Parties

Political party

A group of people with similar political beliefs who try to implement their ideas by gaining political power.

↳ ran by leaders, represented by MPs, supported by donations / members, form governments, select candidates, represent constituents, inform voters and shape debates.

Political spectrums

• Ways of representing and comparing where poloitical parties stand on various issues, displaying their feelings.

Functions of political parties:

Representation

• Parties in a democracy represent groups of people with shared political beliefs + values - ensuring sections in society have a voice in government decisions.

• Through this, parties allow voters to choose a party that aligns best with their values + their interests are reflected in the governments actions

e.g - Labour → left-wing views

e.g - Greens → climate change

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Evaluation:

• FPTP can limit smaller party representation

• Party discipline can override needs of a constituency

• Many feel unrepresented by Parliament - shown by the declining turnout in recent elections (compared to the 2016 referendum)

Functions of political parties:

Participation

• Parties are encouraged to have the public participate in politics by enabling citizens to vote in elections, stand as candidates, campaign and volunteering in also local and regional elections, referendums + party activities - helping to create a more politically active society.

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Evaluation:

• Only 0.8% of the public (over 18) were registered members of a political party - BUT membership has bene increasing

e.g - Labour party from May 2015 → July 2016 from 190,000 → 515,000

Functions of political parties:

Recruitment and training of politicians

• Parties identity, recruit and train future political leaders by providing opportunities for them to gain experience through public speaking, policy understanding and constituency work.

• This prepares them to be ready to stand for election and the challenges of governance.

• This also ensures they align with the values of the party and their policy goals in order for them to serve effectively when elected.

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Evaluation:

• Suspension can occur if they do not always align with the values of their party - reflecting to the electorate that the party is not willing to negotiate or listen to their candidates.

e.g - 7 MPs suspended in July 2024 from voting against the two-child benefit cap.

Functions of political parties:

Making policies

• Parties create policies based on their ideological views and what they envision for the country.

• They cover a wide range of issues (education, the economy, healthcare, environmental concerns)

• Voters choose a party based on these policies - allowing parties to shape the future of the government if they win power.

Functions of political parties:

Governing

• A party is responsible for governing the country when winning an election.

• They must put their policies (as mentioned in their manifesto) into laws and policies that will impact the daily lives of citizens.

• They must also respond effectively to national emergencies and issues.

e.g - ‘Doctors Mandate’ for Coronavirus Act 2020 - reduced scrutiny.

• They are held accountable for its actions and decisions - being judges by the opposite party and electorate.

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Evaluation:

• If enough members of the governing party disagree with the policy their leady is proposing, it makes it difficult to enact the policy and therefore govern.

e.g - March 2019 - May’s attempted to get her Brexit deal through Parliament - but it was opposed by Eurosceptics from her party.

Functions of political parties:

Informing voters

• Parties must educate and inform voters about key political issues, policies and stakes of elections.

• They explain the benefits of their policies and how they will address national and local concerns.

• They participate in public debates to help voters make the choice of which party to support based on their interests and informed decisions - which is essential to a functioning democracy.

e.g - PMQs being scrutiny between both Labour and Conservative.

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Evaluation:

• Accusations can become theatre-like and less serious - making it difficult for voters to take parties seriously.

Financing rules for parties

Donation reporting - political parties must report donations over £7,500 to the Electoral Commission which publicly publishes these donors.

Source of donations - donations over £500 can only be accepted from ‘permissible donors’ - which include UK-registered companies, trade-unions and individuals on the UK electoral roll.

Spending limits - these are spending limits on political parties during election campaigns. For general elections, parties can spend up to £19.5m in a general election.

Transparency - the Electoral Commission publishes information n donations, loans and party spending to ensure transparency.

Public funding - political parties receive public funding through schemes like Short Money (for opposite parties) and Policy Development Grants.

Ban on foreign donations - political parties cannot accept donations from foreign donors or organisations outside of the UK.

Labour’s donations and funding

• Trade union donations

• Received more donations (£9.5m) compared to all of the parties donations combined in the 2024 election (£5.7m).

• Big business individual donations

• People did not donate to the Conservatives as they knew they would not win.

• Starmer appealed more to businesses as people wanted to support him more with donations.

Arguments for public funding

• Prevents business owners influencing politicians

• Can ensures that all parties get equal representation

Arguments against public funding

• More money may be spent on one party than another - making it harder for other parties to campaign.

• Tax payers money can go to parties that they may not support - private funding and donations ensures the support of a party goes to one they believe in.

• If the money is for parliament to decide which party it should be spent on, the party in power can choose to spend it on themselves - making it unfair.

General power in parties

• Whilst financers can hold power in parties with large donations, they are small compared to the US (for example).

• These donations can sway voters, but in 2024, it likely had little effects compared to current events.

• The leaders are seen to have a lot of power.

e.g - Starmer suspending rebels in his party (two-child benefit cap)

• However, the downfall of May and Truss due to rebels and the 1922 committee indicate otherwise.

• MPs also hold a lot of power.

Conservative party

• The Conservative Party is considered one of the oldest parties in world politics, and one of the most electorally successful.

