Political parties

What are features of UK political parties?

Since the civil war, politics has developed according to a party system. Political parties comprise members that share similar political ideologies, with faction emphasising different elements.

An example of parties sharing similar ideologies.

Conservatives favour as small a state and as low taxation as possible.

An example of a party faction emphasising a different part of an ideology.

Momentum - the left wing of the labour party - strongly favours nationalisation and uses the language of class conflict.

Define ‘adversary politics’.

A term used to describe a period when there are vast ideological differences between the 2 main parties.

Michael Foot and Margaret Thatcher over the free market,1980s.

Define ‘consensus politics’.

A term used when the 2 main parties are so ideologically similar that their policies are very similar.

Tony Blair w/ the free market

What are the functions of political parties?

• Selecting candidates

• Providing the personnel of government

• Electing a leader

• Policy formation (the manifesto)

• Mobilising consent for a government

• Campaigning

• Representation

An example of an MP not being allowed to rerun for parliament.

In 2022, Labour MP Sam Tarry, was deselected by the Ilford South constituency after being sacked as shadow minister by Starmer.

An example of parties providing the personnel of government.

In 2010, the membership of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties provided the membership of a coalition government.

Results of the 2022 party membership leader vote?

57% voted for Liz Truss

43% voted for Rishi Sunak

An example of party members being side stepped in leadership elections.

In 2016, Andrea Leadsom withdrew from the contest, ensuring that Theresa May became Conservative leader.

How does the Labour party develop manifesto policies?

By consulting with party members through a National Party Forum.

How many people in the 2019 general election felt represented?

75.7%

Conservative party - 43.6%

Labour party - 32.1%

How are political parties funded?

They have always relied on a great deal of public funding, although they have limited access to public funds to subsidise policy development and parliamentary scrutiny.

What do policy development grants do?

Allocate £2 million to all the main parties so that they can employ advisors.

Explain short money.

It is allocated to the opposition parties for their work in the House of Commons based on the number of seats they have. The leader of the opposition is also funded almost £800,000 for the running of their office.

What does Cranborne money do?

Subsidises the work of scrutiny carried out by the opposition parties in the House of Lords.

Percentages of funding each party received in the 2019 general election.

• Conservative - 63%

• Labour - 17.5% (93% trade unions)

• Brexit - 13.5%

• Liberal Democrats - 4.1%

• Green - 0.8%

What did the 2007 Phillips report conclude?

There was a strong case for political parties to be primarily funded through taxation and for a limit of £50,000 to be put on donations from individuals and organisations.

These recommendations have not been acted on.

What are the origins of the conservative party?

The English Civil War. Royalist supporters resisted giving Parliament greater influence. They sided with the status quo against the fear of violence that sudden change can release.

What was traditional conservatisms goal?

It was aware of humanity’s potential for ‘mob rule’ and wanted to resist radical changes to the British constitution.

What was Toryism the party of in the nineteenth century?

• Property

• Pragmatism

• Authoritarianism

• Tradition

• Stability

One Nation Conservatism.

Disraeli’s ‘one nation’ sentiments helped the conservative party to reach out to the working class. He went on to support extensive social reform and transformed the conservative party into the most successful modern vote winning political party and the main governing party for most of the 20th century.

The New Right.

By the ‘70s, one nation was being challenged by industrialisation. The notion that the party could unite all social classes was undermined by trade unions demands for higher wages and fairer working conditions.

Quickly became associated with Thatcherite conservatism.

It was an interesting combination of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism.

What did the New Right believe the government should do?

• Keep taxation to a minimum to provide people with greater opportunities to take financial control of their lives,

• Reduce inflation and interest rates to encourage investment.

• Discourage a ‘dependency culture’ based on a too extensive welfare state.

• Limit the influence of trade unions since they disrupt the smooth operation of the free market by demanding excessive pay claims.

How does the New Right believe that state should encourage social stability and security?

• Discouraging permissive and alternative lifestyles that threaten the traditional family unit as the basis for social harmony.

• Giving the government extensive powers to fight crime and disorder.

• Protecting the national interest by pursuing a strong defense policy.

• Emphasising the nation state as the ultimate source of the citizen’s security.

How do modern day conservatives view the economy?

They are in a period of transition over how they prioritise encouraging growth, protecting families, and balancing the budget.

How have the last 3 Conservative PMs dealt with the economy?

Johnson - Committed to high public spending to ‘level up’ society, similar to MacMillan’s govt.

