UK Parties Flashcards
Functions of a party
1) Policy formulation - mandate and goals for which they push legislation to try and achieve (Conservative’s 2017 manifesto to get Britain through Brexit)
2) Representation - ensure policy will appeal to as many people as voters as possible (catch-all)
3) Organisation of government - help form governments, facilitate co-operation between leg. and exec. + provide source of opposition
Left wing policies/socialist
1) Socialism – tackle economic inequality, creating society with equal opportunity and access to the same things. Labour’s manifesto wishes to address this through wealth distribution – increase taxes on income earners over £85,000.
2) Support of common/shared ownership – private ownership is unjust – nationalised industries (Corbyn and railways).
3) Market must be controlled and monitored to protect workers – require state intervention
Right wing policies
1) Smaller role of state
2) Limited emphasis on social welfare and security – cuts to welfare budge and NHS – Cameron’s first budget announced £12 billion cuts to welfare state.
3) Stresses importance on private ownership – homes/businesses/state assets – coalition fully privatised the Royal Mail, strong wish to privatise NHS. Capitalism
Explain three policies of modern day labour
1) Government spending in state services – manifesto promises to abolish tuition fees, increase NHS funding by £30b, move towards creation of “Nation Care Service”. Corbyn promised to end benefits freeze
2) Nationalisation – public ownership of industry is best for economic growth and protection of workers – Corbyn’s wishes to re-nationalise the railways and energy market partially brought back with central government control of the grid + one publicly owned energy company in each region of the UK
3) Workers rights – Labour manifesto pledged to create Ministry of Labour to enforce worker’s rights: includes zero hour contracts outlawed, unpaid internships banned, four new public holidays. Introduce 20:1 limit on gap between highest and lowest paid workers at a company in government contracted companies, reduced pay inequality by introducing “excessive pay levy” on companies with high staff number on high pay
What is meant by Thatcherism
The political ideology of Margret Thatcher
•Small state – so people can own more – individualism. “Rolling back the state” with less provisions to reduce welfare dependency
•Privatisation is key – first to do so after the war
•Abolished the earnings-related supplement for unemployed and sickness benefit
•“Death by a thousand cuts” to welfare state
•Free market and open competition – trickled down economics
•Opposed EU – famous speech at Burges against the United States of Europe
•Authoritarian state
•Tough stance on law and order
Hated Unions
Blair’s move from traditional labour
1) Revision of Clause IV – no longer commits party to wide scale public ownership
2) Acceptance/use of Thatcherite reforms - free market
3) Received more votes from middle class than working in 2010
Labour is still traditional - taxation/market
1) Common ownership: re-nationalisation of railways/reversal of privatised royal mail
2) Re-inforced Clause IV
3) Market intervention - 1:20 ratio for max-min earner on government contracts
4) Energy companies back into public ownership
5) Create NTF - £250b into economy every year
6) Raise corporation tax to 26%
Labour is still traditional - public spending
1) Traditional labour committed to funding of public services – parliamentary party can agree with this
2) £30b for NHS
3) Scrapping tuition fees
4) Moving towards NCS - £8b promised
5) Re-introduction of maintenance grants
6) Labours commitment to full funding of public services demonstrates return to old labour
Outline two ways parties differ from pressure groups
1) Parties designed to run for office, pressure groups are not, although they can. Pressure groups seek to affect change through lobbying, whereas parties seek change through legislating
2) Pressure groups have narrow aims focused on particular issues, parties have a broad far-reaching scope
Factions in politics
1) Labour - factions over Trident - 140 voted against Corbyn in favour of renewal of Nuclear Deal (40% were with Corbyn)
2) Conservative - Europhiles V Eurosceptics: 179 MPs remain, 129 leave EU
3) Lib Dems - social liberals “orange book group”
Outline two ideas associated with liberalism
1) Personal freedom - should not be infringed upon by state - would have opposed government dictating when shops close
2) Importance of individual rights - would support HRA and introduction of Bill of Rights
Define adversary politics, using an example
Where there is large disagreement between the main political parties over main policy ideas or key issues. For example, Corbyn and Cameron were opposed on issue of Syria - Corybn wished to find a diplomatic solution and a “negotiated peace settlement”; Cameron pushed to authorise further bombing
Define consensus politics
Period of time where main political parties are in ideological agreement over policies. Most famous example is post-war consensus - all parties agreed on the importance of expanding welfare state and promoting common ownership - NHS was founded
Consensus now perhaps over renewal of Trident
To what extent has the Conservative Party abandoned Thatcherism?/ How One-Nation are they (argue other way)
Intro: Para 1: Economic welfare: Cameron's welfare cuts embody Thathcer, benefits cap, May's social care reform, however, Cameron acted more pragmatic than ideological, therefore not so Thatcherite Para 2: Para 3: Para 4:
Para 5: Foreign policy - Thatcher’s hate for EU, Conservative split over Brexit, May’s Hard Brexit quite thathcerist
Conclusion:
