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2. Political parties > The Labour party > Flashcards

The Labour party Flashcards

1
Q

When was the Labour Party founded, and who by?

A

1900 by Keir Hardie.

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2
Q

The creation of Labour coincided with the end of…

A

the industrial revolution.

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3
Q

Labour, generally, represent…

A

the working class, and their interests.

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4
Q

Working class people who had previously voted Liberal felt…

A

they needed a new voice.

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5
Q

What is Clause IV of the Labour Party>

A

Introducted the idea of nationalisation in the party’s 1918 constitution.

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6
Q

Who was the first Labour Prime Minister?

A

Ramsay MacDonald - couldn’t command majorities in the commons.

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7
Q

When was the first Labour majority in the House of Commons?

A

1945 - Clement Attlee.

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8
Q

What did the Attlee administration do?

A
  • Focused on social welfare which propelled them into government
  • Nationalisation of coal and railways
  • Nationalisation of steel and civil aviation
  • Implementation of soical security and the NHS as outlined in the Beveridge Report
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9
Q

From 1951-1970, the idea of managing…

A

capitalism came into force - Labour opposition and governments in this time period did not try to get rid of capitalism because it was engrained
- They tired to protect the workforce

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10
Q

Who came to power in 1964?

What did he promise?

A
  • Harold Wilson

- Promised a ‘new Britain’ forged in ‘the white heat of a second industrial revolution’

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11
Q

Wilson’s administration ever escaped from a cycle of…

A

economic crises, vainly battling against further devaluations of the pound.

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12
Q

In 1974 after Ted Heath…

A

Wilson became prime minister for the third time at the head of a minority government, following the first hung parliament for 45 years.

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13
Q

In October 1974, Wilson…

A

called another general election, to attempt to achieve an overall majority.

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14
Q

Why was Labour sharply divided during Wilson’s government?

A
  • Many Labour MPs were bitter about Wilson’s manoeuvring against his colleagues
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15
Q

Wilson presided over a referendum on…

A

Britain’s membership of the European Economic Community (EEC).

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16
Q

Who was PM from 1976-79?

A

James Callaghan.

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17
Q

What was the ‘Winter of Discontent’?

A

Britain was ‘strikebound’, with public servants staging mass walk outs, leaving food and fuel supplies undelivered, rubbish uncollected and - most notoriously - bodies unburied.

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18
Q

The Callaghan ministry saw the end of…

A

Old Labour - the far left and the moderate socialists

19
Q

Who fought Thatcher in the 1983 general election?

A

Michael Foote - left-wing of the party, but not as left-wing as the Bennites in the party who demanded far left social change.

20
Q

Described the transition from old Labour to new Labour.

A
  • Party moved away from radical far left policy
  • Focusing purely on the working class was not going to win them elections anymore
  • Clause IV of its constitution in 1995 was changed under Blair
  • No longer committed to nationalisation
  • Role of trade unions was downgraded
  • Party furthered links with business
  • Labour became more pro-European in contrast with the Conservatives
21
Q

How could new Labour be described?

A

As bridging the gap between old style socialism and free market capitalism - modern labour

22
Q

What are the arguments that new Labour didn’t completely move away from socialism?

A
  • Introduced the NMW
  • Largest rise in spending on the NHS
  • Rise in funding of schools and university
  • Number of people sleeping out on England’s streets from 1,850 in 1998 to 440 in 2010
  • NHS waiting lists fell from 13 weeks to 4 weeks between 1997 and 2009 due to more funding
23
Q

What are the arguments that new did move away from socialism?

A
  • Emphasis on wealth creation
  • No tax raise on the rich
  • NWM was low
  • Tough measures to deal with anti-social behaviour
  • Tough on crime
  • Influences of liberal ideology - devolution, constitutional reform
  • Blair supported the foreign policy of George W. Bush
24
Q

The 2008-2009 financial crisis led to…

A

a shift in new Labour policy.

25
Q

What economic measures did Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling take to combat the financial crisi?

A
  • Raised income taxes on the rich
  • Spending on public services increased
  • Nationalised, or part nationalised, the most the vulnerable banks
26
Q

Under Ed Miliband, Labour seemed to…

A

shift back to the left.

27
Q

Some argue that Miliband’s leadership of the party lacked…

A

coherence.

