UK Politics: Political parties Flashcards
What must a political party do
They have to be organised. Political parties are
organisations with structures, leadership, members,
branches and a hierarchy of command.
They must present policies to the electorate in order to give them a choice.
Gaining power Must be their ultimate goal, otherwise they serve no function.
They must seek to gain public approval. (Media, literature, canvassing etc).
They must be able to fairly select suitable candidates to present to the electorate.
They must have an effective leadership.
What are the functions of political parties within the democracy
Representation- to represent the views of people with a certain set of beliefs. Right-wing outlook have historically been drawn to the Conservative party. Left-wing frame of mind tend to gravitate towards labour
Participation- in order to win power or influence parties encourage people to participate in politics-to vote, join the party and to support it through funding to get his message across. Parties allow their members in selecting candidates to stand for local and national elections and in choosing the party leader
Recruiting office holders- party membership leads to recruitment as candidates for public office and as participation in the UK democracy. Candidates can learn of political skills as campaigners and organisers
Formation of policies- parties generate policies that embodied the ideas of which they stand for. At a general election they put this into a manifesto, a document setting out the program for government
Providing government- The winning party a general election has the opportunity to form government. The party controls the business of Parliament with a view on passing its manifesto into law
Where are the Labour Party in 2018
The Labour Party has undergone a radical change since Jeremy Corbyn took over as leader 3 years ago.
Labour, a centre-left party for the past 30 years has shifted much further to the left.
Jeremy Corbyn wishes to present Labour as a clear, socialist alternative to the Conservatives.
Corbyn rejects compromise on economic policy and favours much higher taxes on the rich, a lot more government intervention and borrowing, taking the railways into public ownership (nationalisation) and much more public spending on things like health, education and housing.
It was believed that this radical shift to the left would destroy Labour in last year’s election, yet they went on to win 40% of the vote, their largest increase since 1945, still not enough to win, but putting them, they believe, within touching distance of victory the next time round.
Recent rows about anti-Semitism have damaged Labour however. In the local elections in Barnet this year, a London borough with a 20% Jewish population, the party lost seats to the Conservatives who took control of The council.
What does the current conservative think about tax and spending
Boris is not scared to spend especially to the North, rail infrastructure - HS2, the furlough scheme
So will have to increase income taxes
What does the current conservative think about the National Health
To help the NHS as there is a lot of of support for it in the general
What does the current conservative think about Law and Order
Sentences have been made tougher and longer
What does the current conservative think about racial relations
To increase racial diversity in the party as can be seen with their choices for MPs
What does the current conservative think about immigration
Points based system like Australia
What does the current conservative think about the environment
Boris Johnson has a deep commitment to the environment
An agreement with the Paris Accords on environment
Electric car scheme
What was involved in the 2000 political parties,Election and Referendum act
An independent committee set up to supervise party pending on electoral campaign
The amount that a party spend was capped at £30,000 in the constituency
Donations of more than £5000 nationally or £1000 constituencies had to be declared and parties had to publish details on a regular basis
Donations from individuals not on the UK electoral roll were banned
What are the arguments for state funding of parties
Party play an important role in representative democracy so deserve public funding
Public funding would remove the great disparity in resources available to different size parties
It would curb the Possible corrupt influence of private backers on party policy
I thought arguments against state funding of parties
It is hard to decide how much support a party would have to qualify for funding
Taxpayers would resent compulsory contributions to parties on which they disapprove
Increased state funding could lead to greater State regulation reducing partys independent
What are the origins of the Conservative party
The Conservative party originated out of the old Tory party of the late 17th century. Represented defence of the monarchy, CoE and the Aristocracy
Robert Peel in the mid 19th century declared the party to the defence of property and authority against revolution
One nation conservatism developed on the Benjamin Disraeli in the late 19th century
One nation conservatism was the dominant ideology in the party until Margaret Thatcher became MP . Then it became the new right
What is one nation conservatism
Creating a paternalistic society in which there would be a social obligation on the privileged ‘born to rule’ to look after the disadvantaged.
