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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are political parties?
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Groups of like-minded individuals who seek to realise their shared goals
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Key features of a Political Party?
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-Broad portfolio of policies -Open membership structure -Contest elections -Highly organised -Offer members the chance to input into key decisions |
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Key features of a Pressure Group?
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-Pursue a narrower cause -More exclusive -Field candidates as a way of raising their profile -Small leading clique -Low levels of internal democracy |
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What are the three dominating mainstream parties in the UK?
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Labour Conservatives Liberal Democrats |
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What are nationalist parties?
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Look to nurture the shared cultural identity and language of those indigenous to a given geographical area.
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Give three examples of Nationalist parties?
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Scottish National Party (SNP) Plaid Cymru Mebyon Kernow ('Sons of Cornwall') |
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What is a single-issue party?
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Parties that often offer a wide-ranging programme of policies rooted in a particular ideological perspective
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Give four examples of single-issue parties?
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-The Green Party -UKIP -The Pro-Life Alliance on abortion and embryology -Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern Party |
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What are the five main roles performed by UK political parties?
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Representation Participation Political Recruitment Policy Formulation Providing Stable Government |
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Role of UK parties-Representation
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-Represent the views of their members -Could be said to have been undermined by both partisan and class dealignment |
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Role of UK parties- Participation
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- Encourage political participation by encouraging citizens to engage in the democratic process -Give the opportunity to exercise power -Shaped largely by how internally democratic the party is |
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Role of UK parties- Recruitment
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-Central role in assessing the qualities of those who seek election -Cast aside those considered unsuitable -Opportunity to serve a political apprenticeship at a local level before 'graduating to high office' |
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Role of UK parties- Policy Formulation
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-Engage in detailed internal discussion and debate -Likely to result in a more considered 'joined-up' style of government |
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Role of UK parties- Providing Stable Government
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-Without parties, The Commons would be little more than a gathering of 650 individuals -Clear choice at the ballot box -Provide order following a general election by allowing single-party government - Secure the safe passage of its legislation through the Commons |
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KEY DEBATE- Are parties good for democracy? YES |
-Without them, the Commons would be little more than a gathering for 650 people, with their own goals and views -Greater participation -Choice -Recruits future members of government - Organises government -Scrutiny of government (opposition party) -More accountable -Educates the public |
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KEY DEBATE- Are parties good for democracy? NO |
- Restricts choice -Established parties prevent new parties from emerging -Encouraging participation is less important -Specific issues could be ignored due to the prioritising of the bigger issues |
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One-party systems- Advantages & Disadvantages
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+No coalitions +Decisions made easier - Unrepresentative -No opposition -No choice |
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Two-party systems-Advantages & Disadvantages
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+More Choice +Opposition +No coalitions +Single-party government -Inflated promises -Tactical voting -Harder to make decisions -Adversary politics-opposition for the sake of it |
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Dominant-party systems-Advantages & Disadvantages
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+Hapathy -Not representative -Wasted votes - Apathy |
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Multi-party systems- Advantages & Disadvantages
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+Choice + Reflects wishes of the electorate +Less likely to produce extremism +Forces parties to cooperate - Coalitions -Slow (Belgium without a government for 541 days) -No accountability -No mandate |
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The UK Party System: Two-party system
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- Two-party system since 1945 - Labour/Conservative - Labour minority governments of Feb-Oct 1974 and November 1976-79 -Conservative/LibDem Coalition May 2010 -Labour & Conservative have never won less than 87% of seats |
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The UK Party System: How has it changed?
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-No party since 1945, has won more than half the votes - 1951- 6MP's not Labour/Conservative -2010- 85MP's not Labour/Conservative -34.9% non voters-if a party could appeal to them, they would be in with a good chance of winning -Outside Westminster is a multi-party system |
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Labour- Electing a leader
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- Need the backing of 20% of Labour MP's to challenge a sitting leader Backing of 15% if there is no sitting leader -Sitting leader would automatically be on the ballot -One Member One Vote -Candidate with the most votes wins |
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Labour- Party Funding
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- Traditionally from trade unions -94% Labour representation committees affiliated membership was from trade unions -Donations -Members also pay fees |
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Labour-Party Ideology
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- Formed at the start of the 20th Century - Represent the working class -Split into a number of factions that represented different ideologies - Late 1970's-Callaghan took a stance that public sector pay demands had to be resisted -This placed him on the right -Foot's faction favoured wealth demands |
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Labour-Electing Candidates
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- Must be members of the party for 1 year - Training courses to learn how to campaign (Labours Future Candidates Programme) - EU Parliament- selected using a closed regional list -Westminster MPs- selected at Annual Conference partly by NEC and partly by party members -Local councillors- Selected by party members within their local branch of the party |
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Labour- Policy Making
