Political parties examples Flashcards
What is an example of a government being able to deliver on a manifesto promise because they have a strong mandate?
In its 1997 manifesto, Labour promised to remove the rights of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the HOL. The landslide victory handed the party a strong mandate to carry out the reform, via the HOL Act 1999
What is an example highlighting party leaders are taking control of the manifesto?
In 1992, Major famously declared the party’s manifesto was ‘all me’.
Examples of nationalist or regional parties?
SNP, Mebyon Kernow, Yorkshire Party
Which party has seeked to develop a truly nationalist agenda?
UKIP- withdrawl from the EU
What % of the vote did UKIP win in the 2015 general election
12.50%
What are some examples of single issue parties?
Brexit Party, Women’s equality party, Independent Kiddiminster Hospital and Health Concern Party (Richard Taylor won the Wyre Forest Constituency in 2001 and 2005)
Discuss UKIP’s success in the 2015 election and their policy influence
It polled 3.9 million voters in 2015, but won only one seat in the HOC. They often attracted Eurosceptic ‘left behind’ voters. Their increase in popularity put pressure on Cameron to call a EU referendum, leaving UKIP to campaign leave.
Why did UKIP decline?
Achieved its goal of leaving the EU after the 2016 referendum. The Conservatives became a pro-Brexit party meaning most Brexit voters swapped to the Conservatives
What % of people backed parties other than the ‘big two’ in 2019
24.3%, although this meant support for the two main parties was still 75.7%
What % of seats did the two main parties win in 2019?
87%
Where does the Greens have one seat?
Brighton Pavillion
How much of the vote did the Lib Dems get in 2019 and how far were they behind the second party in terms of number of seats?
the lib Dems had 11.5% of the vote, but were still 191 seats behind Labour
When were the Conservatives in power in the 20th century?
1951-64 under Churchill, Eden, Macmillan and Douglas Home and then 1979-97 under Thatcher and Major
What did Thatcher refer to people who weren’t prepared to sign up to her policies as?
Wets’
Who challenged Thatcher as party leader?
1989- Anthony Meyer, 1990- Michael Heseltine (led to her resignation)
What are the three strands within Conservatism?
Pre-Thatcherite (one-nation), Thatcherite and post-Thatcherite
What is a pre-Thatcherite group (one-nation)
Tory Reform Group
What is a Thatcherite faction?
Conservative Voice
Bruges Group
How is post Thatcherite split into 2 and what are some examples of groups in these 2 strands?
Split into red tory- ResPublica and liberal conservatism (Bright Blue)
Who was Cameron widely referred to as when he was elected?
The ‘heir to Blair’
How was the Conservative Party regarded when Cameron came into office?
The nasty party
What was Cameron’s strategy when he went into office?
He wanted to lead away from issues like the EU which deeply divided the parties and focus on issues where he could gain electoral advantage (environment). This was in an attempt to detoxify the Conservative Brand, reflected in the 2010 Manifesto ‘fix broken Britain’
How did Cameron describe his ideology?
Liberal Conservatism with a hint of Thatcherism
How can the 2010 Manifesto be described?
As having style over substance, with proposals such as a British Bill of rights and an aim to triangulate liberal social policies with an attempt to roll back the frontiers. However there was no clear aim on how to do this
Why did May struggle to get any of her policies through?
Agenda became focused on Brexit and by losing the majority, a power sharing deal with the DUP meant May was forced to drop many of her more controversial policies, particularly those believed to cost her the election
What was Conservatism ideology like under May and Johnson
Shift away from Thatcherism and selfish individualism, towards a shared society economically, but more social Conservatism than under Cameron