28
Q

How could it argued that Miliband shifted Labour back to the left?

A
  • He called for a 50% top income tax rate on £150,000+ earners - the coalition government of 2010 had reduced it to 45%
  • Energy freeze - what is paid on electricity and water is fixed
29
Q

Labour, under Miliband, tolerated levels of…

A

capitalism.

30
Q

What did Miliband do within to Labour party?

A
  • Distinguished between what he saw as ‘predatory’ and ‘responsible’ capitalism
  • He called for a crackdown on tax avoidance
  • Called for more spending on the NHS
  • He called for a 10% income tax for those starting on the lowest wage (a policy introduced by Brown and then later scrapped)
  • Miliband pledged in 2015 to cut the deficit each year if Labour got into government - he insisted this would take place without borrowing more money
31
Q

What was Miliband’s nickname, even with introducing moderate principles? Why?

A

‘Red Ed’ - due to his perceived links with the far left and his dislike for the private sector

32
Q

What was Miliband’s defeat in May 2015 attributed to?

A

His failure to garner the Scottish vote; and his alienation of big business.

33
Q

Miliband’s tenure called for a…

A

new direction for the Party - the Conservatives had now won a majority for the first time since 1992.

34
Q

Who were the candidates in the 2015 Labour leadership election?

A
  • Jeremy Corbyn
  • Andy Burnham - experienced candidate
  • Yvette Cooper - experienced candidate
  • Liz Kendall - most Blairite contender - won 5% of the vote
  • Both Cooper and Burnham had served in the Labour shadow cabinet
35
Q

The labour membership backed Corbyn but…

A

this did not extend to all Labour MPs.

36
Q

What happened to Corbyn’s first shadow cabinet in 2016?

A

Fell apart - due to arguments over left wing policy, among other things

37
Q

Who was Owen Smith?

A

A centrist Labour MP who challenged Jeremy Corbyn in 2016 - the Labour membership again reaffirmed Corbyn as leader

38
Q

Why is Labour so divided during the Corbyn era?

A
  • Many centre-left MPs, many of whom are former Blairites, who are unhappy with the left-wing leadership of Corbyn
  • This is juxtaposed with the Party’s membership, including the trade unions who wave warmed to his more anti-establishment approach
39
Q

What was Corbyn’s economic shadow policy?

A
  • A national investment bank to fund large scale investment in industry and infrastructure
  • Re-nationalisation
  • Old labour policy of forcing companies to publish pay audits - to counter discrimination against worker
  • Like Miliband he favoured restoration of the top 50% rate of income tax
  • Corbyn clear cut in comparison to Miliband with regards to opposing austerity
40
Q

What was Corbyn’s welfare shadow policy?

A
  • Opposed to benefit cuts
  • Poor are seen as the victims of capitalism
  • Public support for the poor is key
  • Reducing the private sector in terms of running service
  • Wholly state-run NHS
  • National education service, an attempt to remove private schools
  • Opposing student tuition fees
41
Q

What was Corbyn’s law and order shadow policy?

A
  • Opposed to a hard line adopted by new Labour
  • Policies such as increased powers to stop terrorism, and the introduced of identity cards are viewed with scepticism by Corbyn
  • Blairites and Corbynites found common ground in the fact that they both opposed Tory cuts to police number, which they state harms public safety
  • Though it must be stated that under the new Johnson government police numbers are starting to increase again
42
Q

What was Corbyn’s shadow foreign policy?

A
  • Shift from new labour
  • Corbyn has consistently voted against the use of force
  • He favours the withdrawal of the UK from NATO
  • Abolition of trident - nuclear defence system
  • Corbyn is Eurosceptic: but had followed his Party’s stance of being pro Europe - campaigning in the 2016 referendum to remain: though many critics said he did so in a lukewarm manner
  • Corbyn’s Party is still divided on Brexit
43
Q

Who is Hillary Benn?

A
  • Son of Tony Benn
  • Left the shadow cabinet and his since been opposed in his views to Corbyn - particularly to foreign policy
  • December 2015 - voted on military against Islamic State terrorism
  • Corbyn was not pleased - the party was so divided on the issue - Corbyn couldn’t even whip the party to vote a certain way
  • MPs were given a free vote

2. Political parties (14 decks)

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