Social reform.
A patriotic foreign policy (British Empire).
Creating national unity by uniting all social classes under the patriotic banner.
What our basic principles of conservatism
A strong defence of the country.
Law and order.
Protection of property.
Respect for the monarchy and the established Church of England.
Respect for the institutions of power: Parliament, Judiciary etc.
Love of tradition.
What are the factions within the Conservative party
One Nation tories- Believe in key principlesOf conservatism and Tory paternalism.
One nation Tories also accept the main principles of the welfare state therefore most traditional Upper class Tories oppose to Thatchers wish to dismantle the welfare state.
They were mostly remain in the EU supporters in 2016 and share beliefs with the Lib Dems and new Labour represented by the Tory reform party.
What is Thatcherism and the new right
When Margaret Thatcher got elected as Prime Minister she changed the Conservative party thinking from one nation conservatism
Mrs Thatcher believed in the core principles of conservatism, but
preferred a more radical economic approach. This was known as ‘Neo-liberalism’, The New Right – or simply ‘Thatcherism’.
What are the Key points of Thatcherism
Control of public spending with tax cuts.
Privatisation of state industries and services.
Limits to trade union power.
Tough approach to law and order.
Strong British interests abroad, particularly in relation to the
challenges posed by the Soviet Union.
Protect more loss of sovereignty to the EU (although NOT to leave the EU. Thatcher never believed this was a good idea).
Individuals to take more responsibility for themselves and their
families. ‘Roll back the state’.
What is monetarism
reducing the amount of money in the economy.
This would make the economy more efficient because since there was less money about, it would be worth more
What happened after Thatcher released her economic policy
The government increased interest rates and got people to save more and spend less. They also destroyed millions of pounds of paper cash and cut public spending dramatically. Without government bailouts the large ineffective manufacturing industry started to collapse
Unemployment has shot up to 3M by 1981
They call me went into a recession
What happened after Thatcher
John Major became PM.
Although more moderate and more pro-EU, his government continued with Thatcherite economic policies (but not monetarism –Mrs T DID actually ‘u-turn’ and change policy in 1982).
In 1997, the Conservatives suffered their biggest defeat since the
were led by the Duke of Wellington back in 1832.
What will the policies pursued by the Conservative government in the coalition with the Liberal Democrats in 2010 and after a majority in 2015
Economic policy.
Austerity, or big cuts in public spending in order to deal with the deficit following the 2008 crash.
Welfare policy.
Introduction of Universal Credit to encourage welfare recipients to take more responsibility and seek employment. ‘Bedroom tax’,
capping benefits at £23,000, no benefits to 18-21 year old singles.
Law and order.
More focus on rehabilitation with mentoring and training.
Foreign policy
Before the 2016 Brexit referendum, Cameron allowed MPs and
ministers to campaign on either the Leave or Remain side. Following the decision to leave the EU, Theresa May has committed her government to what she describes as the “best deal for Britain”.
What are the Conservative party fractions
The Cornerstone Group believes in traditional conservative Christian social values as well as free market economics. They were bitterly opposed to same sex marriage (Edward Leigh, Andrew Rosindell). Some Tories are suspicious – ‘The Taliban tendency’, Alan Duncan MP.
On the moderate wing of the party there still exists the Tory Reform Group (which is almost entirely pro-Remain).
What was the Conservative party like under cameron and may
David Cameron was a more moderate Conservative who sought to ‘de-toxify’ the party’s image as the ‘nasty party’.
‘Big society’.
More socially liberal. E.g. legalisation of same-s
What are the origins of the Labour Party
political arm of the trade union movement in order to give it representation in parliament.
Socialist roots, although over the years it moderated its policies and was really only considered socialist in ‘spirit’.
Aims to create an equal and classless society
What is socialism
Socialism is a social and economic system characterised by public ownership of the means of production (factories, businesses etc) and co-operative management of the economy (government plan and run the economy in the public interest).
What are the main beliefs around socialist policy
State ownership of property is preferable over private
ownership as it is for the common good.
