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UK Politcal Parties Flashcards

1
Q

Define party functions ?

A
  • party functions is a political party’s key role, primarily contesting elections and seeking to hold power
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2
Q

Which party has been proved to be the most successful out of the British political parties since 1834?

A

Conservative Party

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3
Q

What gave the Conservative Party the ability to hold office of PM for 2/3 of the period since 1900?

A

-The party has draws its core support from the landed aristocracy
-its principles encompassed defence of the privileges of the Church of England
-opposition to political reform

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4
Q

What are the four main strands that has developed the Conservative Party ?

A

-one nation conservatism
-butskellite pragmatism and consensus
-traditional values
-Thatcherism

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5
Q

Which PM is associated with one nation conservatism ?

A

Benjamin Disraeli

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6
Q

What does one nation focus on ?

A

-One nation focuses on the duty of those with power and privilege to use it wisely and to unite the nation by the way of moderate social reform and patriotism
-represents a form of pragmatic paternalism

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7
Q

What famous phrase said by Disraeli was echoed in David Cameron’s espousal of the ‘big society’ ?

A

“The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy”

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8
Q

What examples are there of recent PM following one nation conservatism ? And what does this mean?

A

-Recent examples included Boris Johnson victory speech in December 2019 where he mentioned “members of our new one-nation government, a people’s government”
- this stance embraced the state protecting the vulnerable through public services, without penalising the rich with high income tax rates or seeking to dismantle free market capitalism and significantly redistribute wealth

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9
Q

Define Butskellite ?

A

-It’s a term used to describe the postwar consensus between labour and the conservative that endured until the 1970s

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10
Q

Why did the Conservative Party shifted to the centre in 1945 ?

A

The Conservative Party shifted further to the centres and accepted the bulk of labour social reforms due to labours landslide and establishment of welfare state including the NHS in the wake of 1945

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11
Q

In what years was there large areas of consensus in many key policy areas between the two parties ?

A

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s

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12
Q

What did Butskellite conservatism focus on and was knee to join in ?

A

Butskellite conservatism was pro-European and knee to join in what was then the European economic community (EU)

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13
Q

Who led the UK into the EEC in 1973 ?

A

Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath

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14
Q

Which labour PM tried to negotiate the UK’s entry in the EU in 1967

A

Harold Wilson

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15
Q

What does traditional values focus on within the Conservative Party ?

A

Traditional value reflects the party’s ongoing insistence on supporting the traditional nuclear family and the institution of marriage while maintain a firm line on immigration policy

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16
Q

Name an example where traditional values have been echoed in conservative PM ?

A

This values have been echoed and seen in slogans such as John Mayors ‘back to basics’ a campaign launched in 1993 where he delivered a speech

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17
Q

Summarise John Mayor speech in 1993 ?

A

-Mentioned it was time to go to basics, to self discipline and respect for the law and consideration for others.
-to accept responsibility for yourself and your family and not relaying on other people or the state

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18
Q

What other policy measure reflect traditional values ? (Mention 2)

A

-Policy measures reflecting traditional values include the passing of section 2 in 1988, which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools
- also when Theresa May promise as Home Secretary to create hostile environment for illegal immigrants

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19
Q

Name an example where tradional values has been seen in some conservative MPs during the opposition to Sunday trading and its extension ?

A

Tory backbench revolt in 2016 derailed attempts to relax Sunday trading hours

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20
Q

What are traditional values sometimes associated with and name an example of ?

A

In more controversial form, critics have implicated this type of conservatism, embraces elements of racism for example Enoch Powell’s 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speech

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21
Q

What years did Thatcherism dominate ?

A

Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s

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22
Q

What did Thatcherism focus on ?

A

Thatcher promoted individual freedom, especially economic to slay the ‘dragons’ of overly powerful trade unions and to emphasis self-help and personal responsibility

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23
Q

What was thatcher aim ?

A

Aimed to the roll back the frontiers of the state, denationalise most government owned industries and encourage council tenants to buy their own homes by lowering taxes especially on income

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24
Q

What did thatcher government do that used to elude previous PM including her predecessor Edward Heath ?

