Studied by 4 people
What democratic system is used in the UK?
Representative and pluralist.
How many homeless people were registered to vote in 2018?
2%
Describe outsider groups.
These groups don’t possess access to political decision making and may be unprepared to work within existing political structures that they see as compromised.
Example of outsider groups.
Extinction Rebellion
3 examples of pressure groups that continue to impact UK politics?
BMA
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
National Farmer’’ Union (NFU)
Views on votes for prisoners?
Pressure groups like ‘liberty’ and the ‘Howard League for Penal reform’ support this heavily, however, there has been little public pressure to support it.
Describe promotional groups.
Groups that promote a particular issue. Members can be drawn from across society.
Examples of promotional groups.
Friends of the Earth
Liberty
Describe insider groups.
These groups have privileged access to government decision making.
Example of insider groups.
British Medical Association (BMA)
The Howard League
What factors impact a pressure groups success?
Insider status
Wealth
Celebrity leadership
Social media
Direct action
Why is insider status helpful for pressure groups to be successful?
If political decision makers consider consulting pressure groups to their advantage, the group’s influence is guaranteed.
Whether a group can claim insider status can also be determined by political circumstances, like Jack Jones in the ‘70s.
How does wealth impact a pressure groups success?
It allows groups more resources and increases their voice on the inside.
What is ‘Direct Action’?
Civil Disobedience.
Explain the rise of the SNP.
Established in 1934.
1967, won their first parliamentary seat at the Hamilton by-election.
1974, 11 MPs won seats in the Hoc, the highest amount until 2015.
2015, 56 out of the 59 Scottish seats were won by the SNP.
2017, 35 seats won.
2019, 48 seats won.
How effectively are civil liberties protected in the UK?
The HRA provided judges with more power in protecting civil liberties but as the UK has an uncodified constitution, the HRA can be suspended or repealed by Parliament. Parliament remains the supreme law-making body and can enact legislation that conflicts with the ECHR.
An example of Parliament infringing on civil liberties.
Blair’s government accepted the release of Belmarsh detainees because of a High Court ruling. They quickly introduced legislation to keep them under close surveillance.
When was the Magna Carta?
1215.
What did the Magna Carta do?
It provided a foundation for British civil liberties by stating that the law should be impartial and that no free man should be convicted for a crime without a fair trial.
Example of the vote at 16 movement.
‘Votes at 16’ coalition forming in 2003.
16+ could vote in the 2014 IndyRef.
16+ can votes in elections in Scotland and Wales.
Election turnout in 1970?
72%
Election turnout in 2001?
59.4%
Election turnout in 2019?
67.3%
What are the cons of direct democracy?
Referendums simplify complicated questions to ‘yes’/’no’. (Brexit)
It challenges the Burkean principle.
The public may not be politically informed.
What are Think-tanks?
A group established to generate ideas. Political parties work closely with like-minded think-tanks to develop policy.
When was the Somerset v Stewart case?
1772
What did the Somerset v Stewart case do?
Lord Mansfield stated that slavery in the UK was illegal as it hadn’t been legislated by an act of parliament and it was unsupported by common law. This case set the precedent for elimination slavery in the UK.
An example of an MP having a second job.
Sir Geoffrey Cox with his legal work.
What elements of direct democracy are used in the UK?
Referendums
E-petitions
Consultative exercises
Open primaries
Election of the leadership of political parties.
Recall of MPs act (2015)
How were civil liberties granted pre HRA?
Specific statute and case law.
What did the 1928 further representation of the people act do?
Gave the vote to all men and women over the age of 21, allowing universal suffrage.
An example of MPs not representing the UK population.
2016 EU referendum
52% of the public voted to leave.
74% of MPs voted to remain.
What was the distribution of all party donations in the 2019 election?
Conservatives - 63%
Labour - 17.5%
Brexit - 13.5%
Liberal Democrats - 4.1%
Green - 0.8%
What did the 1969 representation of the people act do?
It lowered the voting age to 18 in recognition of the new opportunities for and responsibilities of young people.
What are the types of pressure groups?
Sectional/interest
Cause/promotional
Insider
Outsider
What are sectional groups?
Groups that represent the interests of a particular group within society. They lobby government on behalf of these groups.
Example of sectional groups?
Muslim Council of Britain.
National Union of Students (NUS).
Explain the balance between collective and individual rights.
There is tension between the 2, so the government needs to balance both. Civil liberties groups argue that this balance has shifted too far towards collective rights, leading to the erosion of individual civil liberties. Supporters of the HRA therefore argue that it is vital in ensuring the protection of our individual rights.
When was the freedom of information act?
2000 but cam into force in 2005.
What did the the freedom of information act do?
It established a ‘right of access’ to information held by public bodies, on the grounds that it doesn’t compromise national security. The 2009 MPs expenses scandal was exposed due to journalists demanding access to information through this act.
What are the cons of a representative democracy?
MPs arguably represent a metropolitan elite and don’t uphold the traditional values of the UK, leading to voter disengagement.
