internal party democracy

when was the conservative party system introduced?

1998

which conservative MP's may stand for party leader?

those who take the party whip and have been nominated and seconded by fellow conservative MP's

what happens once nominations close for conservative party leader?

a series of ballots are held among conservative MP's, with the lowest places candidate being eliminated at the end of each round

what happens after the series of ballots in the conservative party system?

individual party members are invited to choose between the two surviving candidates in a run-off election conducted by a postal ballot

what does the conservative party system ensure?

MP's exercise considerable control over their choice of lesder

what triggered the 2019 conservative leadership election?

the resignation of PM Theresa May

which candidates were the ballots reduced to in the 2019 conservative leadership election?

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt

what percentage of party members elected Boris Johnson as PM in the 2019 conservative leadership election?

66%

which PM was elected after Boris Johnson in 2022 through the same conservative leadership election?

Liz Truss

who was Truss' rival candidate in the 2022 conservative leadership election?

Rishi Sunak

what percentage of party members elected Liz Truss as PM in the 2022 conservative leadership election?

57%

what was the reform system introduced to avoid another long leadership race after Truss' resignation?

potential candidates now only needed to be nominated by atleast 100 MP's

which two candidates put their name forwards for the reformed conservative system after Truss' resignation?

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt

how did Sunak win the conservative nomination?

rival Penny Mordaunt withdrawed after failing to win the support of 100 MP's

when did Rishi Sunak resign as leader of the conservatives?

after the defeat of the conservatives in the 2024 general election

which system was used for the 2024 conservative leadership election?

the original system established in 1998

who were the two final candidates in the 2024 conservative leadership election?

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick

what percentage of party members elected Kemi Badenoch as conservative leader?

57%

how was Badenoch's victory of becoming conservative leader historic?

she became the first black leaded of a major UK party

how did the labour party change the way it elects its leaders?

following the proposals of the 2014 Collins report

what system does the labour party now use?

candidates are elected by party members and affiliated supporters who each have one vote, all weighted equally

what do labour candidates need to be nominated by in order to stand?

at least 15% of the parliamentary labour party

what system is the vote held under in labour leadership elections?

the alternative vote system, ensuring the winning candidate achieves an overall majority

how does the labour leadership election compare to the conservative leadership election?

labour's system is more democratic though labour MP's have little control over who is chosen to become their leader

what was the 2015 labour party leadership election triggered by?

the resignation of Ed Miliband which followed the party's defeat in the general election

which candidates were nominated to stand in the 2015 labour leadership election?

Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn, and Liz Kendall

what did former PM's Brown and Blair warn about support for Corbyn in the 2015 labour leadership election?

a Corbyn leadership would leave the party unelectable

what percentage of party members elected Corbyn as party leader in the 2015 labour leadership election?

59.5%

why did Jeremy Corbyn decide to stand down as labour leader in 2019?

after labours defeat in the 2019 general election

who were Keir Starmer's rivals in the 2019 labour leadership election?

Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy

what percentage of party members elected Keir Starmer in the 2019 labour leadership election?

56.2%

why is reform UK not considered to be internally democratic?

it is structured as a private company rather than a member run association, meaning power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of directors

what percentage of share in the company does Farage hold in reform UK?

a majority of 53%

what did Farage announce about reform UK in 2025?

he had handed ownership to its members and the party had become a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee

what do critics argue about Farage's announcement about reform UK in 2025?

the concentration of power has not altered and the voting rights of members in this new structure is determined by the company's articles

what is deselection?

when a political party removes an MP or candidate from standing for election under the party

how is the labour party organised at a local level?

each constituency has a constituency labour party, with CLP taking the lead in local and national election campaigns

how is the labour party organised at a national level?

day to day running is undertaken by the national executive committee, forcing party discipline and has the final say over parliamentary candidates, with policy making as a role of the national policy forum

how is the conservative party organised at a local level?

though local conservative associations organising the roots of the party, planning local campaigns and selecting candidates

how is the conservative party organised at a national level?

day to day running by the conservative campaign headquarters made up of representatives, with the conservative party forum enabling participation in policy making