A

Thatcher’s government broke the power of one of the country’s most formidable unions, the national union of mine workers during a prolonged and bitter miners strike in 1948-85

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25
What did thatcher embrace ?
She embraced a more confident, assertive forge in policy, overseeing the Falkland victory in 1982 and working closely with famous Cold War warrior, US president Ronald Reagan
26
What has been the main fracture line in the party ?
The European Union
27
What were tory leaders plagued with ?
Plagued by division between leavers and remained, eurosceptics and europhiles
28
How did Cameron referendum on continued membership of the EU in 2016 ?
Cameron hoped to finally settle the matter however the narrow leave victory simply confirmed division went deeper as opposing factions of the party squabbled over the term of any negotiated deal
29
Why did Theresa May also fail ?
She tired to placate but failed due to her deals being rejected on several occasions in the commons and she suffered a record number of ministerial resignations
30
What other issues have Conservative been divided on ?
During Cameron time in office, a majority of his own MP’s rejected his bill to legalise same sex marriage in 2013, the measure only passed due to the support of opposition parties
31
Where can the Labour Party trace its origins ?
The Labour Party can trace its origin back to the Farringdon street conference of 1900, from the beginning the party was an alliance between members of the trade union movements and various socialist groups
32
What was the labours party initial aim ?
It’s initial aims was the independent representation in parliament of the working man (since women didn’t get the vote till 1918)
33
Why did the party assume a formal socialist position in 1918 ?
This was due to the adoption of clause IV into its constitution which represented the party aspiration to abolish capitalism, alongside nationalism and the inevitable redistribution of wealth that would result from such policy
34
Why is the Labour Party different to communist although they share the same ideas ?
Labour Party has always been a parliamentary and constitutional political movement, it has never advocated violent revolution but rather change within and through existing politcal structures
35
What are the fours strands of the Labour Party ?
-economic socialism -trade unionism -globalisation internationalism -new labour/ third way socialism
36
What example is there from the Labour Party showing their commitment to various core strands of socialism ?
- the clearest examples are seen in the postwar Attlee government, the first majority Labour government, most famous for setting up the welfare state -it also took into state ownership many core industries including coal mining, iron and steel and even the former travel agent Thomas cook
37
What other industries would Labour Party nationalise in 1977 ?
Shipbuilding and aerospace
38
Why were these industries sold ?
They were sold under the thatcher years and Blair/ brown government chose not to renationalise them
39
What did Jeremy Corbyn labour 2017 and 2019 manifesto pledge ? What does this mean ?
-Partial re nationalisation - this commitment to nationalise reflects labours historic pledge to redistribute wealth for the many not the few and to put people before private profit
40
What did the election of Corbyn mark ?
His election as leader marked a clear shift towards a more left-wing position
41
What ties does the Labour Party have with trade unions ?
Labours historic ties back to its foundation and many unions have looked to labour to protect and advance their rights of workers, for example the right to strike and trade unionism recognition in the workplace
42
What have trade unions do to help the Labour Party ?
Trade unions have traditionally supplied the bulk of labours funding, sponsored some of its MPs and had seats on the ruling national executive
43
What happened to trade union influence in the 1980s and 1990s ? Why?
It decreased partly though de- industrialisation and a shift in the economy away from manufacturing to the far less unionised service sectors -additionally there power was considerably weakened by Conservative reforms in the 1980s which were designed to make unions more democratic and for it to be harder to take industrial action
44
45
How was the treatment of Corbyn with trade unions ?
-Under Corbyn trade union enjoyed increased influence and access to the leadership
46
What is globalist internationalism ?
It’s a strong stand of Labour policies committed to peace and disarmament alongside resisting fascism and racism worldwide
47
What has Labour at time oppose to and been shown in policy?
Opposed to nuclear weapon and advocating for unilateral nuclear disarmament
48
In what situations have MPs and activist have long fought against right wing dictatorships ?
-republicans in the Spanish civil war 1936-39 -apartheid in South Africa
49
What are this example of internationalism show?
This internationalism is in part an outworking of socialism emphasis on the need for workers to show solidarity across national boundaries. This is because socialist view nationalism as a pretext for preserving that capitalist status quo and distracting the mass from revolutionary consciousness
