UK Politics: Political parties Flashcards
The development of Political parties
Conservative Party paraded it’s credentials as the ‘patriotic party’z a century ago, this translated to string support for the British empire. By 21st century this became Euroscepticism & wariness of too much sovereignty to the EU.
Labour Party was the party for the working classes & preached the gospel of wealth distribution & public ownership. By 21st century, this became general commitment to social justice.
The development of the Conservative Party
-began 1834 & was most successful.
-held office for 2/3rds of period since 1900.
-drew fire support from aristocracy & privileges of Church of England.
-one nation conservatism.
-buskellite pragmatism & consensus.
-traditional values.
-Thatcherism.
-policies today.
-divisions within party.
One nation conservatism
-associated with Victorian PM, Disraeli.
-unite nation with moderate social reforms & patriotism.
-‘the palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy’.
-Johnson’s speech “members of our new one nation government, a people’s govt”.
-embraced state protecting vulnerable through public services without penalising the rich with high income tax or seeking to dismantle free market capitalism.
-privilege & inequality (wealth) is natural & duty comes with.
Buskellite pragmatism & Consensus
-after 1945 Labour landslide & development of the welfare state, party accepted Labours reforms.
-the ‘Buskellite’ conservatism’ was pro-European & they were keen to join what was the European Economic Community (EEC), now the EU.
Traditional values
-support the traditional nuclear family& marriage.
-more right wing.
-firm line on immigration policy.
-Majors speech ‘Back to basics’ “self discipline & respect for the law & accept responsibility for yourself.”
-passing on Section 28 in 1988, banning promotion of homosexuality in schools.
-May promised to create a ‘hostile environment’ for illegal immigrants.
-opposition of some conservatives for Sunday trading. (Backbench revolt in 2016).
-critics argue this embraced elements of racism e.g. Powell’s 1968 ‘Rivers of Blood speech’.
Thatcherism
-conviction over compromise.
-promoted individual freedom, especially economic to slay the ‘dragons’ of overalls powerful trade unions & to emphasise self-help & personal responsibility.
-aim was to denationalise most government owned industries & encourage council tenants to buy their own homes.
-lower taxes.
-broke power of National union of Mineworkers (NUM).
-confident & assertive foreign policy overseeing Falklands victory in 1982.
-won a hard fought financial rebate from the EU
The policies & principles of the Conservatives today
2019 policy pledges:
-extra funding for the NHS (50,000 more nurses & 50 million more GP surgery appointments).
-20,000 additional police officers & tougher sentencing.
-get Brexit done.
-no raising rate of income tax.
Divisions within the Conservatives
Until 2019, successive Tory leaders were divided between leavers & remainers.
-May tried to placate both wings but her deals were rejected in several occasions & she suffered a record number of ministerial resignations.
-Majority of MPs rejected Cameron’s bill to legalise same sex marriage in 2013 (supported by opps).
The development & policies of the Labour Party
-Origins traced back to Farringdon St conference of 1900.
-Alliance between trade union members & socialist groups.
-Aimed to get working class representation in parliament.
-Adopted clause IV in 1918 which wanted to abolish capitalism, have nationalisation.
-Originally revolution style but still parliamentary & constitutional.
-economic socialism
-trade unionism
-globalist internationalism
-new Labour/third way socialism
-clause IV
-policies today
Economic socialism
-postwar Atlee government, set up the welfare state ,took state ownership core industries (coal mining).
-other Labour governments nationalised several industries including shipbuilding & aerospace industries in 1977.
-Thatcher saw sale & Blair never renationalised them.
-Corbyns manifesto included partial denationalisation.
-Shows labours historic pledge to redistribute wealth for the many not the few.
Trade unionism
-right to struke & trade union recognition in the workplace.
-trade unions supplied most of labours funding & sponsored some MPs.
-due to deindustrialisation the influence of unions decreased.
-power weakened by conservative reforms in 1980s which made unions more democratic & harder for them to take industrial action.
-Blair didn’t reverse.
