Politics UK (textbook) - chapter 5

Question 1

Explain the key tenets of Conservatism?

Answer 1

The purpose of politics is social and political harmony: Where politics enables people to become what they are or wish to be - to keep options open.

Human nature is imperfect and corruptible: Altruism is only done within the family and most people are more interested in taking than giving and to see them as fairly easy to corrupt without strong government.

The rule of law is the basis of all freedom: This stops anarchic chaos and promotes liberty to create freedom.

Social institutions create a sense of society and nation: Social and political institutions help to bind together imperfect human being in society. Family and the institution of marriage is at the heart of this. The royal family provides a micr-model and the nation provides a macro-model for this.

Foreign policy is the pursuit of state interests in an anarchic world: nations have the characteristics of the individual without the restriction of law. A judicial defence is the best guide for a country in international relations.

Liberty is the highest political end: Individuals need freedom to develop their own personalities and create their own destinies. This should be limited when it starts to affect the liberty of others.

Government through check and balances: Diffusion of power between institutions all having a measure of independence preventing any single arm of government from being over-mighty.

Property: Referred to as the ‘first principle of justice ‘ by David Hume.

Equality of opportunity but not of result: We should all have the same opportunity to better ourselves. This is reflected in an unequal distribution of wealth, in which incentives are created to make the economy work and individuals industrious.

One nation: Combining the rich and the poor to create one democracy.

Rule by elite: The art of government should be given to those in good schools, universities and the armed forces.

Sound stewardship of the economy: Their experience of the world has brought an economic wisdom to the management of the economy - something Labour does not have.

Political change: They are suspicious of change as society develops organically. They believe in change when it is no longer resistible.

Question 2

What is Thatcherite economics?

Answer 2

To control inflation it was necessary to control the supply of money credit circulating in the economy.

Foundation of all freedom is the freedom to buy, sell and employ. Socialism delivered the ‘high road to servitude’.

If markets were left to themselves, prosperity would be created. When markets were allowed to work properly they benefitted all classes.

State intervention destroyed freedom and efficiency through taking power from the consumer - wealth-producing sector become squeezed.

State welfare was expensive and morally weakening as well as monopolistic.

Trade unions were undemocratic.

She was a big defender of national interests and gave big support to the armed forces. The falklands war was an example of this.

Question 3

Describe the John Major years of conservatism?

Answer 3

He largely pursued the policies of Thatcher, accepting the supremacy of the free market. He privatised British rail and introduced the market principle into areas of the welfare state. He however failed in managing the social fabric, in which inequality grew, a underclass was formed and immigration grew. His appeal on social morality backfired leading to interest in the morality of Tory MPs which were exposed in sexual and financial scandals. He was criticised severely and lost the 1997 election in a landslide.

Question 4

Describe the William Hague years of conservatism?

Answer 4

The party turned to William Hague, sharp intellectually, youthful and bitingly witty. A eurosceptic and hostile to the idea of a single currency. He was considerate a moderate conservative. Polls failed to shift and policy changed - the common sense revolution of 1999 - tax cuts as a share of national income, keep clear of the euro, inefficient heads would be dismissed and a get-tough pledge on work dodgers.The Labour landslide in 2001 led to Hague resigning. This led to Ian Duncan Smith winning the next contest against Kenneth Clarke.

Question 5

Describe the Ian Duncan Smith years of conservatism?

Answer 5

A very short-lived leadership. He tried to moves party towards social justice and the reduction of poverty. Dissatisfaction with his performances grew and Michael Howard was voted in.

Question 6

Describe the Michael Howard years of Conservatism?

Answer 6

Another right-winger who stressed social justice and was a Eurosceptic. The party still lacked in the polls in 2005 and Howard resigned in 2005. He stayed on on to help the election of his successor - David Cameron.

Question 7

Describe the election of David Cameron?

Answer 7

Howard had put in young and liberal members of the party to be in major positions, in response to the need of more centrist Conservatives to appeal to more people. Cameron with an impassioned speech easily won MPs over and became the next Tory leader.

Question 8

Describe David Cameron’s change of the party?

