UK Politics Flashcards
What Act allowed certain middle class men with property to vote?
1832 Great Reform Act
What Act enfranchised women over 30 with certain property and all men over 21?
Representation of the People Act 1918
What Act enfranchised everyone over 21 regardless of gender or wealth?
Representation of the People Act 1928
What Act enfranchised everyone over 18 regardless of gender or wealth?
Representation of the people Act 1969
What were 16 year olds allowed to vote in?
Scotland Referendum
Name an example of the Chartist’s methods of pressure
3 petitions (rejected as Parliament was dominated by aristocracy)
Name 3 statistics showing how election turnout has changed over time in the UK
80% in 1950
60% in 2001
70% in 2017
Give an example for and against there being a participation crisis
Conservatives membership 2.5 mil in 1950 to 125k in 2018
SNP membership quardrupled after Indyref - 125k in 2018
Turnout of Brexit referendum
72%
Name 2 events that have caused disillusionment with MPs
2009 expenses scandal
2020 Partygate
Name 2 example of the Suffragettes’ method of pressure
Burned down churches, vandalised Oxford street
Name 2 example of the Suffragist’s method of pressure
Peaceful protests, petitions
Name 3 examples of direct democracy being used in the UK
Eu referendum
AV referendum
Scottish independence
What was the turnout for the Scottish independence referendum?
85%
What was the AV referendum turnout?
42%
Name 3 ways democracy could be improved in the UK
Reform House of Lords
Reform devolution
Reform monarchy
Name an example of e-democracy being used in the UK
Almost 150k people signed an online petition calling for a second Brexit referendum
Name an example of FPTP being liked in the UK
AV rejected in 2011
Name 2 examples of FPTP being ineffective in the UK
2015: UKIP 3.9mn votes but only 2 seats
Doesn’t always lead to majority: 2010, 2017
Say where the Supplementary vote is used in the UK
Mayors in England
Say where the Single Transferrable
vote is used in the UK
Northern Irish Parliament, Local Scottish Councils
Say 3 places where the Additional Member system is used in the UK
Scottish Parliament
Welsh Assembly
Greater london Assembly election
Name an example of an election where party policy influenced the outcome
2019 and Get Brexit Done
Name an example of an election where media and party image influenced the outcome
1983 Thatcher / 2019 against Corbyn
For the 1983 General election, say who won, what their majority was, 2 important factors that determined the outcome, and what the outcome meant for the government
Conservatives won - 144 seat majority
Shows importance of media and party unity (labour had internal division)
Majority allowed Thatcher to provatise and weaken trade unions
For the 1997 General election, say who won, what their majority was, 2 important factors that determined the outcome, and what the outcome meant for the government
Labour Blair
Party image and media (New labour centrist - murdoch on side -and blair charismatic)
Majority allowed constitutional reforms e.g devolution, HRA, FOI act
For the 2019 General election, say who won, what their majority was, 2 important factors that determined the outcome, and what the outcome meant for the government
Conservatives- 80 seat majority
Key issues (Brexit) and demographics (Age became determining factor, class dealignment)
Meant policy making was easier for Bozza
How does the 1983 General Election show the influence of FPTP on outcome?
The Alliance (3rd party) received 25% of vote but just 23 seats
How does the 2019 General Election show the influence of FPTP on voter outcome? with 2 statistics
Overrewarded Conservatives by 12% and SNP by 36%
Name 2 examples of English devolution failing
EVEL dropped
Northeast devolution rejected in 2004 referendum
Name an example of referendums being negative
Voters easily swayed - Brexit Boris red bus
Name an example of volatile public voting during referendums
referendum in 2016 - 52%/48% to leave, YouGov poll 2017 shows 48%/52% to remain
What was the key determinant in voter behaviour in the 2017 election?
Age
How has the impact of class on voter behaviour changed over time?
Working class usually labour but has changed recently - perhaps less tolerant of immigrants?
What percentage of BAME voters voted for Labour in 2019
64%
Name 3 examples of Conservative policy in recent years
- Anti-immigration (Rwanda)
- Brexit
- Austerity - pre covid reduced budget deficit to 2% from 10% in 2008
- Defence spending - aid to Ukraine
Name 3 recent examples of Labour party policy
- Devolution
- Reduce inequality - abolish non-domestic tax status
- Environment - windfall tax
Name 3 recent examples of Liberal Democrat party policy
- Voting reform - AV referendum
- Legalisation of cannabis
- Revoke Article 50 and stop Brexir
How does the selection process of the Conservative party leader differ from Labour and Lib Dems?
