Political Parties Flashcards
What is a political party?
A group of similiary minded people who aim to achieve their objectives by fielding candidates for election to political office
They put the policies it aims to pass into law in its manifeso
The party that wins power via an election earns a mandate (has authority to make decisions or put policies in place)
Function of a UK political party: Government and opposition roles
Ensure that a single government is formed as a result of the gnerla election whihc is able to safely pass its legislation through the House of Commons
Also perform role of opposition parties who check the actions of the government and hold it to account
Function of a UK political party: Representation
Have to represent their members - Labour Party membership increased under Jeremy Corbyn by 200,000 since December 2015
OVERALL, party membership been declining since 1950s (so this role has changed)
Represent the wider public in Parliament, regional parliaments and assemblies, and in local councils
Function of a UK political party: Political participation
Parties allow people to have a greater participation in politics by becoming members of the pary and so increase their involvement in the democratic process
Also aim to increase political engagement by educating citizens on political issues
Function of a UK political party: Recruiting politicians
Recruit individuals into the political system and choose those individuals they believe to be most suitable to stand for public office
Also play a role in the promotion of politicians, with those who are seen as having the qualities most suitable for national leadership toles promoted to more senior positions within the party:
- Prospective MPs have to apply in writing and sit interviewd for selection
- Some parties have all-owmen shortlists for some elections
Function of a UK political party: Creating policy
Establish policies they believe are in the interests of voters and meet their needs
These policy proposals are presented to voters in the form of a party manifesto:
- In the 2017 elections, the Conservatives promised a balanced budget by 2025 and an orderly Brexit. Labour promised the end of austerity, tax increases and the abolition of tuition fees for univeristy
Function of a UK political party: Choice at elections
Offer voters a clear choice at elections, ensuring that voters are able to support the party whose policies most appeal to them
How do parties get funded?
- Membership fees - paid by party members, not major source of income due to delcining membership: Conservative membership income decreased to under £1m in 2017, Labour seen rise under Corbyn to ober £16m
- Donations - increasingly reliant on donations from individuals and organisations -> majority of funding from donations
- Short money - funds received by opposition parties that win two or more seats in HOC or win one seat and gain more than 150k votes. Designed to cover admin costs and to allow for effective scrutiny of government. Labour receive most as have most oppo seats
What was New Labour’s party funding?
Historically Labour Party funded by trade unions
Tony Blair wanted to decrease influence of trade unions and under New Labour was increasingly funded by large donations from a small number of wealthy individuals such as Lord Sainsbury and Bernie Ecclestone
What is Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour funding?
Moved torwards a large amount of funding coming from smaller donations made by ordinary members of the party with over £18m received in 2017
Also a rise in income from trade unions -> trade union UNITE donated £4.5m in the 2017 general election
What is the Conservative Party’s funding?
Receive majority of funding from wealthy donors such as Ehud Sheleg and Lord Bamford
2017 it was revealed large amounts of funding for the general election came from hedge funds and bankers
Controversies with funding
Controversies around party funding party funding have come from a small number of large individual donations including the ‘Cash for Questions’ and Bernie Eccleston affairs
Led to the belief that individuals can buy access to, and influence over political decision makers
Regulations introduced: Political Parties, Election and Referndums Act (PPERA) 2010
Introduced party spending limits at general elections to £30,000 for each constituency
Also limits spending for elections to European Parliament and devolved bodes and says parties must make public any donations over £5,000
Regulations introduced: Political Parties and Election Act (PPEA) was introduced in 2009
Enabled the Electoral Commission to investigated and fine parties who broke the rules of the PPERA
Also limits the donations allowed from non-UK residents and reduces the amount at which donations need to be made public by parties
Funding reforms HAVE worked
Regulations have incrased the transparency of party funding
Funding reforms HAVEN’T worked
Parties have encouraged supporters to give long-term ‘loans’ instead of donations to get around the regulations set out by the PPERA
Main political parties still receive large donations from wealthy individuals - these donors have not been deterred
What is the current public funding?
Exists through Short money, Cranborne money which is paid to opposition parties in the HOL and Policy Development Grants
FOR state funding
Would remove the influence and access private donors have to political decision makers
Gives politicians more time to serve the interests of their consitituents rather than spending time seeking funding
Minority partues would compete better if the funding gap between major and minority parties was smaller -> greater funding for smaller parties would them to research policy and offer a strong alternative to the government, which is good for democracy
AGAINST state funding
Taxpayers might oppose funding parties they are opposed to, especially more radical parties
In practice, it would be hard to work out how much each party should receive
State funding would not solve the probelm of parties having different levels of funding, as parties have different levels of membersip to one another
In a democracy and a free society, it could be argued that individuals who wish to donate money to a party should be able to do so
What are the beginnings of the Conservative Party?
Established from the Tory Party in the 1830s
Throught 19th/20th centuries was traditionally/one-nation conservative in its ideology
One-nation conservatism was an evolution of traditional conservatism after the industrial revolution
How does the Conservative Party preserve the status quo?
One-nation conservatives support traditional insititutions (i.e. the Church, the family and the class system) and the enduring rules of British society
Believed in pragmatically dealing wht issues whilst looking to maintain the status quo and gradually improving on what already exists
Insitiutions like the Church are important and so must be preserved to moderate society
Conservative Party’s role of the state
One-nation conservatism is a paternalisitc ideology -> supporters believe that the rich have an obligation to look after the poorest and those who can’t take care of themselves
This type of conservatism supports a Keynesian mixed economy, but if require the state can intervene
Working internationally with other countries, and greater integration with Europe, are also supported
Who was Margaret Thatcher?