Taxes should be progressive, the rich should pay more,
the poor less.
There should be equality of opportunity, everybody should have an equal start in life.
Freedom of religion and speech.
Trade Unions are essential to protect workers rights.
The state needs to create a better life for its citizens.
Equality in both social and economic areas.
What was Labour and socialism like in the 1945 to 1983 period
For most of the post-war period, Labour proudly
called itself a socialist party.
It criticised the market economy and praised the power of the state to do good.
It created the welfare state and the NHS.
It advocated higher taxes on the rich and nationalisation (state takeover of private business) as its core principles.
There was a strong link with the trade unions.
Most of its support was working class, in the north, midlands, Wales, Scotland, inner London and the other major cities.
What happened to labour and socialism in the period 1979 to 83
saw the party move further to the left
under Michael Foot. In 1983 the party was heavily
defeated in the 1983 general election. The manifesto was decisively rejected as too extreme, with Labour scoring its
worst ever election result.
What happened to labour and socialism in the period 1983 to 97
first under Neil Kinnock, then John Smith and finally Tony Blair, Labour gradually abandoned many of its traditional socialist policies.
They advocated a ‘Third Way’. The free market economy
championed by Thatcher COULD work, but the government should play a role in helping to manage it when necessary.
What are the key points of new labour
Emphasis on wealth creation rather than redistribution.
(The Labour government introduced a national minimum wage but at a less generous level than the trade unions wanted)
People need to be aware of their community responsibilities as well as their rights.
(Blair sought to impose conditions on the receipt of welfare benefits and put in legal measures to deal with antisocial behaviour use)
Responsible handling of the national finances.
(Major turning point was the increase in national insurance contribution in 2002 which led to the largest ever rise in spending on the NHS)
Using the private sector to deliver some public services.
(Private finance initiative contracts were awarded to private firms to build new schools and hospitals)
Incorporating some liberal ideology in Labour thinking.
(This showed in devolution-the transfer of central government functions to new representative bodies in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland)
What was Gordon Brown like as Labour Party leader
PM 2007-2010.
Dominated by the 2008-09 economic crash. Massive bailout of the banks. RBS nationalised.
Income tax increased to a 50% band on salaries over £150K.
What was Ed Miliband like as Labour Party leader
Not particularly coherent policy decisions.
End ‘bedroom tax’.
Freeze energy bills.
A new 10p income tax band for the least well paid.
What was Jeremy Corbyn like as a Labour Party leader
Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader in 2015. Challenged by Owen Smith for the leadership in 2016, he won again with a much larger majority.
Long career as a Labour rebel and a socialist.
Opposed both Blair and Brown in government.
Believes in ending austerity, big increases in government spending, re-nationalising the railways, strengthening the trade unions and workers’ rights, ending university tuition fees and forcing large companies to pay up to 10% of their profits to their workers.
He is a long term supporter of nuclear disarmament, but this proposal has been rejected by the party.
His party lost A large number of constituencies in the 2019 election
What was economic policy like during Jeremy Corbyn’s time as Labour party leader
He wanted to increase investment in the economy further calling for large-scale funding of industry and infrastructure organised by a national investment bank. To reduce regional inequalities
Favourite restoration of the 50% top rate of income tax
What was the welfare policy like during Jeremy Corbyn’s time as Labour party leader
He strongly opposed benefit cuts. He regarded the poor and the victim of capitalism, Who are entitled to support
Oppose the use of private sector to deliver public services an aspect of new labour, fully state run NHS
To promote lifelong education and training he called for a national education service and opposed tuition fees
What was the law and order policy like on the Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party
Opposed increased powers to combat terrorism and the introduction of identity cards.
Opposing government cuts to police numbers which they described as jeopardising public safety
What was foreign policy like on the Jeremy Corbyn during his time as the Labour party leader
Opposed to the use of force and favoured the Woodfall of the UK from NATO is military structure and the removal of the Trident nuclear weapons system.