Answer 8

Cameron discovered that individuals in focus groups liked policies until they heard it was a Conservative policy. This required a big shift on policies. He let it be known that he cared deeply about special needs childcare, the environment, world poverty and no longer hated gays or opposed civil partnerships. A Troy grandee Oliver Letwin declared that his party supported redistribution of wealth and Cameron shifted Conservatives’ position on immigration qualifying support for those essential to the economy. They also supported a tax increase of 4% to support public services. He declared cuts were also required. He kept the Tory core vote onside with a dash of Euroscepticism promoting the end of Tory membership of the European people’s party. His biggest change was arguably that the measurement to which social policy would be effective would be whether or not they helped the disadvantaged. When 2010 approached they promoted a reduction i government debt; protect the NHS and education budget; blame Labour for the financial crisis and reject any EU referendum talk. This led to a coalition government with the Lib Dems in 2010.

Question 9

Describe Cameron’s premiership?

Answer 9

Cameron was plagued by the financial crisis, meaning that austerity policies were put in place and tax revenues were very low. To change this they soon implemented quantitative easing. Education and health were ring fenced from cuts but still struggled to keep up with demand and Europe ended up consuming more of Camerons time that was planned. Camerons ultimate concession, against the opinion of his chancellor and to please Eurosceptics in his party, was to hold an EU referendum. This was his biggest misjudgement. The leave campaign succeeded against his remain campaign and Cameron resigned in shame.

Question 10

Describe Theresa May’s time in power?

Answer 10

Replacing Cameron, she took the issue of concerns of the working class and fighting against injustice seriously and she famously declared Brexit means Brexit. Although she never fulfilled the issue of fighting injustice as all her time was taken up trying to reach a Brexit deal. Her ‘soft’ approach to this deal led to the resignation of cabinet ministers and the deal being rejected three times in 2019 which led to her resignation that year.

Question 11

Briefly describe the Labour party and socialism?

Answer 11

Socialism developed as a critique to capitalism and its political expression, Conservatism. Socialism has had a quasi-religious quality which explains why members talk of ‘loving’ their party. Conservatives would be less likely to express themselves this way.

Question 12

How does socialism critique capitalism?

Answer 12

It argues that capitalists exploit the working masses by selling the fruits of their labour and taking the lions share. A small wealthy ruling class rule created, through their methods of production, are wealth and income inequalities. It is also argued that capitalist economies are inefficient and inferior to a planned economy due to the booms and slumps of a capitalist economy.

Question 13

What are the principle of socialism?

Answer 13

Human nature is good: People wish to live together peacefully and cooperatively. Capitalism beats greed.

Environment creates consciousness: Superior environment will create a superior person.

Workers create wealth: They are entitled to receive the full fruits of their labour.

Equality: Everyone should have the same chances as everyone else regarding income and opportunity.

Freedom: The poor need more resources for the playing field of life to be level and thus truly free.

Collectivism: Social solidarity should take the place of selfish individualism.

Question 14

What is labour corporate socialism?

Answer 14

Keynesian economics: Management of the economy, using investment to curve slumps and squeeze out unemployment.

Centralised planning of the economy: This corollary of the Keynesian approach and Labour claimed it would do the same for peace.

Nationalisation: Nationalise private industries such as water, gas and electricity.

Welfare state: The national health service established by Labour and an expansion of universal social services.

Mixed economy: Maintain both a public and private sector.

Socialist foreign policy: Disarmament and collective security should be sought.

Question 15

How were the tenets of socialism revised in the 1950s by Anthony Crosland?

Answer 15

He said that Marx’s position in relation to capitalist societies was wrong. Ownership of the economy was no longer relevant as the key players were now salaried managers and not proprietors. He also said that nationalism was not the most effective road to socialism. Reducing inequality should be done through progressive taxation and redistribute benefits. This was Labours policy for the next 30 years. The issue with it arose when the economy was in decline as it was very dependent on an ever-expanding economy.

Question 16

How did the left of labour respond to revisionism; how did they take power?

Answer 16

The left instead promoted economic strategy based on workers’ control and extended state control of the economy, fresh injections into the welfare state, encouragement of extra-parliamentary activity, and a unilateral abandonment of nuclear weapons.

When losing the election to Thatcher the Left made its move, implementing Michael Foot as its leader in 1980 and imposing radically left wing policies.