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- Decided using local and regional policy discussions, where party members are invited to discuss party policy both in their area and nationally - Greatly influenced by Labour manifesto, decided by the party and the NEC |
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Labour-Political Spectrum
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- Traditionally left -Great supporter of socialism - Shift from middle left in 60/70's to centre left in the 90's under Blair -Dropping of Clause 4 ( Commitment to owning the means of production and redistribution of wealth) -Under Corbyn, shifting back left (popular with members not the parliamentary party) |
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Liberal Democrats- Electing a Leader
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- Must have support of at least 10% of the parliamentary party and be nominated by no fewer than 200 members from at least 20different local parties - One Member One Vote -STV (losing candidates votes are transferred until one candidate gains a majority - 2007- Nick Clegg defeated Chris Huhne by 511 votes |
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Liberal Democrats- Party Funding
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- Policy Development Grants under Section 2 of PPERA - £30,000 per constituency - £6,212,809 in the 2010 general election |
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Liberal Democrats- Party Ideology
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- Formed in 1988 with the merger of the Liberal and Social Democratic Party - Gang of Four (Jenkins, Owen, Rodgers and Williams) left Labour in 1981 -Formed the SDP, forming an alliance with the Liberals -Paddy Ashdown elected leader |
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Liberal Democrats- Selecting a Candidate
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-Must be vetted by their national party -Can then apply to individual constituencies for selection -Then go forward to a ballot of all constituency party members |
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Liberal Democrats- Policy Making
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-Federal Conference meets annually to discuss issues effecting the whole UK -Supreme policy making body, spends majority of time considering proposals from the Federal Policy Committee, state, regional and local parties |
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Liberal Democrats- Political Spectrum
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-Only party to have moved closer to the centre since 2010 (-17 in May 2010 to -6 in 2014) - Generally left-of centre wing party until 2010 General Election - Average LibDem voter places at -16 (population sits at around -4) -Nick Clegg seen as +10 in 2011 |
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Conservatives- Electing a Leader
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-Introduced by William Hague in 1998 -Iain Duncan Smith was the first leader elected under this system -Once nominations close, a series of ballots is held among Conservative MP's -Lowest placed candidate being eliminated at the end of each round -Individual Party Members are then invited to choose between the 2 surviving candidates |
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Conservatives-Party Funding
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-Said to be bank rolled by wealthy business interests -Receive more from membership subscriptions |
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Conservatives- Party Ideology
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- Emerged from the Tory Party in the 1830's -Rooted in pragmatism -Belief in the gradual improvements founded on experience and existing institutions -Form of collectivist conservatism-favoured pluralism social inclusion, while authority should be centralised -Now referred to as 'one-nation Tories' |
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Conservatives- Selecting Candidates
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- Separating the 'wheat from the chaff' - Parties play a key role in separating genuine contenders from the 'no-hopes' - Cameron trialled A-Lists and then Primaries and Hustings |
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Conservatives- Policy Making
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-2001 manifesto appeared to have been the product of great consultation -Policy forum downgraded under Iain Duncan Smith -2005 manifesto-largely decided upon by leader Michael Howard and advisors |
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Conservatives-Political Spectrum
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-Based in between the centre and right wing
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Methods of Party Funding:
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- Membership subscriptions -Labour= trade unions -Conservatives= Wealthy backers -Reduced after a declining membership -Kinnock, Smith and Blair all attempted to reduce the influence of trade unions -Donations from Bernie Eccleston and Lord Sainsbury for Labour - Sir Paul Getty and Stuart Wheeler for Conservatives |
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Party Funding: The Facts
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- 2010- 49% individuals - 22% companies - 21% trade unions -2009- 60% Conservative income and 50% Labour came from individuals, businesses and trade unions -In 2014 the main political parties accepted the following donations: -Conservatives: £28,930,508 -Labour: £18,747,702 -Liberal Democrats: £8,221,771 -UKIP: £3,847,474; -Causes problems over influence |
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Public Funding
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-'short money' - Given to the opposition parties in House of Commons - 'Cranbourne money'- equivalent in the Lords - Electoral Commission distributes up to £2million a year to eligible parties Benefits received during elections: +Free postage on electoral addresses +Free use of public buildings +Free transmission of their electoral broadcasts (Must pay for production costs) |
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Recent Developments
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- Rise of large individual donations-perception that one could buy political influence -Mohamed Al Fayed claimed to do this with individual Conservative MPs such as Neil Hamilton -Bernie Eccleston-donated £1million to Labour |
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Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act PPERA |
-2000 -£30,000 per constituency -Parties had to declare donations over £5,000to the Electoral Commission -Makes parties less reliant on wealthy individual bankers -Challenged the idea that politics was 'for sale' -led to the 'Loan for Peerages' scandal |
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Political Parties and Elections Act PPEA |
-2009 -Built upon PPERA -Allowed for the appointment of commissioners with more recent expenditure to join the Electoral Commission form 10 to 5 years - Tighter regulations on spending by candidates -Donations over £7,500 must be reported Limited donations over £7,500 to those who could prove they were UK residents for tax purposes |
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The Phillips Report
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-2007 -Greater state funding for UK political parties -Penny per member -Disadvantages those in smaller constituencies |
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The Kelly Report
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-Late 2011 -Political parties should get an extra £23million of taxpayer's money to reduce reliance on 'big money' - £10,000 annual cap on individual donations -Union members should have to approve trade union donations to Labour -Every Westminster vote would be £3 for parties with at least 2MPs in the devolved assemblies -£1.50 a vote in the devolved and European elections |
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Why is party funding an issue?