Corbyn followed the mainstream of his party in supporting continued membership of the EU
What are the fractions within the Labour Party
New Labour - from the majority of the parties current MPs. They believe that Labour should appeal to middle as well as working-class voters and advocate a combination of capitalism and some socialism this is known as social democracy
Traditional labour - Prefer to be called as real labour. The left of the party, including Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, they reject social democracy as too week and prefer democratic socialist beliefs. Small amongst the parties MPs but stronger at the membership level. Reject a new Labour and wish to return to left-wing socialism
What happened during the 2019 general election to labour
They lost a huge number of seats in parliament which meant that less people voted for them
reasons include Jeremy Corbyn, parties anti-Semitism views, they view on Brexit as they did not have a proper position on it
What is liberalism
Comes from the Enlightenment of the 18th time when absolute power lay with a small elite at the top.
Seeks to promote freedom of the individual above everything else.
“Freedom is the main virtue in life” – John Locke.
Promotes freedom of conscience, speech, religion, lifestyle, political association and finally, economic freedom, that is an economy free from excessive government control.
How did the Liberal Democrats come into existence
Late 17th C to early 19th c forms such as extending the right to vote (but not to the working class) and abolishing slavery.
Mid 19th C to early 20th c dividual and a free market with free trade.
Early 20th C – Liberal Party. Favoured social reform like old age
pensions, National Insurance etc. Wanted to counteract the threat
from Labour.
1930’s – 1970’s – Liberal Party. Squeezed by both the rise of Labour and middle class support for the Conservatives. Put itself forward as the middle-ground option but had very weak support.
1980’s – Liberal Party joined forces in an alliance with the Social
Democratic Party (a breakaway group from Labour). Moderate
policies, did well in elections in terms of share of the vote, but failed to win significant numbers of seats due to the first-past-the post voting system
What’s the difference between classical liberals and modern liberals
Classical liberals, dominant in the 19th c dividual, constitutional reform, a minimal role for the state and free trade. William Gladstone was PM 1868-74
Modern liberalism began in the Edwardian era (early 1900s) as a way of discouraging working class people from supporting Labour.
Sought to improve society through social reforms like old age
pensions and National Insurance.
Equality needed to be enforced by governments in order to bring
about real freedom.
Modern liberals also pursued moderate redistribution of income and resources in order to try and level the playing field. They were not in favour however as going as far as Labour and the socialists.
Modern (or Social) liberalism is now the dominant strand in the
Liberal Democrats.
What are the views of the Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats emerged in 1988 following a merger between the Social Democratic Party (SDP – a break away party from Labour) and the old Liberal Party.
When Labour won power in 1997, the Lib Dems took 46 seats, their highest number since the 1920s. Tactical voting (where people who hated the Conservatives voted for the candidate in their constituency best placed to defeat the Conservative candidate) played a huge part in their success.
Policies such as opposition to the war in Iraq, university tuition fees and increased powers for the police represented a more left wing agenda.
In 2010, the Lib Dems entered into a coalition with the Conservative Party. In power, they supported large cuts in public expenditure and dropped their opposition to university tuition fees.
In the 2015 general election, they were reduced to under 8% of the vote and just 8 seats in parliament (down from 57). This improved slightly in 2017.
Who are the main liberal democrat leaders
Paddy Ashdown
Charles Kennedy
Nick Clegg
Ed daveyd
What was the lib dems experience in coalition
In 2010, the LibDems entered a coalition with the
Conservatives.
In government, Nick Clegg saw his role as ‘taming’ or ‘moderating’ the more right wing Tory agenda.
Secured a referendum on changing the voting system, although
this was rejected by the public 67% to 33%.
Convinced David Cameron to legislate for same-sex marriage.
Had to make compromises by dropping opposition to tuition
fees and accepting austerity budget cuts.
In the 2015 election, their vote collapsed to just under 8% and
they were reduced to just 8 out of 650 seats in parliament.
What are the faction within the Liberal Democrats
Social or modern liberals make up the majority of the party. In the coalition, the Lib Dems brought a more socially liberal element to the government, with policies like same-sex marriage now becoming mainstream.