-Corbyn increase influence of unions.
Globalist internationalism
-peace & disarmament.
-Macdonald labours first leader was a pacifist during WW1.
-strong body in grassroots movement opposed to nuclear weapons & advocating nuclear disarmament.
New Labour/ Third way socialism
-Blair wanted to modernise Labour & move it to the centre.
-wanted triangulation & accepting Thatcherite policies but retaining labours values of social justice & fairness.
-emphasis on use of profits for justice.
-“Education, education, education.”
-eliminating child poverty.
-Blair won 3 consecutive general elections.
-some saw Third way as a betrayal & sell out, ie. Corbyn.
The Labour Party & Clause IV
-reflected socialist goals & language of Marx involving commitment to large scale nationalisation.
-newly modified clause read “dynamic economy serving the public interest..reproduce the wealth the nation needs” compared to OG “secure for workers”.
-repealed the clause as it was too leftist & Blair modernised it.
Policies & principles of Labour today - Policy pledges
-second Brexit referendum.
-raise minimum wage from £8.21 to £10 ph.
-increase health budget by 4.3%.
-bring forward the net zero target on carbon emissions putting UK on track for net zero carbon energy in 2030s.
-strengthen trade unions right of entry to workplaces to organise, meet & represent members to recruit.
repeal Trade union act 2016.
-asylum seekers have the right to work, access public services & always treated humanely.
Policies & principles of Labour today - Strand of Labour most reflected
-slightly Blairite with clear desire to remain in EU.
-somewhat Blairite with emphasis on fair capitalism & social justice.
-economic socialism- Blairite accepted private sector.
-globalist internationalism- caring for planet.
-trade unionism- shift from Blair where Tory’s anti-union laws were untouched.
-globalist internationalism- reflects Labours emphasis on human rights.
Outcome of Labours 2019 election
-very left wing.
-electorate rejected & Labours share of votes fell from 40% to 32%.
-“longest suicide note in history.”
-Brexit referendum redo wasn’t popular especially in traditional Midlands & northeastern strongholds.
-Corbyn was not popular.
The development & policies of the Lib Dem’s
-until 1920s they were the conservatives main rival.
-their leader Gladstone stood for free trade, religious toleration, self help & more ethical foreign policy.
-party suffered a split over Irish home rule 1885/6.
-more divisions during wartime coalitions.
-received third party status by 1930s.
-after merge of Libs & SDP, they gained their name (1988).
-progressively centrist party with committment to Europe & the EU.
Lib Dem’s 2019 manifesto pledges
-stop the Brexit process completely.
-defend HRA 1988 & resist attempts to withdraw from ECHR.
-use STV and introduce proportional representation.
-give 16 year olds the vote.
-reinstate maintenance grants for poorer students so living costs aren’t a barrier at university.
Lib Dem manifesto values & principles
-very pro-EU & remain defenders.
-civil liberties - pforecting civil liverties & didn’t want a security state, e.g. Labour proposing compulsory ID cards was scrapped by 2010 govt.
-political reform- succeeded in coalition of proposing AV referendum. want fair & representative government.
-education- abolition of tuition fees, party has done well in student cities (Oxford/Cambridge).
The current state of the Lib Dems
-after coalition, the party was punished when in 2010 they won 57 seats but only 8 in 2015 election.
-after demise of Change UK party, some MPs switched to Lib Dems.
-coalition meant abandonment of policies (ie. abolishing tuition fees).
-some critiqued Swinson “it feels like she’s running a presidential campaign when no one really knows her.”
The structures & functions of the main parties
-formulation of policy & manifesto.
-selecting candidates for elections & leader.
-the most open & internally democratic is seen to be Lib Dems.
-all parties display shift towards centralising power.
Party structure meaning
The organisation of political parties at both local & national level.
Local level structure: Conservative
Local conservative associations, sometimes with ward branches below them.
Local level structure: Labour
Each constituency has a constituency Labour Party. CLP & many council ward level have Branch Labour parties (BLP).