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-Major parties are in debt -Increasing reliance on donations -Smaller parties disadvantaged -Mired in scandal-'cash for honours' -Attempts to regulate party funding (PPERA)(PPE) -Attempts to control election expenditure (PPERA) |
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KEY DEBATE: Should parties be state funded? FOR |
-Less Corruption -Advantages smaller parties -Less reliance on rich individuals -Would be funded by interest groups -Prioritise representing their constituencies not raising money |
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KEY DEBATE: Should parties be state funded? AGAINST |
-Poorer campaigns-decrease in turnout -Not the state's role to be funding parties -Wouldn't solve the problem-still corruption -Politicians become isolated-good for interests to be involved -Unequal resources -Other sectors of the economy could suffer |
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Labour Party Ideology
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-created at the start of the 20th century -Labour Representation Committee in 1900 -94% of the LRC affiliated membership was from the unions -1900's-still controlled 80% o the votes at party conference -represented working classes -centred on socialism |
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What is socialism?
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-advocates greater equality of and the redistribution of wealth -suspicious of communism -greater government intervention - |
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Revisionist socialism
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looks to improve capitalism
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revolutionary socialism
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aims to abolish capitalism and bring all property into common ownership
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Labour Party Constitution 1918
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*Extension of the franchise to all adult men *coincided with the adoption of the new Labour Party Constitution * Claus 4-clear commitment to public ownership of key industries and the redistribution of wealth |
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Labour factions:
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-Callaghan (1976-79) and those on the right took the view that public sector pay demands had to be resisted -Foot and Benn-favoured greater wealth redistribution |
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The 1979 GE
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-After the 'Winter of Discontent' -Left gain control under Foot -Led Labour into the 1983 GE with one of the most left-wing manifestos- 'the longest suicide note in history' |
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Process of 'outreach'
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-Started under Kinnock->Smith-> Blair -Rewording of Clause 4 -Accuse Blair and other Labour modernisers of abandoning the socialist principles upon which the party was founded |
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Clause 4
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1918- 'common ownership' 1995- 'partnership and cooperation' |
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Triangualtion
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Melding together core Labour party principles and values, with the lessons learnt from Thatcherism-closely associated with New Labour and the notion of a Third Way
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Third Way
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ideological position between conventional socialism and mainstream capitalism
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Old Labour; Characteristics
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*Dogmatic *Working Class *Interventionist *Public Sector Provision *Social Justice * Universal Welfare |
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New Labour: Characteristics
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*Pragmatic *catch-all *market economy * public-private partnership *Social inclusion *Targeted welfare |
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The Party under Brown
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- Greeted with optimism by the liberal left -More progressive programme than Blair -Commitment to social justice -£39bn of new spending during his first 7 weeks *£7.7bn for defense through to 2011 *£15bn for railways *£4bn extra on early years education over3 years * £8bn affordable housing -May 13th 2007-New bill of rights -Constitutional Renewal Bill 2008 -Governance of Britain Green Paper 2007 |
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Conservative Ideology- One-Nation Conservatism
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*Most of the 20th Century *Gradual improvements *Centralised authority *State should care for the neediest *Internationalism *State intervention *Evolution over revolution *Increasing European integration *Universal welfare state |
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Thatcherism:
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-Monetarism -Free market economics and deregulations orthodox conservative approach -End of post-war consensus -Support for the traditional family unit and sexual orientation -Individual over society -Privatisation of publicly owned industries -Limits on the power of trade unions -Limited state intervention in the economy -Smaller state -National sovereignty |
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Monetarism
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Advocates controlling the money supply as a means of keeping inflation in check |
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Post-war consensus
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Broad agreement between Labour and Conservative over domestic and foreign policy that emerged after WW2
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Intra-party squabbles
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-Result of the change in direction from Thatcher-formal challenges to her leadership of the party in 1989 (Meyer in 1989 and Heseltine in 1990) -Conservative leaders whom followed Thatcher often struggled to command the full confidence of the parliamentary party -Due to internal factions and rivalries |
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One Nation Conservatism: Characteristics
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*Pragmatic *Incremental change *Paternalistic *Mixed economy |
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Thatcherism: Characteristics
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*Dogmatic *Radical change *Individualistic *Free-market economy |
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Conservatives under Cameron
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-Leader in 2006 -Recognised the point at which rank and file members saw the need to choose an appealing leader -Shift towards policies that could provide an electoral advantage-the environment -'Detoxifying' the Conservatives -Shift towards the centre -More receptive to policies regarding poverty and social exclusion -Many parallels drawn between Cameron- Osborne and that of Blair-Brown -'New Tories' |
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Cameroons on the Political Spectrum
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Richard Kelly gave 3 perspectives: -Flagrant capitulation to New Labour -Subtle continuation of Thatcherism -Shameless oppourtunism |