‘The Orange Book’ group, which is smaller, have centre-right
views on economic management and favour a more classical
liberal approach. They are represented by people like Nick
Clegg and David Laws.
What are the Lib Dems policies on the economy
Government should intervene on a case by case basis, so largely in agreement with Labour.
Support a minimal role in government managing the economy. All 3 parties now agree on this (but only when ‘things are going well’).
Supported austerity as a means of getting the debt down.
What are the Lib dems policies on the Welfare state
Supports high quality public services to be delivered
through more funding.
Supports the benefits system for the most needy in society but agrees that there should be reforms such as means testing.
Suspicious of private involvement in the NHS. Supports more funding to drive up standards, but is opposed to setting targets.
What are the Lib dems policy on Law,order and rights
Strong support for the Human Rights Act, (which the Tories say they still want to scrap), but feel that it’s too weak.
Focus on the causes of crime, rather than punishment. Strong support for community based approaches to crime prevention and initiatives in education.
What are Lib Dems policies on Constitutional Reform
A fully elected House of Lords.
Change the voting system to full proportional
representation.
A properly worded and written constitution –codified.
More devolution to the countries of the UK.
More decentralisation and power to the regions and cities.
More power for local government.
What are the Lib Dems policies on Foreign Policy
The diplomatic route of the United Nations to promote world peace and avoid conflict should always be preferred over war.
What are the Lib Dems policies on Environmental Issues
Promote better quality and better funded public transport, curb carbon emissions, supports more recycling.
More green local initiatives are good, but the state needs to take a leading role in protecting the environment.
What are the Lib Dems policies on Mental Health
Nick Clegg made mental health his top priority.
More support to those suffering from mental health to be eased back into the workplace.
Combat the stigma of mental health.
Employers to take more time and consideration of those with mental health issues.
Who are the smaller parties?
There are literally hundreds of smaller parties in the
UK, yet only a handful can actually have any electoral
success. Some are regional, like the SNP in Scotland,
others UK-wide, like UKIP and the Green Party.
What is Nationalism in the UK context
Most people in the UK associate nationalism with either separatist movements like the Scottish National Party or Plaid Cymru (PC) in Wales, or Sinn Fein and the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland.
These parties’ main aim is to separate from the UK and seek self
determination or independence.
The SNP, PC, Sinn Fein and SDLP are all broadly left-of-centre in both economic and social terms. All supported the Remain side in the EU referendum.
Some, such as PC and Sinn Fein also have cultural nationalist
characteristics, such as devotion to the Welsh or Irish languages and other national traditions. The SNP and SDLP tend to focus more on political or economic nationalism.
What is the History of the Scottish Nationalist Party
Founded in 1934.
Centre-left with its main aim to secure Scottish independence.
Grew in strength spectacularly after Labour came to power in 1997 and established a Scottish Parliament.
Ex-Labour voters switched to the SNP and the party became a minority government under Alex Salmond in 2007, winning a majority in 2011.
Pushed for a referendum on independence which was held in 2014, but defeated 55%-45%.
Won 48 seats gaining 13 Westminster seats in the 2019 general election.
Strongly backed Remain in the EU referendum.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has since stated that since 62% of Scots backed Remain, the time may come for another independence referendum if there is a hard Brexit.
What is it like for the SNP at Westminster
Scottish MPs at Westminster are constrained by ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (EVEL). This means that they are restricted from voting (with some exceptions) on matters that affect only England.
What is British Nationalism
When we speak of ‘British’ nationalism, this can be controversial.
Some mainstream politicians, particularly Conservative Eurosceptics and UKIP, could be described as British nationalists in that they interpret it as meaning separation from the EU and self
determination.
Extreme right wing parties like the British National Party interpret
nationalism as meaning ethnic or racial self determination, separation from the EU and an end to all immigration.
Parties like UKIP are also seen as British nationalist, but only in terms of self determination and separation from the EU.
Groups like the English Defence League and the English Democrats are specifically English nationalist.
