Political Parties Flashcards
What are the current electoral funding restrictions?
- legal limit on constituency election campaign around £6000
- PPERA - forced all parties to publicly declare all donations over £5,000
- PPEA (2009) - allows electoral commission to investigate cases and impose civil sanctions,
What is short money?
Help is given to opposition party to assist them in their parliamentary work.
What are some existing support during elections?
- free mailing of election literature and free air time for party election broadcasts
- electoral commission - ‘policy development grants’ - over £2 million is available
What are some examples of membership fees?
- 2022 - Labour Party income from membership was £15.96 million
- 22 - lib dems £2.94 million in membership
What are some examples of donations?
23 - political parties in the UK reported accepting a total £93,829,235 in donations near doubling the 52 million from the last year
What are the benefits and negatives of electoral reform in terms of transparency
For: transparency is ensured through the Electoral Commission, PPEA, PPERA.
Against: In 2022, there were investigations into the potential use of donations from Russian oligarchs to the Conservative Party. Some donors linked to the Russian government were found to have made significant contributions, raising concerns about foreign influence in UK politics. The “Cash for Access” scandal in 2019 - raised significant concerns about the influence of wealthy donors on government policy and access to senior political figures, especially within the Conservative Party
What are the benefits and negatives of electoral reform in terms of the influence of large donors?
For: Investigations by media like The Guardian have regularly scrutinized large donations, calling attention to any issues related to conflicts of interest or undue influence. Electoral Commission publishes detailed reports which are made publicly available, allowing citizens to monitor the influence of large donations.
Against: wealthy individuals and corporations may have disproportionate access to lawmakers and potentially influence policy decisions to benefit their own interests - BP and other oil and gas companies have made significant contributions to Conservative Party funds and stand to benefit from policies that either delay or reduce environmental regulations, particularly around carbon emissions. Bias for funding towards the right.
What are the benefits and negatives of electoral reform in terms of state funding ?
For: If parties relied more on public funds, they would be less dependent on corporate or individual donations, reducing potential conflicts of interest. Germany has a system where public funding is allocated based on electoral performance, making elections more competitive while maintaining transparency. In 2022, when the UK government provided £7.8 million in Short Money to opposition parties.
Against: The UK’s current Short Money system gives more public funding to larger opposition parties based on the number of MPs they have. This disadvantages smaller parties like the Greens, which receive less financial support despite significant public support. In France, where state funding plays a large role, critics argue that political parties have become distant from grassroots supporters because they no longer need to engage as actively in fundraising from members.
What are the 5 main functions of political parties?
Making policy: identify the main demands for the political system, converting this into policy
Representation: represent the values and ideology of the people who identify with them
Identifying leaders: leaders choosing gov ministers means the direction they go in.
Selecting candidates: selected for office - councillors, mayors, MP and therefore who represent society’s interests.
Contesting elections: opportunities for participation
What are one of green’s 2024 policies for the environment?
Wants approximately 70% of the UK’s electricity from wind power by 2030, alongside phasing out nuclear energy and halting new fossil fuel projects
What is one of Green’s 2024 policies for the economy?
Wants an introduction of a tax on individuals with assets over £10 million, set at 1%, and 2% for those with assets exceeding £1 billion
What is one of Green’s 2024 policies for housing?
Wants to build more social rent homes, implement rent controls, and allow councils to requisition empty properties to address housing shortages.
What is one of Green’s 2024 policies for education?
Abolition of university tuition fees, reinstatement of maintenance grants, and an additional £8 billion investment in schools, including £2 billion earmarked for teachers’ salaries.
What is one of Green’s 2024 policies for health?
An immediate £8 billion increase in NHS funding in England
What are the successes of the green party?
Adoption of more environmental policies by the major parties can be seen as a reaction to giving support for the genes
the Green Party holds four seats in the UK House of Commons.
What is one of Reform Uk’s 2024 policies for the economy?
Lower the corporation tax rate from 25% to 20%, with a further reduction to 15% planned in the third year of parliament
What is one of Reform Uk’s 2024 policies for immigration?
Implement a halt on non-essential immigration to manage population growth and its associated impacts.
What is one of Reform Uk’s 2024 policies for the environment?
Oppose current net zero goals, viewing them as economically detrimental.
What is one of Reform Uk’s 2024 policies for health?
Allocate an additional £17 billion annually to the National Health Service to eliminate waiting lists within two years.
What are some 2024 conservative policies on the economy?
policies designed to encourage entrepreneurship, reduce regulatory burdens, and promote free trade agreements to open new markets for UK businesses
What are some 2024 conservative policies on health?
The Conservatives have pledged to expand coverage of Mental Health Support Teams from 50% to 100% of schools and colleges in England by 2030
What are some 2024 conservative policies on law and order?
The party has proposed that migrants who have received benefits or utilized public housing should be barred from obtaining permanent residence in the UK. Additionally, the waiting period for migrants to qualify for permanent residency would be increased from five to ten years.
What are some of the 2024 labour policies for the economy ?
An increase to 15% for salaries above £5,000, effective from April 2025.
What are some of the 2024 labour policies for health?
Health: Labour plans to deliver an additional two million NHS operations, scans, and appointments annually
What are some of the 2024 labour policies for law and order?
In response to recent incidents of public disorder, the government has established a national programme to facilitate greater cooperation between police forces in managing and preventing violent incidents
How do Leadership qualities affect party success in the UK?
- charismatic, competent and relatable leaders tend to attract voters
- Example: BJ leadership in 2019 helped the conservatives to secure a large majority, while corbyn’s perceived weaknesses hindered labour
How does party unity affect party success in the UK?
Internal divisions can weaken electoral prospects.
Example: Labour’s infighting over Brexit and Corbyn’s leadership contributed to their 2019 defeat, while Conservative divisions over Europe weakened them in the 1997 and 2017 elections.
How does policy/agenda affect party success in the UK?
Voters are drawn to clear, credible policies that address key concerns like the economy, healthcare, and crime.
Example: The Conservative promise to “Get Brexit Done” resonated in 2019, while Labour’s 2017 manifesto gained traction with policies like nationalisation and tuition fee abolition.
How does media influence affect party success in the UK?
Traditional media (e.g., newspapers like The Sun and The Daily Mail) and newer platforms (social media) shape public perception.
How does electoral system affect party success in the UK?
FPTP system benefits parties with geographically concentrated support, like the SNP, and disadvantages smaller parties like the Greens and Liberal Democrats.
