new publicly owned power generation company
- cut NHS waiting list
- free school breakfast
- renationalise railways
- health and care reform
- devolution
- pledged to abolish HoL
- technical education
- “take back the streets”- local gangs and drugs
- control borders
starmer view on economy
- spend £28bn a year in green investment scrapped
- raising productivity growth
- cut down in spending- fiscal rules for not overspending
- not going to revere cap in bankers bonuses
- VAT on private schools
- inheritance tax in farmers
- increased NI contribution for business
starmer view on foreign policy
- favour military aid to israel in hamas
- voted remains
- wants to revisit brexit deal
- supports airstrikes to houthi rebels
- keep trident and stay in NATO
history of liberal democrats
- founded in 1988 but descended from Whigs who were opponents to the conservatives and represented the working and middle class
-barter the first world war to the second world war, they lose support after they failed to defined their identity - 1981, liberals joined a division from the labour party, social democrat party, and became the liberal democrat’s in 1988
- party grew during the 1990s and 2000s under Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy by campaigning on specific on seats and became the 3rd largest party
- joined coalition under clegg in 2010 with cameron
- in 2015, they suffered many losses and became the 4th largest party
2015 liberal democrats view on state
- giving authorities more power to fight crime
- defend civil liberties
- oppose may’s snoopers charter (communications data bill) which allowed the monitoring of internet use
- rehabilitation of prisoners and use of community service
- elected second chamber
- pr
- devolution
2015 liberal democrat’s view on economy
- eliminate budget deficit
- policy to increase personal tax allowance
- borrow less than labour and cut less than tories
- stressed environmental credentials with commitment to renewable energy and expansion of green investment bank
- pledging to curb benefits to better off pensioners
- increase funding of NHS
2015 liberal democrats view on foreign policy
- enthusiastic member of EU
- supportive of NATO
- wants to settle conflicts through UN
define modern liberals
recognised inequalities in society due to free market capitalism so an active state was required for people to reach their full potential
define classical or orange book liberals
wanted freedom of individual and of state
modern liberal democrat’s view on state
- cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045
- give everyone the right to see their GP within 7 days
- reform NHS dentistry
- banning conversion therapy
- increase school funding per pupil above the rate of inflation each year
- new skills wallet- adults get £10k to spend on education and training throughout their lives
- PR
modern liberal democrat’s view on economy
- carer’s minimum wage
- windfall tax on oil and gas companies
- abolishing capital gains tax free allowance
- reverse cuts for big banks
- increase corporation tax from 17 to 20%
modern liberal democrat’s view on foreign policy
- support for UN and NATO
- cancel cuts to army
- champion for 2nd referendum
define one party dominant system
number of parties but only one has a realistic prospect of holding power
define two party system
two parties compete for power at elections and other parties have no real chance of breaking their monopoly
define two and a half party system
two large parties are the main players but are challenged by the growth of a smaller third party
define multi party system
number of parties contest to form a government coalition
westminster party system
- classic two party system between 1945-1974 where Labour and Conservatives won a combined 91% share of votes and 98% of seats
- due to fptp
- 2010 coalition was a two and a half party system as lib dem’s received 23% share of vote
- 2015 back to two party as SNP took all but 3 seats in scotland
- 2024- labour majority however also rise in smaller parties, Reform often overtaking the conservative in popularity
devolved parties system
- additional member system in scotland and wales
- before 2007, scotland was in government for 8 years by labour-liberal coalition but now SNP and partly green are in government
- in wales, labour are in government
- in NI, they use single transferable vote so sinn fein and DUP make up first minister and deputy first minister respectively
factors that affect party success and explanation
- strength of party’s leadership- voters respond to charismatic leaders with clear sense of direction
- extent the parties are untied or divided- divided parties do not perform well
- role of media- reinforce general public’s impression of parties and their leaders
- wider political context- brand fatigue and scandals
examples of how strength of party’s leadership affect success
- thatcher won 1979 election because she offered a tough response to the strikers
- starmer is portrayed as indecisive- £28bn green policy u-turn, rochdale by election, viewpoint on Gaza conflict
- blair and brown reforming labour party
example of how whether parties are united or divided affect success
- major suffered a loss because conservatives were incompetent and divided
- sunak having a divided party which caused issues like Rwanda bill and the popular conservatives
- eurosceptics under thatcher
examples of role of media affecting success
