Political parties Flashcards
1
Q
What are typical left-wing political ideas?
A
- have positive view of state/collectivist view of society
- believe gov should reduce inequality/encourage social cohesion by providing extensive welfare state.
- generally enjoy close relations with TU movement, since unions rep economic interests of working class.
- wealthier in society should pay higher share of tax through redistributive taxation; nationalisation of key industries.
- embrace multiculturalism; socially libertarian; support giving alternative lifestyles equal status with more trad ones.
2
Q
What are typical right-wing ideas?
A
- focuses more on importance of giving individual as much control over own life as possible.
- reject attempts to encourage greater equality; believe free market operates best when there is as little gov interference as possible.
- govs should aim to keep taxation low/TU influence limited to encourage smooth operation of market.
- companies operate most effectively when there is competition, so nationalised firms are best privatised.
- economically libertarian but socially conservative; emphasise importance of shared national identity/encourage trad lifestyles.
3
Q
What is the structure of the Conservative Party?
A
- local level - Conservative Associations; key role in grassroots; local campaigning/selecting candidates.
- national - Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ);day to day running - Board of Conservative Party made up of reps from all sections.
- Conservative Policy Forum - encourages grassroots participation w/advisory role; generally leader write policy, but 2019 manifesto written by advisors.
4
Q
What is the structure of the Labour Party?
A
- local - each constituency has Constituency Labour Party; takes lead in local/national elections.
- national level base in Victoria Street.
- day to day running by National Executive Committee; enforces discipline; 40 members from party, TUs, CLPs, councillors; elections highly factionalised.
5
Q
What is the structure of the Lib Dems?
A
- local branches run constituency-level campaigns; submit motions for debate.
- HQ - Great George Street.
- Federal Board - national governing body; 35 voting members - party pres, chairs of national parties, councillor, 15 directly elected by party members.
- motions debated/passed at conference become official national party policy.
- policies affecting whole of UK/just England voted on by Liberal Democrat Federal Conference.
- Scottish, Welsh, regional conferences set policy that affect own area.
6
Q
How do parties select their candidates?
A
- all three main parties have similar 3-stage process.
- hopefuls must pass/undertake selection procedure/training before getting onto party’s central list of approved candidates eg aspiring Tory candidates must pass Parliamentary Assessment Board.
- apply to get shortlisted as prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) by local branches.
- adopted following vote of local party members; main parties have sought to increase diversity eg Labour pioneered use of all-women shortlists.
- central party may impose shortlist on local party eg Cons accused of doing so in Bridgend in 2017.
7
Q
What are leadership elections like in the Conservative Party?
A
- Tory MPs vote in series of ballots, ending up with two candidates eg 2019 - nine MPs secured enough support to stand, but seven eliminated leaving Hunt/Johnson.
- party members make final pick on one member, one vote (OMOV) basis; Johnson won with around 2/3 of vote after 16 regional hustings before party members.
8
Q
What are leadership elections like in the Labour Party?
A
- must secure backing of at least 10% of Labour MPs and either 5% of constituency parties or 3 affiliates.
- party members/registered supporters vote on OMOV basis using AV; Starmer won over 50% of vote in first round so no need for second.
9
Q
What are leadership elections like in the Lib Dems?
A
- must gain support from at least 10% of other Lib Dem MPs/be supported by at least 200 members from more than 20 local parties.
- party members vote on OMOV basis using AV; Davey won 63.5% in first round in 2020.
10
Q
How do parties campaign?
A
- deliver leaflets, canvass voters on doorstep, arrange political hustings.
- grassroots Labour movement Momentum appreciated importance of getting political message across through social media.
- increasingly use internet to engage with voters.
11
Q
How do parties play a representative function?
A
- ensure opinions of everyone in in society given mouthpiece
- 2017 - 82.4% of those who voted felt political opinions represented by Tories (42.4%) or Labour (40%).
- wide range of their political parties.
- Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, London Assembly, NI Assembly use PR; gives minority/nationalistic parties greater opportunity to achieve representative influence.
12
Q
What is the Popular Conservatism faction?
A
- want to excite public; take control of faceless organisation, which they define as judges, quangos, international human rights institutions.
- back Rwanda plan, but may seek to push Sunak further; demand UK exists ECHR.
- push for further tax cuts.
- demanding end to Net Zero zealotry.
13
Q
What is One Nation conservatism?
A
- commonly associated with Victorian PM Disraeli.
- focused on duty of those with power/privilege to use this wisely; unite nation by way of moderate social reforms/patriotism.
- One Nation caucus est 1975; more centrist approach to economic and social policy; currently over 100 eg Gillian Keegan; support Rwanda bill, but have voiced concerns about leaving/breaking international human rights treaties.
14
Q
What is the Butskellite pragmatism and consensus?
A
- in wake of 1945 Labour landslide/establishment of Welfare State; Tories shifted further to centre/accepted bulk of Labour’s social reforms.
- throughout 50s/60s, large areas of consensus in many key areas between two parties.
- pro-European; keen to join EEC/Common Market.
15
Q
What is Thatcherism?
A
- dominated much of party’s thinking/policies in 80s/into 90s.
- associated closely with Thatcher; represented conviction over promise.
- Thatcher saw herself on crusade to promote individual freedom, esp. economic; aimed to denationalise most gov-owned industries/encourage council tenants to buy own homes.
- 1984-5 miners’ strike saw Thatcher’s gov break power of one of most formidable unions - National Union of Mineworkers.
16
Q
What is the Common Sense Group faction?
A
- collective of around 50 MPs/peers, standing for ‘authentic conservatism.’
- slammed National Trust for publicising Churchill’s family links to slavery; attacked BLM/XR as subversives fuelled by ignorance.
17
Q
Conservative 2019 policy pledges/strand of conservatism
A
- extra funding for NHS, with 50,000 more nurses, 50m more GP surgery appointments per year - BUTSKELLITE
- 20,000 additional police officers - TRAD VALUES
- promise not to raise income tax, VAT, NI - THATCHERISM
- maintain triple lock on pensions - ONE-NATION
18
Q
What is economic socialism?
A
- commitment to core strands of socialism.
- eg seen in Attlee gov - Welfare Safe; also took many core industries into state ownership.
- Brown/Blair govs chose not to renationalise.
- under Corbyn, 2017/2019 manifestos pledged partial renationalisation.
19
Q
What is trade unionism?
A
- historic ties go back to foundation; many unions have looked to Lab to protect/advance rights of workers eg right to strike/TU recognition in workplace.
- TUs have traditionally supplied bulk of funding, sponsored some MPs, had seats on ruling national executive.
- influence waned in 80s/90s.
- under Corbyn, TUs enjoyed increase in influence/access to leadership; reduced under Starmer.
- only 12 unions were affiliated with Labour in 2020.
