Political Parties (UK Pol 2) Flashcards
What is a political party?
A group of likeminded individuals who seek to realise their shared goal by fielding candidates at elections and thus securing election to public office
Functions of political parties:
-provide representation
-encourage public engagement and participation
-formulate policy
-recruitment of politically viable candidates
-providing stable government
Types of political party
-mainstream (Cons, Lab, Lib Dem)
-National (SNP, Plaid Cymru)
-Issue-based (Green, Reform, Workers)
Functions of minor parties
-represent a particular area/ cause
-force policy change (think UKIP and Brexit)
-prevent government complacency
-political engagement
-exacerbate the flaws of FPTP
Why do parties need funding?
-campaigns
-conferences
-research
-paying staff
What is short money?
State funding available to all opposition parties with at least 2 seats in the commons or one seat with over 150,000 votes
2023 Labour received around £7 mil
What is cranbourne money?
State funds available to all opposition parties in the Lords
2023= Labour got around £820k
What are policy development grants (PDGs)?
State funds available to all parties as a share of £2 million given by the electoral commission
-first £1 million is equally distributed
-formula used to calculate how the other £1 million is distributed, using share of vote and proportion of the electorate where the party contests elections
In 2023-24, Cons Lib Dem’s and labour all got equal amounts (£432,525)
Arguments in favour of state funding
-parties represent the public so it makes sense for them to be funded by them
-reduces reliance on corrupt organisations
-prevents government from limiting the funding of other parties (think 2016 TU act)
-encourages participations and ensures that parties have more equal footing
Arguments against state funding
-isolates parties from real world issues that they’d be exposed to normally by other companies
-tax payers shouldn’t have to fund parties they oppose (undemocratic)
-parties will always still have unequal resource
Examples of membership funding
-Corbyns £3 membership scheme which aimed to make more people join
-2021 Labour got £16mil from membership so it worked
-same year cons got £2 mil
Examples of trade unions funding
2021 labour got £6 mil (13% of total)
2010-22 the RMT has donated £240k to Labour
2016 TU act
Gave new TU members the choice between contribution to funding Labour or not (before they were automatically made to contribute)
Examples of donations from local fundraising
-2021 Labour got £200k
Examples of donations from businesses and organisations
-Lord Sainsbury’s donated £2 mil to labour in 2023
-Frank Hester donated £5 mil to tories in 2024
-Ecclestone £1 mil to labour in 1997
2000 politics parties, elections and referendums act (PPERA)
-parties limited to spending £30k per constituency on campaigns
-all donations over 5k (now 11k) to electoral commission
2009 Political parties and elections act (PPEA)
-electoral commission can now investigate donation cases and criminalise/ fine those who break rules
-restrictions on foreign donations
Examples of funding scandals
-1997= ecclestone donates £1mil to Labour in an attempt to delay the banning of smoking ads in formula one
-2006 Cash for peerages scandal
-Frank Hester allegations of racism and sexism yet tories still frequently accept donations from him
-2005= Micheal Brown donates £2.4 mil to Lib Dem and is later jailed for perjury (lying under oath)
Features of one nation conservatism (largest conservative faction)
-pragmatic
-gradual change
-paternalism
-mixed economy
Established by Disraeli in the late 1800s
Features of Thatcherism
-dogmatic
-radical change
-individualistic
-free market
Examples of Conservative Party factionalism
-Rwanda (lee Anderson resignation 2024)
-Brexit (May and Cameron being europhilic forced to resign)
-European research group who pushed for a no deal Brexit
-northern research group advocate for more funding to the north whilst most other tories focus on southern support
Features of old labour (think kier Hardie, 1900s what not)
-dogmatic
-mostly working class
-interventionist
-public sectors
-social justice
-universal welfare
Features of new labour (Blair and Brown)
-pragmatic
-not limited to the working class (Corbyns “for the many not the few” although he isn’t strictly new labour)
-market economy
-private-public relationships
-social inclusion
-targeted welfare
Labour party factionalism
-lot of opposition to corbynities
-Blair vs brown
-Red Labour (very left like corbyn) vs Blue labour (centre left like the milibands and Starmer somewhat) vs Purple Labour (New labour and Blair)
How did the Lib Dem’s form
1988 out of the SDP-liberal alliance
SDP formed by Gang of Four who departed from labour in 1981
Features of social liberals
-modern liberalism
-Keynesian economics
-progressive
Think Davey and Farron
Features of orange book liberals
-classical liberalism
-individualism and neoliberalism
-Thatcherite influence
Think Clegg (big advocate of constitutional reform)
Green Party stats
-one seat (Caroline Lucas for Brighton pavilion) from 2010-24
-reduce social inequalities (scrap tuition fees and increase minimum wage) and ban fracking and reach net 0
-victimised by FPTP (2015=. 3.8% of vote but one seat but in 2019 SNP got 3.9% vote and 48 seats)
UKIP stats
-24 seats in 2014 European Parliament elections (more than any other party)
-victims of FPTP (2015= 12.7% vote by one seat)
-tackling immigrations and advocating private education
SNP stats
-want independence refs (done in 2014 and denied in 2022)
-more devolved finance, like national insurance and inheritance tax and NHS funding via Barrett formula
-2015=56/59 Scottish seats 2019=48
Conservative leadership elections
-candidates report to 1922 committee who sets the rules for race
-Series of ballots until the field is narrowed won to 2 candidates
-OMOV
Labour leadership election
-candidates need support of 10% (was 15%) parliamentary Labour Party and support from either 5% constituency parties or 3 affiliated companies (2 of which must be TUs)
-OMOV
Lib Dem leadership election
-candidates need nomination of 20 local parties or 200 members
-OMOV under AV
Examples of widening recruitment
Labours all women shortlists and Conservatives A-lists (minorities and women)
Arguments that the UK is still a 2 party system
-minorities are disproportionately impacted by FPTP (UKIP and green)
-2010 Lib Dem’s got 23% vote and 62 seats by cons got 36% and 198 seats
-2017=82.4% voters voted for one of the two main parties
-since ww2 all government have involved either cons or lab
Arguments that the uk is not still a 2 party system
-2 of the last 4 goes have been supported by minor parties
-FPTP= fewer majority (or weaker majority) governments
-2010= only 65% of people voted for one of the 2 main parties
-UKIP forcing through EU referendum
-SNP being £rd party from 2015-19 (shows changing attitudes to minor parties)
Arguments that a 2 party system is good
-easier to gain a majority and thus an electoral manadate
-multi party is too many ideas all at once and unpredictable, leading to slow decision making and public disengagement
Arguments that a 2 party system is bad
-decreased pluralism= less debate or consideration of issues
-voter apathy esp in safe seats
-under representation of minorities
-difficult decision making due to constant back and fourth