- televised in 2010 general election enhanced appeal of Clegg
- murdoch empire switched to supporting Blair
example of wider political context affecting party success
- switch from major to blair as people wanted new party and leader
- amount of scandal and sleaze e.g 1997 and 2010 elections
european reform/research group
- far right of party
- telling Sunak to have a hardline approach to Rwanda
- eurosceptics and hardline brexiteers
- influential in May’s limited brexit compromises
- Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Stella Braverman, Sir Bill Cash
coronavirus recovery group
- right, liberal side
- led by former chief whip Mark Harper and former brexit minister Steve Baker
- opposition to covid rules meant there were fewer restrictions and didn’t want second lockdown
1922 committee
- centre
- backbench MPs
- play important role in choosing party leader
- chairman Sir Graham Brady
northern reform group
-left
- prioritise investment in the North
- founded by tory MPs elected in red wall constituencies as well as Wales and Scotland
- immigration is seen as a major problem
- Sir Jake Berry, David Davies, Esther McVey
one nation faction
- centre right
- chaired by Damian Green
- unhappy that Rwanda hull broke international law
- Gillian Keegan, Caroline Nokes, Amber Rudd
new right faction
- right
- thatcherites
- neo liberal and neo conservative
- Iain Duncan Smith, David Davis, Priti Patel, Dominic Rabb
momentum
- left
- founded by Jon Lansman
- support Corbyn
- socialist and anti racist progression
- redistribute wealth, roll back on privatisation, equality, trade uniojs
consensus
- centre
- combat factionalism and bring all wings of the party together
- found in 2016
- Stephen Kinnock, Angela Eagle, Seems Malhotra
stop the war coalition
- left
- founded in 2001 in response to George W Bush “war on terror”
- against Iraq war and Syria military action
- Jeremy Corbyn, Andrew Murray, Lindsey German
- against all military action
national executive committee
- centre
- governing body of the labour party to set overall strategic direction
- James Asher, Ellie Reeves, Angela Rayner
conservative democratic organisation
- right
- aligned with Johnson
- strengthen party democracy
- critical of Sunaks dismissal of Braverman
- wants to steer back to centre right
- Peter Cruddas, Priti Patel, Nadine Dorries
common sense group
- far right
- critical of Rwanda bill and wants it to be tougher
- pushed hard on culture issues like phasing out on smoking and National Trust
- Sir John Hayes, Stella Braverman, Lee Anderson
new conservatives
- right
- 2019 intake and mainly red wall seats
- radical measure to cut migration
- return to 2019 manifesto- cut taxes, levelling up, banning gender ideology in schools
- Lee Anderson, Danny Kruger, Miriam Cates, Anna Firth
importance and impact of emerging policies
- developed as UK turned from two party to two and a half party system
- UKIP was major influence on EU referendum
- some of these parties like DUP have had helped the government through confidence and supply
- these parties usually govern the devolved assembly assemblies
- green party has influenced other major parties to implement green policies too
green party
- carla denyer and adrian ramsey
- centre left
- evolved from party “PEOPLE” in 1973, then ecology party, and then green party
- won its first seat in 2010 with Caroline lucas in brighton pavilion
- concerned with environmental issues and reducing social inequality
green party policies
- wealth tax
- nationalise water, railways and 5 big energy companies
- 4 day working week
- £15 minimum wage
- end uni fees and abolish OFSTED
- carbon tax
- ceasefire in Gaza
- cancel trident
SNP
- john swinney
- centre left
- founded in 1934
- main purpose is to secure independence for Scotland from the UK
- able to persuade Labour government in 1997 on devolution
- scottish independence referendum in sep 2014 but wasn’t successful
- in 2015, passing of english votes for english laws puts limits on all Scottish MPs in Westminster
SNP policies
- scottish independence
- rejoin the EU
- increase maternity pay
- full devolution of tax powers
- scrap two child cap
UKIP
- neil hamilton
- radical right wing populist party
- began as a nationalist party in 1991
- associated with nigel farage
- opposed britains member ship of the EU
- in 2014, european elections, gained 24 MEPs
- two MPs (douglas carswell and mark reckless) defected from conservatives to UKIP
- 3.8m votes in 2015 but only 1 MP
UKIP policies
- “taking back control” from the EU- individual policies on trade from EU
- restricting immigration- cap, points based system
- support for grammar schools
- scrap green taxes
- increase spending on NHS, but migrants and visitors must have private health insurance
- slash foreign aid budge, and focus on domestic purposes
reform
- leader Nigel Farage
- formally brexit party
- right wing populist party
- currently rising in the polls
- lee anderson defected to reform become first MP
reform policies
- freeze non essential immigration
- reduce corporation tax to 15%
- leave ECHR
- NHS treatment voucher scheme
- patriotic curriculum
2024 lib dem’s view on state
- free personal care for elderly and disabled
- PR
- focus on NHS
- focus on UK’s sewage problem
2024 lib dem’s view on economy
- rejoin EU single market
- higher salary for care workers
- reform capital gains tax
2024 lib dem’s view on foreign policy
- scrap Rwanda bill
- halt army cuts
- maintain nuclear deterrent