Truss - Mini budget, tax cutting.

Sunak - Higher taxes and public spending cuts, similar to Thatcher’s govt.

In 2021, what % of the economy was public spending?

42%.

How do modern day conservatives view welfare?

Support the NHS however, the Universal credit system is based on the principle that the more you earn, the less benefits you recieve, suggesting an anti-dependency approach, similar to Thatcherism.

How do modern day conservatives view law and order?

Strict enforcement of law and order.

How do modern day conservatives view foreign policy?

Committed to a strong national defence policy designed to protect British interests and demonstrate the UK’s continued military outreach.

How will the conservatives tackle the cost of living in their 2024 manifesto?

• Providing a £94 billion cost of living support package.

• Extending the energy price guarantee, keeping typical bills to £2,500.

• Cutting national insurance contributions by 1.25%.

• Raising the national living wage by £1,600.

• Pensions triple lock protected.

How will the conservatives keep our streets safe in their 2024 manifesto?

• Recruit 20,0000 new police officers.

• Backing police budgets with £27 billion.

• Protecting front-line emergency workers.

• Introduction of violence reduction units and ‘hotspot policing’.

• £796 million for police and crime commissioners.

How will the conservatives boost the NHS in their 2024 manifesto?

• Increase funding to £192 billion per year, for 3 years.

• £3.7 billion on a hospital building programmer.

• Cutting covid-19 backlogs.

• Recruiting more doctors and nurses.

• Reforming health and social care.

How will the conservatives achieve world-class education in their 2024 manifesto?

• Education funding boosted by £14.4 billion over 3 years.

• Helping schools with rising costs by boosting school budgets by £4 billion over 2 years.

• Tripling investment in SEN infrastructure.

• Education investment areas and a new levelling up premium.

• Education recovery plan worth £5 billion.

How did the labour party originate?

It was established in 1900 to represent the working class, it combined ideas of social democracy and democratic socialism with the principle of collectivism at its core.

How did traditional labour governments seek to create a more just and inclusive society?

• Nationalisation of key industries.

• Redistributive taxation.

• Supporting an extensive welfare state.

• Fostering close links with trade unions.

Which labour government was the high point of democratic socialism?

Clement Atlee’s (1945 - 51)

Origins of new labour?

Post the election of Foot as leader in 1980, the party moved decisively to the left.

What did Labours 1983 manifesto entail?

• Further nationalisation.

• Increased taxation of the wealthiest in society.

• EEC withdrawal.

• Unilateral nuclear disarmament.

What was Blair influenced by?

Giddens’ ‘third way’ principles.

What did the ‘third way’ entail?

Comprised socialism and capitalism. Focus should be on the establishment of a ‘stakeholder society’ based on inclusion and communitarianism. They should encourage wealth creation rather than redistribution. Social justice within a prosperous capitalist economy.

How does modern day labour view the economy?

Since landslide defeat in 2019, they have adopted a centrist approach, abandoning the nationalisation of energy firms, whilst still wanting higher tax.

How does modern day labour view welfare?

• Committed to NHS.

• Abolition of universal credit.

• Removing charitable status of independent schools to channel those funds into the public sector.

• Removal of tuition fees.

How does modern day labour view law and order?

Increase number of police on streets and focus on preventing crimes against women and girls.

Starmer’s quote about law and order.

The fight against crime will always be a labour issue.

How does modern day labour view foreign policy?

Support for the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent. Policy is assertive and interventionist.

What are labour’s 5 missions in 2024?

• Get Britain building again

• Switch on Great British energy

• Get the NHS back on its feet

• Take back our streets

• Break down barriers to opportunity.

How did the liberal-democrats originate?

Established in 1988 and is the newest UK party but its origins go back to the 1850s when whigs and radicals who supported the reformation of parliament split from the conservative party, and came together on the issue of free trade.

What did classical liberal democrats advocate for?

• Free trade

• Lower taxation

• Balanced budgets

• Parliamentary and administrative reform

• A more moral approach to foreign policy

How were the liberal democrats established?

The rise of the labour party in the 1900s declined support for the liberal party. In the 1980s, the liberal party entered an electoral pact with former labour MPs who had established the social democrat party. They campaigned as an alliance and fought the ‘83 and ‘87 elections, merging in ‘88.

How do modern day lib-dems view the economy?

Increase income tax by 1p, raising £7 billion to be put into the NHS, whilst investing £150 billion on green infrastructure.