Key figure in the New Right movement
Became Conservative party leader in 1975
Helped move the party to a more radical free-market right wing ideology
First female leader of the Conervatives and first female PM
PM from 1979-1990 when she was challened to the party leadership and stepped down
What was Thatcherism and the New Right?
Thatcherism came as part of the New Right Movement
The New Right movement combined an orthodox conservative state with a neo-liberal state
- Orthodox Conservative ideas: social policy and law and order
- Neo-liberal ideas: the free market, monetarism and less regulation
During the 1970s and 80s the New Right movement was popular on the right, with scholars and think tanks writing about neoliberal deas
Key parts of Thatcherism
Argued for the importance of individual needs over society
Proposed a smal stae where the role of the government and state intervetion is reduced
Supported self-reliance
Endorsed business deregulation and industry privatisation
Supported reduced trade union powers
Placed importance on national socereignty
Supported fewer taxes and making the welfare state by limiting benefits
Differences between Thatcherism and One-nation
One-nation is pragmatic whereas Thatcherism favours an assertive and dogmatic (uncompromising on principles) approach
One-nation favours small and gradual changes whereas Thatcherism supports a radical approach to change
One-nation focuses on needs of society unlike Thatcherism that concentrates on needs of individuals
One-nation supports mixed economy, Thatchersim supports a free-market economy
David Cameron’s election as Conservative party leader
Elected in 2005 replacing Michael Howard
Was labelled ‘heir to Blair’ -> comparisons were made to when Blair became Labour leader and revolutionised the Labour Party
Stepped down in 2016 after EU referndum
David Cameron’s party image and ideology
Focused on making the party more electable
Looked to end the ‘nasty party’ image voters had
Aimed to move the party focus towards issues that would appeal to voters (i.e. the environment) and away from issues that divided the party (i.e. Europe)
Adopted a liberal approach to the environment
Believed in limiting state intervention
2010 Conservative election campaign
Manifesto made policy, but was argued to lack substance
Policies included:
- Stronger economic management, with tax and spending cuts and deficit reduction
- Replacing the Human Rights Act with a UK Bill of Rights
- Accepting EU principles, but staying opposed to the transfer of powers away from the UK
- Tougher exams and reduced state control over schools
2010 election result: coalition government
2010 election resulted in a hung parliament (no party had a majority)
Conservaitves entered into an agreement with the Lib Dems to form a coalition (two or more parties join together to form a government)
The government’s policies included reducing benefits, deficit and spending cuts, and a referndum on the Alternative Voting system
Economic policy came from Conservatives but political reform came from Lib Dems
Coalition ended in 2015
Impact of Brexit on the Conservative Party
The Conservatives had achieved little noticable change after successfully winning the 2015 election with much focus on the EU referendum
Under Thersea May a significanyt amount of work had been focused on preparing for Brexit and negotiating a deal for Britain’s withdrawl from the EU
Brexit talks divided the Conservative Party and May’s cabinet, with minsiters resigning over decisions regarding Brexit
Theresa May’s policy proposals
- Regional government: decided not to put in place the previous government’s proposals for elected mayors in cities and abandoned the ‘northern powerhouse’ plans
- Environment: replaced the government Department for Energy and Climate Change with departments preparing for Brexit (the Department for Exiting the EU and the Deparment for Internatioal Trade)
- Education: May put foward proposals in favour of grammar schools which allowed comprehensives to become grammars
Impact of the 2017 general election on the Conservative Party
May called a ‘snap’ election in 2017 to strengthen her majority for the upcoming Brexit talks
Conservative Party losts it majority and so enetered into a ‘confidence and supply’ deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
Meant the DUP agreed to support the government in budget votes and not against the government in a vote of no confidence
Founding of Labour
Founded in 1900 by the Trade Union Congress, the Independent Labour Party, the Fabians and the Social Democratic Federation
Was founded with the aim of representing the working class and bringing them into parliament
Old Labour ideas
Old Labour is a term used to describe the labour party when its political ideology was based on socialims and when the party had strong links with trade unions, socialist societies and the working class
Old Labour ideas include: a belief in nationalisation, opposition to capitalism, a belief in equality and redistributing wealth to the poor from the wealthy, continually investing in welfare services and greater state control over the economy
What is clause IV?
Some of Old Labour’s ideas were outline in the Labour Party’s 1918 constitution
Clause IV outline the party’s belief in the need for wealth to be reditributed and in state ownership of main national industries
1983 Labour manifesto
Michael Foot (the Labour Leader at the time) proposed a manifesto which clearly demonstrated ideas of ‘Old Labour’ including policies for greater state control of industries, more workers rights and nuclear disarment -> described by Labour MP Gerald Kaufman as the “longest suicide note in history’ after Labour lost the election
Some believe the 1983 lost was due to the party’s left-wing ideas
After 1983 the Labour party tried to reform
What was the rebranding of Labour?
After a number of general election defeats between 1979 and 1992 the Labour party began a process of reforming to widen its appeal among the electorate
New Labour was the label for the Labour party under Tony Blair. Used by Blair at a Labour Party conference in 1994
New Labour ideas
- Reduce trade union power in the party and decreasing the reliance on them for funding
- Increasing the party leader’s power over areas such as candidate selection, making policy and party structure
- Moving away from traditional Labour policies on tax and spending
- Acceptance of Conservative privatisation programmes
- Acceptance of devolution and membership of the EU and NATO
- Support for private schools and healthcare
What happened to Clause IV under Blair?
It was reworded