50
How this approach would be taken in today’s current climate ?
In the modern day labour movement would revise this attitudes into support for European integration with a strong emphasis on protecting workers rights across the EU
51
How was globalist internationalism weakened ?
During the Blair year this strand of labour was arguably weakened by Blair’s close relationship with Conservative republican president George W. Bush and his support for the war on terror with the accompanying military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan
52
What did Blair action lead to ?
Produced deep division in the party and large-scale backbench rebellion
53
Which leader moved away from Blairs third way socialism?
The disenchantment with Blair’s third way socialism was reflected in the swing to the left with the election of Corbyn as leader in 2015 and the adoptation of more left wing politics
54
Why did Corbyn have to resign in 2019 ? And in what year his idea served well for labour ?
Due to its party defeat, although his idea of globalist internationalism did serve well in the 2017 election gaining votes and seats
55
What was Blair intentions with his third way socialism project (1997-2010) ?
Blair intentions was to modernise and update labour and move it to the centre ground of electability following its lurch to the left in the early 1980s under Michael Foot
56
What emphasis did third way socialism have ?
The emphasis was on triangulation, repositioning Labour on the centre ground, accepting many of the Thatcherite economic policies but retaining labour social values such as justice and fairness for all
57
What was third way socialism less concerned about and more concerned about ?
There was less concern about who owned industry and far more emphasis on how profits could be put to good use to achieve the goal of social justice
58
What did Blair do to achieve his new labour ?
More money was pumped into the NHS and education, his mantra was “education, education, education”
59
What did the Labour Party focus on ?
Focused on specialist schools and colleges often outside the direct control of local authorities
60
What did new Labour focus on eliminating ?
Focused on eliminating child poverty
61
What was the third way for some ?
For some in the Labour Party all of this amounted to pragmatic common sense and electoral success indeed Blair won three consecutive general elections on the back of his new Labour policies
62
What did the other halve thought of the third way ?
To other the third way was a sell out and betrayal, one of Blair’s chief critic and most frequent backbench rebel was Jeremy Corbyn
63
What are the Liberal Democrat’s origins ?
Until the 1920s their predecessor the liberal party was the Conservative Party main rival, epitomised by four time prime minister William Gladstone
64
Why was the Lib Dem relegated to third party status by 1930s ?
-The party suffered a serious split over Irish home rule in 1885-6 and further division during wartime coalition government -the emergence of the Labour Party attracted many of its working class supporters while Conservative drew many of its middle class supporters by playing on their fears of socialism and revolution
65
How has the party remained partly dominant ?
Lib Dem’s might usurp one of two dominant parties and sharing power in the 2010-15 coalition government when leader Nick Clegg served as deputy prime minister
66
When and why did the liberal party change its name ?
The party adopted its present name in 1988 after a merger of the liberal party and the social Democratic Party
67
What are the focuses of the Lib Dem’s ?
Today the Lib Dem are fundamentally a progressive centrist party with a strong commitment to Europe and the EU, have concerns for constitutional reform and voting system plus human rights and freedom
68
What happened to the Lib Dem’s in 2015 ?
-They were severely punished to just 8 seats compared to 2010 where they gained 57 seats
69
define party structure ?
the organisation of political parties at both local and national level
70
What's the local level structure and local level policy making system of the conservative party ?
-local conservative association with ward branches below them -local conservative associations play a key role in organising the grassroot of the party, and in planning local campaigning and selecting candidates although with less autonomy in the latter than previously
71
What's the local level structure and local level policy making system of the labour party ?
-each constituency has a constituency labour party and many also have council ward level branch labour parties -CLP takes lead in local and national election campaigns
72
what's the national level structure of the conservative party ?
-the national HQ is the conservative campaign headquarters at Millbank Westminster -the board of the conservative party is in charge of running the party machine -the board of conservative party is made up of representatives from each section of the party including MPs and local associations
73
what's the national level structure of the labour party ?