How do modern day lib-dems view welfare?

Commitment to social justice, restore university maintenance grant and provide free child care.

How do modern day lib-dems view law and order?

Preventative approach, community policing, cannabis legalisation.

How do modern day lib-dems view foreign policy?

Strong relationship with the EU, moral commitment to overseas aid, independent nuclear deterrent and NATO membership.

Importance of Caroline Lucas for the Green party?

She won Brighton Pavilion in 2010 with 31.1%. In 2019, her vote share increased to 57.2%.

What is the Greens national vote share?

3.6%

How has the green party been able to influence elections?

By not standing in seat where they have significant support to increase the vote shares of other parties.

Examples of the greens impacting elections by not standing.

• 2017, they didn’t contest Ealing Central and Acton, boosting support for labour and the tories expense.

• 2019, they didn’t contest North East Fife and Angus, swinging the seats to the Lib Dems and SNP and the tories expense.

How have the greens gained greater influence in the Scottish parliament?

Through the AMS system.

Example of the greens having influence in Scottish parliament.

In 2021, they won 8 seats. The SNP were 1 seat short of a majority so entered into a confidence and supply agreement with the Green party.

How has the green party influenced british politics?

By increasing environmental awareness, encouraging the main parties to put environmental protection in their manifestos.

An example of the Green’s influence on british politics.

In 2019, there was cross party support when parliament declared a climate emergency.

How did the DUP originate?

It was founder by Reverend Ian Paisley in 1971 with its priority being to keep northern ireland as a part of the UK. They have strong links with the free presbyterian church.

Why has the DUP had little manifesto impact?

Due to their strong conservatism and intense protestantism.

When did the DUP become the largest unionist party in Westminster?

2005

What happened between the DUP and Sinn Fein in 2007?

Ian Paisley finally agreed to power sharing, pivotal in the NI peace process.

An example of Sinn Fein and the DUP having a difficult relationship.

Between 2017 and 2020, Stormont was suspended when Sinn Fein withdrew from government, showing the limited government cooperation.

A negative of the DUP having a strong Westminster presence.

Their influence is disproportionate to the national vote.

An example of the DUP’s influence being disproportionate to the national vote.

In 2017, they won 10 seats in Westminster but became indispensable for the conservatives to reach 326 seats.

An example of the DUP having a strong Westminster presence.

They entered a confidence-and-supply agreement with May’s government for £1 billion funding in NI, and veto over May’s Brexit legislation.

Explain the political barriers for smaller parties.

• 2 party system

• The political duopoly has been caused by class based voting.

• Periods of 1 party dominance.

• FPTP limits representation.

• A lack of funding.

• A belief that votes for them are wasted.

An example of a period of 1 party dominance.

Conservatives, ‘79 - ‘ 92.

Explain the erosion of 2-party dominance.

It was first challenged in the ‘80s when the SDP was created and aligned with Lib Dems (SDP-Liberal alliance). The growing partisan dealignment and issue voting has aided the decline of Westminster duopoly. Critics argue that we have a 2 and a half party system.

Examples of smaller parties challenging the westminster duopoly.

• Increased Lib-Dem power during coalition (decreased since 2015).

• The SNP breakthrough in 2015 with 50% of the vote share in Scotland.

What factors contribute to the success or failure of a political party?

• Popularity and image of leader.

• Relationship with the media.

• Record in government.

• Record in opposition.

• Funding and organisation.

• Candidate and campaign choice.

• Policy statements.

• Impact of relevant referendums.

An example of leader popularity and image.

In the 2019 GE, Johnson created a clear image of himself with the slogan ‘Get Brexit Done’,

An example of a positive relationship with the media leading to success.

In 2010, the media created the term ‘Cleggmania’ increasing Nick Clegg’s image, leading to the coalition.

An example of a negative relationship with the media harming politicians.

In 2019, Corbyn failed to dismiss anti-semitism allegations in a TV interview, harming his political position.

An example of a leader having a reputation for governing competence.

Thatcher won 2 landslide victories in ‘83 and ‘87 because she transformed the economy.

An example of a leader having a reputation as incompetent.

Callaghan after the ‘winter of discontent’

An example of a good record in opposition.

In 2022, Starmer attacked Truss’ and Johnson’s competence.

An example of funding not helping parties succeed.

In the ‘97, ‘01, and ‘05 elections, New Labour beat the Conservative party with less funding.