Political parties essay plan stats Flashcards
How can ‘Representation be the most important function of a political party’?
Democratic pluralism
– allow for the multiplicity of right/left wing views to compromise
o Current cross-party talks on Brexit with Theresa May potentially caving on ‘red lines’ relating to a customs union; Conservative compromise with Lib Dems over holding AV 2011
How is encouraging participation the most important fuction of a party?
o Parties encourage participation (e.g. to vote; in 2017 election, the conservatives spent £18.5 campaigning for people to vote for them, with £2.1m spent on Facebook ads alone); in 2017, 68.8% turnout, larger numbers vital for proper mandate/legitimacy
Bernie Ecclestone
. Bernie Ecclestone donated £1m to Labour, leading to delay in ban on tobacco ads in F1
How much did parties raise in 2017
Labour raised £55.8m in 2017, Conservative £45.9m
What shows influence of donations?
o 2001-2017, the top ten Conservative donors alone pumped more than £36m into the party; their excessive influence is undemocratic, and leads to corruption e.g. 2015 Oxford study showing link between donations and peerages
What is the 2016 Trade union act
- 2016 Trade Union Act obliged new trade union members to ‘opt-in’ for political payments, needs reform
o Guardian: ‘undemocratic piece of partisan law-making’ as affects Labour (who are partially funded by trade unions), union contributions to Labour important for enabling equality between two major parties
Sir Hayden Phillips
Did up idea in 2007 for state funding of parties
Clause 28
stopped councils and schools “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.” in 1988 - thatchers reign
What are examples of thatcherism introducing policies of moral authoritarianism
like implementation of Clause 28 preventing local authorities from ‘promoting homosexuality’.
Economic policy of tories has stayed consistent
o In economic policy, Cameron’s policy of public spending cuts (‘austerity’) reduced size of the state; for example, budget of Whitehall depts cut by up to 25%, with withdrawal of state from public service provision. With welfare, Osborne distinguished between ‘strivers’ and ‘shirkers’ and introduced the ‘universal credit’ system intending to simplify welfare and encourage low-income people to take up employment.
What shows Tories to be pro environment
Boris releasing a 20 moint plan for a Green Industrial Revolution - net zero by 2050
What shows Tories to be anti environment
Cameron - Cut solar incentives by 65%, binned a £1bn competition to fund a trial Carbon Capture and Storage plant, scrapped a plan to make all new homes zero-carbon by 2016, made renewable energy generators pay a carbon tax, reportedly told aides to ‘get rid of all the green crap’ on energy bills
Camerons euroscepticism
o Prior to the referendum, Cameron hoped to renegotiate free movement of people, reduce power of the Commission, cut the EU budget and keep non-Euro countries out of further integration.
Economic policy of labour
commitment e.g. 2017 Manifesto would lead to (acc. to IFS) income tax rate of 67.5% for those earning £100k
Example that New Labour wasn’t that big a departure from the Old
o Deputy PM John Prescott argued New Labour embodied traditional values in a modern setting’, highlighted need to moderate between old-style socialism and free market capitalism
How was - ‘Old Labour’ wasn’t radically socialist either
o e.g., Attlee took pride in hereditary peerage and supported private education, instrumental in creating NATO and giving Britain a nuclear deterrent. Only difference; with Attlee, context of appetite for greater state control allowing reforms, whilst for Blair need to reflect contemporary politics.
What could you say Corbyn is on foreign policy
Isolationist
withdraw from military structure of NATO, abolish Trident, had to give free vote 2015 on military intervention v Islamic State
What could you say Blair is on foreign policy
Interventionist
His Labour government more than doubled the British aid budget since 1997
What do Blair and Corbyn agree on
Law and order - blair tough on crime, tough on causes on crime
- Corbyn: You can’t keep the public safe on the cheap’
- Progressive agendas
- EU
Proof in 2017 that there was only 2 party system
four in five (82 per cent) of all votes cast were given to one or other of those two parties
Brexit party impact
Arguably would have gained tories more seats if they didnt stand in labour areas
How effective was dup
o E.g. in March 2019, Sammy Wilson (DUP Brexit spokesman) stating that party will only support May’s revised deal if without guarantees on backstop to make it time-limited; they then voted it down despite May even promising she would leave office if deal passed
- Change UK and Liberal Democrats most significant in repopulating centre-ground of politics at time of partisanship/offering 2nd referendum
o It is arguable that though they’ve had little political impact currently, Lib Dems/ Change UK are ideologically most significant currently in attempting to repopulate centre-ground after increased polarisation (decline of New Labour, socialist Corbyn, rise of far-right). Both offering 2nd referendum. Change UK saying it supports ‘diverse, mixed social market economy’
How significant is snp
growing strength led to Blair conciliations with devolution, granting significant self-governance powers.
Now, as Brexit occurs, Sturgeon pressing for ‘indyref2’. Scottish ability to influence Westminster legislation also key; EVEL failure, e.g. 2016 SNP MP’s defeated Cameron proposal for extension of Sunday trading laws in England/Wales (as it could affect Scottish workers).
- Lib Dems now challenging Labour with offer of 2nd referendum
o Corbyn’s lukewarm campaign for remain followed by failure (in view of many party members) to support 2nd referendum (e.g. Manifesto for European elections initially not containing a reference to it, leading to Labour party membership falling, people cutting membership cards on social media. Liberal Democrats now seizing opportunity with Farron then Cable both pledging for 2nd referendum (unlike both main parties). Change UK also seizing this chance –> kensington i beg
Yougov stats on tory party members
56% were thatcherites
30% one nation conservative
One-nation caucus in parliament
110 out of 365
Damien green is head
