UK Political Parties Flashcards
Who are the Labour Party?
They are the major left leaning political party in the UK. They emerged in 1900 from trade union movements and socialist parties of 19th century. They are seen to be Marxists but they are actually social democrats and they favour the working class
Who are the Conservatives (Tories)?
The major right leaning political party in the UK who always try to maintain old policies and old tradition as they believe it links to public order- “Democracy of the Dead”. They see politicians who are socialists and liberals to be more likely to become dictators and undemocratic eg. Labour.
What is One-Nation Conservatism?
The idea which branches off the organic society theory. It suggests that we all exist in a “interdependent” society and we dont have responsibility to care for the interests of the poorer sections of society
How does Labour make party policy?
Each constituency has a Constituency Labour Party (CLP) which takes the lead in local and national election campaigns. The Day-to-day running of the party is undertaken by the National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC enforces party discipline and can, on occasion, expel members for breaking party rules. This shows how Labour has a ‘bottom-up’ structure
How does Conservative make party policy?
The Local Conservative Associations play a key role in organising the grassroots of the party and in planning local campaigning and selecting candidates. CCHQ is the national HQ and meanwhile Board of the Conservative Party takes up the day-to-day running of the party machine made up of representatives from each section of the party, including MPs and local associations
What is Sofa Government?
Tony Blair’s informal style of leadership when discussing policy with ministers while the Cabinet rubber stamps legislation.
What is Kitchen Cabinet?
A term used to describe a close group of advisors to a Prime Minister. It can also refer to the practice of relying on a small group of non-elected advisors instead of traditional democratic cabinet structures. For example, Harold Wilson as PM from 1964-1970 and 1974-1976. It has also been used to describe the leadership style of Tony Blair
How does Labour choose the candidates for the party leader?
The candidates must first secure the backing of at least 10% of Labour MPs/MEPs, and also either 5% of constituency parties or 3 affiliates (two of which must be trade unions). In the 2020 election, Emily Thornberry failed to get sufficient support from the affiliates so she unable to proceed to the first round of the vote
How does Labour choose the party leader?
Labour party members vote based on a OMOV (One member, one vote) basis using the Alternate Vote system to make the final choice. This gives more power to the party members showing how Labour has more a bottom up structure. For example in 2020, Keir Starmer won over 50% of the vote in the first round meaning there was no need for a 2nd round.
How does Conservative choose the candidates for the party leader?
MPs vote in a series of ballots to narrow the choice of the candidates down to just 2 names. In 2019, 7 out of 9 MPs were eliminated after a succession of votes leaving Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson on the ballot for the party members to make their choice
How does Conservative choose the party leader?
Party members make the final choice by picking on a one member, one vote (OMOV) basis. In 2019, Boris Johnson won 2/3 of the vote