-labour national base is in Victoria St, London -the day to day running is undertaken by the national executive committee -the NEC enforces party discipline and can on occasion, expel members for breaking party rules. They have the final say over the selection of parliamentary candidates -the NEC is compromised of 40 members and automatically includes representatives from the parliamentary party , affiliated trade unions, CLPs, local councillors and young labour -election of the NEC are often highly factionalised for example for two CLP reps held in April 2020 were regarded as a victory for new leader Keir Starmer as candidates back up by the moderate groups progress and labour first triumphed over Corbynite candidates
74
what's the national level policy making system of the conservative party ?
-the conservative policy forum set up in 1998 enables more grassroot participation in policy-making although its role is advisory as opposed to binding -Tories leave the writing of their manifesto to their leader and their trusted advisers
75
what examples are there when tory manifesto have been left to their leaders ?
-The 2019 manifesto was co-written by Rachel Wolf, she had been an education and innovation adviser at Number 10 during Cameron's premiership
76
what's the national level policy making system of the labour party ?
- since the 1990s the annual conference was the sovereign policy making body but its role has since diminished
76
summarise the first process of the candidate selection ?
-first, candidates must get onto the party's central list of approved candidates after undergoing a selection/vetting procedure and training
77
show an example of this process?
for example all aspiring conservative candidates must first pass a parliamentary assessment board which test skills such as communication and motivational leadership
78
summarise the second and final process of the candidate selection ?
-once on their party central list, they must then apply to get shortlisted as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) by local branches -finally, they get adopted following a vote of the local party members
79
what have all main parties sought to increase ?
the diversity of their candidate pool particularly in the areas of gender and ethnicity
80
gives examples of this ?
-labour pioneered the use of all women shortlists, while the conservatives have occasionally used open primaries for example Gosport and priority list
81
what were the conservative and labour accused of ?
-conservative were accused of doing Bridgend in 2017 and in 2019 labours NEC was accused of fast tracking longlist of favoured candidates in several constituencies such as Ealing North
82
what did party activist claimed this list lacked ?
claimed these lists lacked sufficient local candidates and undermined local parties having a proper and democratic influence on the process
83
How do conservative party select their MP's using examples ?
-MP's vote in a series of ballot to narrow the choice of candidates down to just two names -for example in 2019, nine MP's secured enough support to stand, but after a succession of votes by conservatives MP's seven were eliminated leaving just Jeremy hunt and Boris Johnson on the ballot for party members to make their choice
84
How do labour party select their MP's using examples ?
-candidates must first secure the backing of at least 10% of labour MPs/MEPs and also either 5% of constituency parties or at least three affiliates (two of which must be trade unions) -for example in 2020 in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, Emily Thornberry failed to get sufficient support from the affiliates section so was unable to proceed the first round of votes
85
what's the process of election by party members in the conservative party ? (example)
-party members make the final pick on a one member, one vote (OMVO) basis -for example in 2019 Johnson won a clear victory with around two-thirds of the vote, after 16 regional hustings before party members and several televised debates
86
what's the process of election by party members in the labour party ? (example)
-party members and registered supporters vote on an OMOV basis using the alternative vote system to make the final choice -for example in 2020 as Keir Starmer won over 50% of the vote in the first round, there was no need for a second round voting
87
in what occasion has a leader been elected unopposed ?
-Theresa may 2016 after Andrea Leadsom withdrew from the race -Gordon brown in 2007 -Vince Cable in 2017 for the lib dem
88
why does labour include affiliated unions ?
if ordinary members are not involved in the selection process, there is a risk that they will become disillusioned and less willing to volunteer and campaign for the party at election time
89
What affected Corbyn during his leadership of the Labour Party ?
-the lack of peer review led to dangers of choosing a leader that’s lacks sufficient support from their parliamentary group
91
By how much has labour membership increased in 2020 ?
550,000, making it the largest political party in Europe with around 230,000 affiliated supporters
92
How much is the membership of the conservatives by 2019 ?
160,000

UK Goverment And Politics (18 decks)

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