Question 17

What happened when Neil Kinnock to power?

Answer 17

He dismissed the Left form of thinking as ‘Disneyland thinking’ and shifted his party back to the centre and argued that the market is the best model of the economy.

Question 18

Describe how Blair changed the Labour party?

Answer 18

He moved the party even further to the right, attacking trade unions within the party and successful in his war against clause four of collective ownership. The clause rewritten now read ‘dynamic economy, serving the public interest’; a ‘just society which judges its strength by the condition of the weak as much as the strong’; ‘an open democracy, in which government is held to account by the people’; and where ‘decisions are taken as far as practicable by the communities they affect’. He also denounced high taxation as it would never be supported by the middle-class and withdrawals of large capital. Another huge change was devolved assemblies for both Scotland and Wales as well as House of Lords reform - getting rid of hereditary peers.

Question 19

Describe Tony Blair in power?

Answer 19

Blair now in power with New Labour as it was called, was a big believer in building community based on the idea of responsibility, a sense of duty towards others who may be less fortunate and a recognition that one’s action have repercussions and may require reparation. He was also a supporter of third wave politics.

For the first two years spending was kept to a minimum, but in 2002 spent over £100 billion over the following years. The event that transformed Labour was the Iraq war in which many of his party saw too close a connection with george Bush, a Republican president with controversial foreign policy.

Question 20

What is Blair’s legacy?

Answer 20

Like Cameron with Brexit, Blair will always be remembered for the Iraq war. Despite his efforts in Northern Ireland forming a new executive there and other success the Iraq war will stand above the rest.

Question 21

Describe Gordon Brown’s period in power?

Answer 21

He did not have much time to implant any characteristic elements. Critics claimed he lacked vision for the party. He gave large amounts of fiscal stimulus to banks during the recession, but in doing so created large debt. Labour however maintained that large spending was necessary to boost the economy, this fell flat when other countries were doing significantly better than the UK.

Question 22

Describe Ed Miliband time in power?

Answer 22

Miliband tried hard to find a message which would resonate with voters – ​a distrust of corporate capitalism and an attempt to inspire a renaissance in public values.

Miliband had assumed public views would shift leftwards in the wake of a recession caused by the failings of capitalism. He was wrong: it shifted to the right, losing patience with people on benefits and more or less accepting the need for cuts in public spending, reducing immigration and government indebtedness.

On 8 May 2015 Ed Miliband resigned in the wake of Labour’s defeat, and a new leadership election ensued.

Question 23

Describe Corbyn’s time in power?

Answer 23

Corbyn’s policies sounded more like the Old Labour ones Blair had worked so hard to exorcise: higher taxes and much higher spending to restore cuts in welfare especially on education and the NHS and, even, a substantial return of nationalisation. In addition Corbyn was passionately opposed to US foreign policy anywhere in the world.

In May’s June 2017 snap election, in response to the moderates of his party, Corbyn’s buoyant campaign proved astonishingly successful, making Labour, once again, a ‘government in waiting’; his supporters began to believe Corbyn’s campaigning would overhaul any Tory lead once the campaign ensued.

His supporters, some of them fervent disciples, attributed his poor ratings purely to the negative smear campaigns of the right-​ wing media and refused to accept they were in any way connected to Corbyn himself and specifically his failure to adequately resolve the astonishing new problem of anti-​ semitism emerging at all levels of the party.

His ratings at the start of the December 2019 election were much lower than in spring 2017 and the surge which had so improved Labour’s position in that election failed to take off. The result was devastating. Labour’s share of the vote was reduced to 32%; it lost 60 seats, the majority in the so-​ called ‘Red Wall’ of Labour seats in the north and Midlands. Corbin immediately announced his resignation.

Question 24

Describe the Lib dems history and party ideology up until 2010?

Answer 24

Emphases on individual liberty, equality, a mixed economy, a developed welfare state and a reformed, more democratised system of government with devolution and reformed voting system were the central tenets of the Lib Dems under Clement Davies.

Under the skilful successive leaderships of Jo Grimond, Jeremy Thorpe and David Steel, the party survived the post-​ war decades but, despite increasing its MP numbers in the early 1970s, hardly prospered.

