political parties

Question 1

when was a two and a half system demonstrated

Answer 1

when the Lib Dems got 23% of the vote in 2010 = 53 seats.

Question 2

how is a two party system demonstrated

Answer 2

in 2019 election - 87.2% of seats.

Question 3

the green party aims and policies

Answer 3

supports social and environmental justice.

Question 4

the green party stat on unfair representation

Answer 4

2015 - 1 million votes but ONLY GOT 1 SEAT

Question 5

green party’s impact

Answer 5

their mere presence places pressure on the government and influences agenda - influenced larger parties to incorporate it into agenda.

Question 6

DUP aims

Answer 6

links with free presbytarian church and social conservatism

Question 7

confidence and supply agreement 2017

Answer 7

Theresa May didnt get an outright majority so she asked for the DUP’s 10 seats to vote in favour of the conservatives - in key policy such as brexit and budget
in return they promised the DUP 1 bil for funding in NI.

Question 8

2019 DUP election result

Answer 8

8 seats

Question 9

UKIP aims and policy

Answer 9

want to cease UK membership to the EU and East European immigration.

Question 10

impacts of UKIP

Answer 10

success in the 2014 european elections 4 million votes + 24 seats = more than conservatives and labour.
this prompted david cameron to promsie a referendum in his 2015 manifesto to counter electoral threat - which prompted Brexit to happen.

Question 11

SNP aims and policies

Answer 11

advancing the interests of scottish people, 2nd independence referendum, redistribution concerning land and economic powers.

Question 12

SNP success in 2015

Answer 12

got 56/59 seats in scotland. they gained 50 seats.

Question 13

SNP influence at westminster

Answer 13

they are vocal in their criticisms of Theresa May’s decision to bomb president assad’s military instillations. and also influential at brexit debate.

Question 14

is the UK party system changing? YES x4

Answer 14

-500 parties registered to contest in 2017, showing how there is still competition and the FPTP hasnt dampened spirits.
-coalition 2010, 2017 confidence and supply agreement shows that minor parties can have a large impact on policy depite not winning.
-A minor party can concentrate support eg SNP getting 56/59 Scottish seats.
-UKIP 2014 european election 26.6% shows voters’ willingness to back smaller parties and shows voters’ flexibility is present at other elections than general elections.

Question 15

is the UK party system changing - NO x5

Answer 15

-the presence of many parties is not new,
-small parties cant register unless they have more than 1000 votes
-nationally in 2017 only 28 parties managed to pass through.
-only Conservatives, Lib Dem and Labour have secured an excess of 1 million votes = two and a half party system
-basic proportional representation is missing from FPTP which constrains minor parties

Question 16

UKIP not being represented stats

Answer 16

in 2015 UKIp recieved 3.9 million votes but only won 1 seat.

Question 17

falklands war

Answer 17

1982 when MT ordered torpedos to sink the Belgrano which was where Argentinians were reclaiming the Falklands
MT used this as an opportunity to prove her nationalist sentiment and unite the people

Question 18

what is neo-liberalism

Answer 18

new right thinking (economically) - committed to low taxation and austerity to reduce the deficit which’d reached £100 billion in 2010

Question 19

WHAT IS NEO-CONSERVATISM

Answer 19

socially conservative thinking in defence, law & order, foreign policy and Brexit. eg trident, 2017 manifesto cutting immigration to 100,000

Question 20

what is one-nationism

Answer 20

benevolent paternalism eg gay marriage and national living wage in 2016, rejecting ‘ the cult of selfish individualism’ as theresa may said.

Question 21

why did the 2010 coalition fail for the lib dems

Answer 21

although they had significant influence, many policy compromises had to be made to make the coalition happen => lib dem voters turned against them in anger at abandonment of some policy pledges like not raising tuition fees

Question 22

how many seats did the lib dems win in 2015

Answer 22

only 8 seats and the leader nick clegg lost his own sheffield hallam seat.

Question 23

how are the conservatives economically aligned with thatcher?