• Founded in 1834.

• Seeks to represent conservative values of tradition and pragmatism.

• More laissez-faire (free) economically, less government involvement.

• Traditionally middle to upper class base of support, though recent elections have seen this shift.

• Has gone through many peaks and troughs in the last 190 years though following Brexit has now seen a challenge to its right in Reform.

Key principles of conservatism

• Low taxes

• Little public spending

• Not increasing the power of the state over individuals lives - they want individuals to be personally successful.

• Private companies should perform services that people need.

• Pro-capitalist

Core factions within conservatism

One-nation conservatives

• Believes that the social hierarchy should be maintained -> but the rich should help the poor to make a 'one united nation'.

• Policies should be based on the current belief on the time - not the traditions.

• Pose less capitalistic views
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Trad‎itional conservatives

• Protecting the power of the Crown and the interests of landowners 

• Importance on traditions, order and maintaining the currently established hierarchy

• Opposes extending the franchise to the working class

Key figure: Edmund Brooke - opposed the French revolution due to dangers it posed on how it was not in favour of the traditional order in society.

Groupings in the Conservative party

Eurosceptic Conservatives

• Opposed of the idea of staying in the EU.

• Concerns on their advocacy for workers rights.

• Believed the UK had a lack of independence to make their own laws - they wanted national independence.

• Disliked mass immigaration to the UK.

• Concerns on EU’s policies on trade - they could have had better deals with nations outside of the trading block.

e.g - Margaret Thatcher was a Eurosceptic after she left office.

e.g - Boris Johnson - showing support for EU after 2016 referendum + appointing Eurosceptics to every cabinet when he became PM.

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Pro-EU Conservatives

• Believed the UK would be better staying in the EU.

• Believed they had favourable trade policies.

• Believed the single market was good for business and the economy due to a freedom of movement, which led to cheap labour.

e.g - David Cameron campaigning to remain in the referendum but lost

e.g - Boris Johnson expelled 21 members for being pro-EU of his party. 

Conservative party’s current policies

Economy:

• Cut another 2- off of National Insurance by April 2027

• Not raising income tax rates or VAT

• Increase the minimum amount a pensioner can receive before paying tax with the pension triple lock inflation.

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Welfare:

• Raise NHS spending above the inflation every year.

• Recruit 35,0000 more doctors and 92,000 more nurses.

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Law and order:

• Deport asylum seekers that come to the UK to Rwanda to deter illegal channel crossings.

• Introduce a yearly cap on the number of immigration visits.

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of the national income by 2030

1979 - 1990

Thatcherism

What happened in this period?

• Thatcher puts in place free market ideas and shrinks the size of the government (cuts welfare + lowers taxes)

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• Disagreements between one-nation and new right conservatives as most wanted more help for those less fortunate.

How did the party change in this period?

• The New Right formed and they believed in limited government + free markets

1990 - 1997

Post-thatcher

What happened in this period?

• John Major became unpopular as a PM due to winter of discontent and ‘sleaze scandal.

• Tony Blair became more popular due to having more modern marketing and policies

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• Black Wednesday 1992

• ‘Sleaze’ scandal with Major

costed the UK millions of pounds

How did the party change in this period?

• Idea of ‘compassionate conservatism’ was introduced - where the party can be seem as more caring towards society + the electorate.

2010 - 2015

Cameron + coalition

What happened in this period?

• David Camerone as PM

• Coalition between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats

• Focused on economic recovery after the 2008 financial crisis

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• Liberal democrats promising no tuition fees for university students - yet that did not go through

How did the party change in this period?

• Conservatives had shifted to the centre of the political spectrum

• Liberal Democrats became unpopular due to unpromised tuition fees - with it’s leader being Tim Farron now

Brexit

2016 - 2020

What happened in this period?

• The UK was leaving the European Union, with a referendum of 52% Yes and 48% No

• Left on January 31st 2020

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• The risk of jobs and trading businesses with the UK being lost

• Immigration being reduced

• Impact on the Good Friday Agreement for Northern Ireland

How did the party change in this period?

• Left the EU on January 31st 2020

• 3 PM’s during this time - Cameron → May → Johnson

2016 - 2019

May

What happened in this period?

• Became PM after Cameron resigned following the results of the referendum

• Focused on negotiating a deal for the UK to leave the EU

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• Called a general election to strengthen her mandate but lost her parliamentary majority - resulting in a hung parliament which weakened her position

• Her withdrawal agreements for Brexit were rejected multiple times from Parliament

• Eventually resigned

How did the party change in this period?

• Theresa May resigned due to the pressure and inability to deliver Brexit - Boris Johnson became PM after

2019 - 2022

What happened in this period?

• Became PM in December 2019 - having a large majority with strengthened his mandate

• Delivered Brexit on January 31st 2020 - succeeding Theresa May

• Covid-19 - managed a national response

What factions / disagreements emerged?

• Party gate - lockdown gatherings

• Cronyism - he had appointed friends and associates to positions of power (e.g - appointed his university friend to the Committee of Standards)

How did the party change in this period?

• Johnson resigned in 2022 → Liz Truss

The Labour Party

• Founded in 1900