Its 1992 manifesto after forming with Alliance previously had called for a shift of power to the consumer and the ordinary citizen, the development of worker shareholding and market economy in which the market is the ‘servant and not the master’. It also called for reform of voting and devolution of power to the regions.

In the 2005 election, party leader Kennedy fought his usual relaxed campaign, offering an anti-​ war stance over Iraq, increased taxation for the very rich and no tuition fees for university students.

This 2005 election of 62 MPs, though welcome, still carried a sense of feeling of a missed opportunity; in addition there developed a sense that the party was losing what momentum it had gained at the election and all this contributed towards a whispering campaign against Kennedy.

When the Autumn party conference came around a new more right wing faction of the party came around and he was failing to keep them happy.

Kennedy finally admitted the chief accusation against him –​that he had a drinking problem –​and a few days later, when the pressure did not abate, stood down in early January 2006; he sadly died in 2015, his great political promise unfulfilled.

After the very short lived leadership of Menzies Campbell, Nick Clegg was the next choice. He too had difficulty making an impact, but he led the way in his 2008 conference in suggesting tax cuts: a nudge perhaps in the direction likely to win seats in the South-​ East from the Conservatives.

In the 2010 election, they formed a coalition with the Cameron led Conservative party.

Question 25

What were the key areas of disagreement in the coalition?

Answer 25

Health : The agreement promised to sustain funding but to end ‘ top-​down ’ reorganisation. Unfortunately this was precisely what Tory Health Minister Andrew Lansley had in mind, not to mention an expansion of private sector involvement in the NHS. After the Lib Dems condemned some of these proposed changes an agonised debate took place within the Government, and a ‘pause for thought’ was announced in May 2011.

Constitutional reform : Nick Clegg was given responsibility for this, in his role as Deputy Prime Minister, and his party was more than a little hopeful that the agreed referendum on the introduction of the Alternative Vote (AV) system would be won and would open the way to the introduction of proportional representation , a system which would greatly advantage smaller parties and possibly deliver the Lib Dems a decisive role in creating future coalition governments. David Cameron, it had been widely rumoured, had promised, in deference to his Coalition partners, to take a back seat in the Conservative’s ‘No’ campaign. However, his party persuaded him the AV system might prove a disaster to future Tory hopes of ruling alone, so he threw himself into the campaign, and an issue on which only a few months earlier the country had been evenly balanced was voted down by a majority of two to one.

Europe : After voting reform the Liberal Democrats’ most fervent passion is reserved for the EU. So, the party was devastated in December 2011 when Cameron returned from the 9th Brussels summit convened to save the euro, having vetoed the proposed treaty changes and effectively alienated the UK from the rest of the 26 members.

Question 26

How did the coalition work ideologically?

Answer 26

Overall, it was difficult, as disagreements on big issues led to a lack of coordination within the party. Opposing views on constitutional reform, the EU, and public spending led to a Lib Dem with little power and action.

Question 27

Describe 2015-2020 for the Lib dems?

Answer 27

A very lacklustre period for the Lib Dems with a max of 12 MPs at any one time. The issue was mainly due to the more market oriented faction which degraded its support.

Question 28

Describe UKIPs role in politics?

Answer 28

The UKIP party gained massive success in campaigning for the Brexit vote appealing on anti-immigration policies. Nigel Farage, its leader, stepped down after the country had voted for Brexit. This led to its ultimate decline in British politics. Nigel Farage instead created the reform party.

Question 29

How did Brexit affect the main parties?

Answer 29

Brexit led to the politics of identity as opposed to the politics of economy. It focused a lot more on the issue of immigration, free trade vs protectionism, nationalism abasing internationalisation and globalisation vs anti-globalisation.

This thinking grew within parties. Within the conservatives a closed thinking grew tremendously.

Labour supporters strongly supported remain and despite having open thinking, many were tired of Corbyn’s radicalism and as can be seen in the 2019 election, many voted Tory for the first time in their lives.

The Lib Dems revolved around reversing the Brexit vote. But many retainers thought that we should honour the vote and get Brexit done, leading to a demolition of her party in 2019.

Question 30

How did covid change conservatism?

Answer 30

Massive public spending ensued to support businesses and individuals during the pandemic. This led to a Conservative policy that was socialist - in reality, there was no other choice during this time.