Answer 23

-cameron started austerity to relieve the £100 billion deficit + low taxation
-Theresa May promised to slash business rathes £6.7 billiona nd cut corporation tax 3%

Question 24

how are the conservatives not aligned with thatcher

Answer 24

-boris johnson pledged to end austerity and pour billions into the NHS and infrastructure. he introduced the furlough scheme and tax&NI increase

Question 25

how are the conservatives’ foreign policy aligned with margaret thatcher

Answer 25

-May launched airstrikes in syria that she didnt clear with parliament = demonstrates the same stubborness like the falklands and thatcher
-truss increased front-line border forces by 20% and doubled maritime staffing levels
-sunak’s top 5 policies include ‘stopping the boats’ and the rwanda policy

Question 26

what is short money

Answer 26

provision for opposing parties to run and therefore effectively scrutinise govt policy etc.
2015 Labour recieved £6.7 mil

Question 27

why is short money unfair

Answer 27

it is determined by the number of parliamentary seats held - in 2015 labour got £6.7 mil whereas the SNP only gto £1.2 mil and the Green party got £115,000

Question 28

what is cranborne money

Answer 28

paid to the opposition in the HOL for administrative costs and scrutiny eg 2020 Labour recieved £656,000

Question 29

criticisms of short money x3

Answer 29

-larger parties have much more access to funds than smaller parties (2019 Green party £115,000 / Labour £6.7 mil)
-This can lead to a dependence on wealthy donors with political interests (Bernie Ecclestone Blair scandal (1 mil) for exemption of race cars in tobacco advertising ban)
- labour mostly funded by trade unions until 2016 (in 2014 60% of funding but after the Trade Union Act this dropped to 11%)

Question 30

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 x4

Answer 30

after the 1997 scandal
-set up the electoral commission to monitor election spending
-cap of £30,000 per constituency
-£500+ donations must be declared
-anyone not on the UK electoral roll is banned from donating -> reducing foreign influence.

=> there was more transparency than limit

Question 31

Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 x2

Answer 31

following 2009 MPs expenses scandal
-gave the electoral commission power to investigate, impose fines, and ability to tighten restrictions.
HOWEVER this was limited in its efficacy as in 2006 there was the Cash for Honours Scandal where wealthy donors who had loaned the party money were given peerages.

Question 32

potential funding reform

Answer 32

2015 labour and the lib dems suggested caps on party donations but this wsa rejected byt he conservative government who work closely with big business.
2007 Sir Hayden Phillips suggested taxpaying funding of parties

Question 33

suggested reform of party funding x4

Answer 33

-restrict size of donations
-tighten on how money is spent
-restrict donations to individuals not groups
-state funding

Question 34

should parties be state funded YES x3

Answer 34

1. if aprties had more money to spend - they could finance the recruitment of a wider range of people to apply for parliamentary selections - making parliament more diverse. (2019 only 66 members were from a minority background, in Ireland, parties have to field 30% of seats to women otherwise their state funding will half)
2. would end the dependence of political parties on wealthy donors that use donations to buy influence
   (bernie ecclestone scandal 1997)
3. fewer people feel strongly aligned with a party - so memberships are decreasing, parties cannot fund properly as this is outdates. (1.5% of the electorate being a member of a party in 2022)

Question 35

should we have state party funding NO- x2

Answer 35

1. funding based on existing share of the vote strengthens the larger parties further and makes it harder for smaller parties who may be representing newer ideas to break through. (2019: 87% of vote Lab +Cons =87% of funding???)
2. firms and donors are able to easily get access to politicians whether they donate or not.
3. would anger the public for them to be paying taxes for a party they dont support. eg the BNP which promotes biologically racist ideas about supremacy.

Question 36

northern research group

Answer 36

-CONSERVATIVE
-led by former northern powerhouse minister Jake Berry
-aimed at boosting spending and investment in the North of England
-more than 50 members

Question 37

European Research Group

Answer 37

-CONSERVATIVE
-influential in the Commons revolt that saw May’s limited Brexit compromises then removed her from Downing St
-she was forced to incorporate them into her cabinet and policy.
-annual average of 21 MPs

Question 38

Labour First

Answer 38

-LABOUR
-Luke Akerhurst and Matt pOund mobilise moderate members
-old right organisation with links to trade unions and local govts. founded in the 80s to combat new centrist labour
-most powerful in the party

Question 39

Blue Collar Conservatism

Answer 39

CONSERVATIVE
-launched by Esther McVey in parallel with her brief leadership bid to succeed Theresa May.
-policies including redirecting foreign aid to domestic priorities
-159 MPs with even Cabinet members

Question 40

what clause did tony blair remove in 1997

Answer 40

he dropped clause 4 which was nationalisation

Question 41

lib dems policy

Answer 41

freedom, human rights, devolution
pro-eu, having strong connections with social democratic parties in europe.
remains divided on issues such as nuclear weapons and extent of socialist policy + the welfare state