Groups like the National Front are on the extreme end of British nationalism, advocating white supremacy, repatriation of migrants and a complete ban on
immigration.
What is UKIP
Began as a fringe nationalist party by Nigel Farage in 1991.
Radical, right-wing and populist. Owed a lot of its original growth to the growing sense of dissatisfaction with the three main parties and the quickening pace of European integration.
Reached a peak in the European elections of 2014, winning 24 seats in the European Parliament.
Fear of the growth of UKIP was one of the main reasons David Cameron agreed to hold an EU referendum.
Main support tended to come from older white voters with lower than average levels of education and job security.
Support has collapsed since the victory of the Leave side in the EU referendum
What are some on UKIPs policies
Taking back control from the European Union-membership of the EU damages the U.K.’s interests by subjecting us to the rule of an unaccountable European bureaucracy
Restricting immigration-main policy at the 2015 election, need a points based system to ensure migrants with necessary skills get priority
Support for grammar schools
Scrap green taxes
What is UKIP up to now
Low point was in the election in June of 2017 when their vote collapsed to under 2%, winning no seats.
Most of UKIP’s support was derived from the white working class. In the north, these votes seem to have gone back to Labour, in the south, to the Tories.
Since the victory of the Leave side and the poor result in 2017, UKIP have struggled to find a space and a purpose in the political process.
What is the Green Party
More left wing than Labour.
Environmentalist.
Pro-European.
Actively seeking social justice and are liberal on social and moral issues.
Anti-war.
Anti-nuclear power and pro-nuclear disarmament. Scottish Greens advocated a ‘Yes’ vote on independence on the pretext that it would lead to the removal of the Faslane naval base where Trident is held.
Anti-fracking.
Against the ‘creeping privatisation of the NHS.
Abolition of university tuition fees.
Wealth tax to create new jobs.
Living wage of £10 an hour.
What is green party representation like in politics
One member of parliament – Caroline Lucas (Brighton). 180 councillors up and down the country. The Greens had minority control of Brighton & Hove Council from 2011 to 2015. 3 MEPs, one member of the Lords
and 2 members of the London Assembly.
Lots of support from young people, students, academics and middle class people working in the creative sphere.
why is westminster known as a 2 party system
during the 1945-74, when labour and the conservatives won on average 91% of the votes and almost 98% of westminster seats
This changed in the mid 1970s because on the formation of the liberal democrats but it serviced because of the FPTP system to limit smaller parties
How about a two-and-a-half party system?
The period of coalition government between 2010-2015 could be described like this because the lib dams secured enough seats to play an important part in government in aid to the conservatives
this was ended with 2015 general election
How does the first-past-the-post system work?
the person with the most votes wins the constituency and the seat even without the need for a majority
What are the factors that affect a party’s success or failure?
There are various factors, including:
- Strength of leadership
- The extent to which parties are united or divided between different factions
- The role of the media in projecting a particular image of a party
What does the left and the right think about taxation
The left believe in progressive taxation meaning that the more you earn the more you pay
The right believe in less taxation because people will spend more with more money therefore improving the economy
What does the left and the right think about government spending
The left spend the tax that they collect on helping services
The right to believe that services should be supported privately
What does the left and the right think about Law and Order
The left believe that they should try to get people reformed
The right believe that they should be imprisoned as a way to teach them not to do it again
What does the left and the right think about welfare and benefits
The left believe in helping people that are less able
The right believe in helping people to a lesser extent than the left so that they can help themselves
What does the left and the right think about Foreign policy
The left consider it’s very important to have an international presents
The right believe it’s more important to focus on National security-Trident
what happens in the devolved bodies?
When the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Northern Irish Assembly and the London Assembly were established, it was decided that they would use a different form of electing representatives.
Proportional representation.
We will be looking at this in proper depth in later lessons, but
essentially, it means that voters get to rank their choices by preference, so essentially the outcomes are a lot fairer.
The results of elections to these devolved assemblies over the years have allowed smaller parties to gain representation and for various forms of coalitions to hold power.