MPs vote to determine two candidates, whereas for Lab/LD there is a ballot with many candidates
Name 2 examples of MP candidate selection being more inclusive
Labour - All-women shortlists
Conservative - priority lists for BAME and women candidates
How is the Conservative party policy selection process undemocratic? with example
Written by a small number of high ranking officials
e.g Cameron 2010 x written by him, Oliver Lewtin and Steve Hilton
Name the two Acts that restricted party funding, and say what they did
2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act: limited party spending to £30000 per constituency in elections
2009 Political Parties and Elections Act: More restrictions, especially on non-UK nationals, Electoral commission can investigate and impose fines
What percentage of donations did a. The conservatives and b. Labour receive in 2019?
Cons- 63%
Lab - 18%
Where did the majority of a. Conservative and b. Labour funding come from in the 2019 election?
Cons - individuals
Lab - trade unions
What did the Sun claim in the 1992 General Election?
That it was responsible for the Conservative victory as it supported them
Name 2 examples of state funding for parties and say what they do
Short money - paid to opposition parties for admin costs
Policy Development Grants - Allocated a share of £2mn to develop policy IF 2 OR MORE MPS
Name an evidence of the two party system in the UK
Either Conservatives or Labour have been in power since 1920s
Name an evidence of a multiparty system in the UK
Coalition in 2010-2015, 2017 minority so Cons depended on DUP support
Name an example of elitism in UK party funding
Labour - Blair took £1mn from Bernie Ecclestone in exchange for an exemption on tobacco advertising bans
Name an example of third parties influencing vote outcome
Barnsley Central 2019 - Brexit party secured 30% of vote but Labour won - votes may have gone to Tories instead
How did age affect voter outcome in 2019?
For every 10 years older a person is, they were 9% more likelu to vote Conservatice
Name an example of class dealignment in elections
2017: ABC1 (richer) and C2DE (poorer) - Conservatives performed equally well with 44% vote in both
Name an example of insider pressure group influencing governments
BMA gives government advice on NHS policy
What percentage of Labour funding comes from trade unions?
58%
Name an example of an outsider pressure group and a success and a failire
Greenpeace
Success: Ban on microbeads from campaign
Failure: Methods criticised for being disruptive e.g shutting down a coals station in 2007
Name an insider pressure group, with one success and one failure
BMA
Success: Opt-out organ donation system
Failure: Junior doctors still severely underpaid
Name an example of the government ignoring an influential pressure group
BMA doctor’s strike 2016
Name an example of legislation passed due to pressure groups
Ban private ownership of handguns 1997 - Snowdrop Campaign after Dunblane massacre
Name an example of shady lobbying in gov
2015 ‘cash for access’ scandal: 2 MPs revealed to be prepared to lobby for companies for large sums of money
Evidence of low turnout in second order elections
2012 15% turnout in Police and Crime Commissioner elections
Name an example of pressure groups creating tension and working against each other
anti-fox hunting groups clash with Countryside Alliance (outsider, causal), always groups which are in conflict
what evidence is there that participation in pressure groups is preferred to parties?o
National Trust (insider, causal) membership is 4 million, Cons 125k
Name an example of a pressure group successfully implementing reform
Action on Smoking and Health (insider, causal) success in banning smoking in public workplaces (2007)
Name an example of pressure groups creating better representation
Howard League (insider, causal) campaigns for better prison conditions; secure books for prisoners from family in 2014
Name 3 aims of the EU
Promote Peace
Combat discrimination
Establish a monetary union
Name an example for and against the EU successfully achieving its aim of establishing a monetary union
For: All except Denmark use euro, 2nd most traded currency
Ag: Eurozone crisi
Name an example for and against the EU successfully achieving its aim of promoting peace
For: No wars since WW2, democracy
Ag: Russia and terrorism
Name an example for and against the EU successfully achieving its aim of reducing discrimination
For: EU law protects individuals rights
Ag! Anti immigration sentiment
Name a piece of evidence for and against the EU having a democratic deficit
For: European commission unelected
Ag: EU parliament elected, member states must be a democracy
What was the outcome of Brexit?
52% Leave, 48% Remain
Name an example for and against the UK leaving the EU restoring Parliamentary sovereignty
For: UK law can now go against EU law
Ag: Less negotiation power worldwide
Name an example of a collective responsibility resignation from Cabinet, their role, and why they resigned, date
Boris Johnson as foreign secretary in 2018 due to disagreement with Theresa May’s Brexit strategy
Name 2 examples of collective responsibility being under strain
2014 Gove and May - public disagreement over schools and radicalisation
Coalition - lots of criticism from Lib Dems over immigration and Europe
Name an example of a PM having to include someone in Cabinet they didn’t want to
May and Boris Johnson - made him foreign sec so he would be under collective responsibility- lowkey didn’t work
UK Turnout in 2014 European Parliment election
42%
Name an example of Brexit impact on fisheries
Commons All-party parliamentary group survey : reported financial losses and border struggles, larger EU vessels have some access to UK waters until 2026