MPs can have outside interests and second jobs if they are declared.
FPTP is unrepresentative with labour and the conservatives domination.
Explain the features of political parties.
Since the Civil War, British politics has developed according to a party system. Political parties comprise members that share similar political ideologies with factions emphasising different elements of the ideologies.
What are the pros of a representative democracy?
It consists of professional politicians, meaning educated decisions are made.
They balance conflicting interests, ensuring the protection of rights, especially of minority groups.
It upholds the principle of accountability.
What money does the opposition party get?
Short money is allocated to the opposition parties, based on the number of seats they have in the HoC.
The opposition leader is funded almost £800,000 for scrutiny.
What money does the HoL get?
Cranborne money.
An example of adversary politics.
In the early 1980s, the socialism of the labour leader, Michael Foor, was fundamentally at odds with the free-market reforms of Thatcher.
What are consensus politics?
A period when the 2 main parties are so ideologically similar that their policies are very similar.
An example of consensus politics.
Blair embraced traditionally conservative principles such as the free-market and low taxation.
An example of a party and their ideology.
Conservatives and low taxes.
An example of a party faction emphasising an element of an ideology.
The labour faction ‘Momentum’ favours nationalisation.
What are adversary politics?
A period when there are vast ideological differences between the 2 main parties.
What are the functions of political parties?
Selecting candidates.
Providing the government with personnel.
Creating a manifesto.
Electing a leader.
Campaigning.
Representation.
Mobilising consent for government.
How are general election candidates selected?
The candidate must be a party member.
They must go through a national selection process.
They apply to a constituency party.
The constituency council decide if they should run.
An example of an MP not being allowed to rerun.
In 2022, the labour MP, Sam Terry, was deselected by the Ilford South constituency.
An example of parties providing personnel for government.
In 2010, the conservatives and lib-dems provided membership for a coalition government.
How does labour create manifestos?
Through consulting with party members through a Nation Policy Forum.
Results from the 2022 conservative party leadership election.
Truss - 57%
Sunak - 43%
In 2019, what % of voters felt represented.
75.7%
How are parties funded?
Heavily rely on private donations.
Limited access to public funds (highly controversial).
Explain policy development grants.
£2 million is allocated to main parties.
Why are some pressure groups more successful than others?
Resources
Ideological compatibility with the government.
Popularity
Expertise
An example of a successful pressure group campaign.
Marcus Rashford and free school meals.
Children were deprived of free school meals during the 2020 covid lockdown, adding a financial burden to many low income families. Rashford used celebrity status and worked closely with Fareshare to provide meals. He used his twitter account to advertise businesses offering free school meals. He generated publicity and used an E-petition which 1.1 million people signed. Tory MPs criticised the prime minister. Then, a £120 million ‘Covid summer food fund’ and a £170 million ‘Covid winter grant scheme’ were created.
An example of a pressure group failure?
Stop HS2
Established in 2010 to stop the build of a high speed rail link between Birmingham and London. They organised many demonstrations and gained cross-party support from many MPs. The conservatives, labours, and lib-dems all supported the build. In 2013, a vote was held, the result was 399 to 42 in favour of the build. In 2020, 155,253 people signed an E-petition but strong parliamentary support meant that it can’t be scrapped.
When was the HRA?
1998 but came into force in 2000.
What did the HRA do?
The UK was fully involved in drafting the ECHR in 1950 but didn’t think it applied to the UK courts. The HRA brough the ECHR into British law, clearly establishing the positive rights that we are equally eligible for.
What did the 1918 representation of the people act do?
All men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30 who met land requirements could vote.
An example of the government prioritising collective rights.
The 2010 supreme court decision of offering asylum to claimants in same-sex marraiges.
What has happened with civil liberties since 1997?
Tony Blair gained prime ministerial power in 1997. He put greater emphasis on the codification of positive rights.
What are suggested reforms of UK democracy?
People’s referendums
E-petitions
Power of recall
Further devolution
HoL reform
Digital democracy
Compulsory voting
Electoral system reform.
What are the pros of a direct democracy?
Engages the public.
It makes politicians responsive to their constituents.
It encourages political education.
It informs representatives of the public’s political attitudes.
When was the equality act?
2010.
What did the equality act do?
It was the first act that established equality before the law for all citizens. It made discrimination illegal in 9 areas:
Disability
Gender reassignment
Sex
Sexual orientation
Race
Religion/belief
Pregnancy/maternity.
What did the 2000 political parties, elections, and referendums act state?
An independent electoral commission was established to record and make public how much political parties are funded.
The amount a party can spend in a constituency during an election is limited to £30k.
Parties must register large-scale donations (over £7,500) with the electoral commision and must not accept donation from non-uk citizens.
Differences in national and 2019 parliament demographics?
Demographic | Parliament | Nation |
|---|---|---|
Female | 34% | 51% |
Minority ethnic | 10% | 14% |
LGBTQ+ | 7% | 2.7% (est) |
Privately educated | 29% | 7% |
How many MPs does Westminster have?
650
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