Party division essay - Lab or Con?

Introduction

• Labour and Cons most divided parties in recent politics

• Some say labour is more ideologically divided, more issues on leadership, and disparities on policies.

• However, same can be said for conservatives

• It is more reasonable to argue that in recent years, the conservatives have become more divided

Paragraph 1 - Ideological divisions - Labour

Point: Labour is more divided due to historically containing two entrenched ideological factions:

• AO1: Hard left democratic socialists (Corbynites), soft left social democrats (Blairites)

• AO1: 2016 — 172 Labour MPd No Confidence vote on Corbyn

• Disputes over public ownership reflect deeper identity disagreements

• AO2: Divisions are structural, not situational

• AO2: Represents two competing visions of labour: revolutionary versus electoral pragmatism

• AO2: Makes unity hard to sustain even when in opposition (RAYNER IN CABINET)

• AO3: This shows long-term, deeply ingrained ideological fragmentation

Paragraph 1 - Ideological divisions - Cons

Cons are arguably just as divided also due to entrenched ideological blocs

• AO1: Cons split into ERG, ONC, Libertarian-Trussite, New Conservatives

• 2019 — 21 Conservative MPs were expelled for opposing Johnson’s Brexit strategy

• AO2: Brexit created an unprecedented ideological rift still present post-leaving, based on sovereignty and economic alignment

• AO2: Expulsions show the leadership was forced to purge ideological opposition to survive

• AO3: Labour’s idelogical divisions are long standing

• AO3: Conservatives are modern, but have caused more trouble, therfore cons more idelogically divided.

Paragraph 2 - Leadership contention - Lab

Labour is more divided over their leadership

• AO1: Starmers leadership has involved many confrontations

  • Removal of Corbyn’s whip

  • NEC rule changes to restrict activist influence

  • Disciplinary actions against prominent left MPs — Sultana and Abbott

• AO1: Corbyn’s tenure saw mass frontbench resignations

• AO1: Blair and Brown tensions over Granita Deal

• AO2: Leadership battles reflect deeper disagreements over ideological purity and electability

• AO2: Tensions between grassroots activists and MPs create constant friciton

• AO2: Leadership contests become proxy wars for factional control over future of the party

• AO3: Labours frequent leadership battles suggest persistent issues of authority.

Paragraph 2 - leadership contention - Cons

Cons undoubtedly way more divided than Labour

• AO1: Since 2010, had Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, Badenoch

  • May was forced out after repeated rebellion

  • Johnson pushed out over partygate and collapsing party loyalty

  • Truss removed after 44 day premiership due to financial turmoil

  • Sunak also faced leadership plots

• AO2: Demonstrated a total breakdown of party discipline

• AO2: Tory MPs have shown willingness to destabilise own government in favour to protect electoral interests

• AO2: Goes beyond factional disagreement and becomes are governability crisis

• AO3: Labour disputes on leadership are more long term

• AO3: Conservative disputes on leadership are more frequent, publicly damaging, and collapsing of governments

• THUS, CONS MORE DIVIDED ON LEADERSHIP

Pararaph 3 - Policy divisons - Lab

Labour more divided on policy direction due

• AO1: Fervent issues on Trident, NATO, foreign interventions (Corbyn voted against interventions 11 times)

• AO1: Economic differences: Corbyn—McDonnell agenda vs Starmer—Reeves fiscal conservatism

• AO1: Internal disputes over anti-semitism and Middle East policy

• AO2: Labours left and right hold fundamentally different moral and economic frameworks

• Creates ongoing conflict on identity

• AO3: Labours broad policy spectrum fuels signifcant disagreements on policy

Paragraph 3 - policy divions - Cons

Cons more divided due to theirs being public

• AO1: Brexit — repeated Conservative rebellions defeated May’s withdrawal agreements

• AO1: 2022 Mini budget crsis exposed deep rifts over taxation

• AO2: Conservative policy splits have directly destabilised financial markets,collapsed PMs, and created years of legislative gridlock

  • AO2: Tory policy divides span economic, cultural, and foreign policy zones

• AO3; Labours disagreements have been serious but often outside government

• AO3: Cons policy divisions have been more public, damaging, and consequential

• Conservatives greater divison