Political Parties Flashcards
What are some current UK funding restrictions?
- there is a legal limit on constituency election campaigning of around £6,000
- PPERA - forced all parties to publicly declare all donations over £5000
- PPEA (2009) - It would allow the electoral commission to investigate cases under the regulations and impose civil sanctions, £7500 to those who could prove they were UK residents
What are examples of donations in 2023 to political parties?
In 2023, political parties in the UK reported accepting a total of £93,829,235 in donations, nearly doubling the £52 million received in the previous year.
What are some figures from 2022 and 2023 for party membership fees?
- 2022, the Labour Party’s income from membership fees was approximately £15.96 million,
- In 2023, the Conservative Party’s income from membership fees was approximately £1.5 million,
- In 2022, the Liberal Dems received £2.94 million in membership.
How much are policy development grants from election commission?
Over £2 million is available for this.
What is the help given to opposition parties to assist them in their parliamentary work, to meet travel and associated expenses and fund policy research?
- short-money - The amount payable to any party is calculated according to the number of seats and votes won
What is an examples of funds given to the house of Lords?
- payment is known as Cranborne Money.
What are debates on funding 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 debates on funding and 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 debates on state funding of elections?
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 some main functions of pressure groups?
- 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
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