political parties

what is a political party?

a group of people organised to acquire political power at a national/local level

ideology

coherent set of values/ideas that help to explain the world/political action

shared by party members

manifesto

detailed statement of actions/programmes that a political party would like to put in place if successful in next election

mandate

instruction/command that gives authority to person/body to act in a particular way; mandate gives legitimacy to politicians

left wing

optimistic views on human nature, the state can be used to deliver social change, liberty, equality, and state intervention in the economy

right wing

pessimistic views on human nature, favour authority and free markets

policy formulation

• parties provide mechanism to formulate policies/offer voters choice

• not enough difference between party policy to give voters real choice

recruitment of leaders

• parties select candidates to contest elections/train future leaders

• popularity > competence

• party leaders switched from MPs → party members (2% of pop)

organisation of government

• parties are necessary for stability/efficacy in gov

• provide source of opposition

• decline of party unity has increased instability

participation/mobilisation

• parties help educate/mobilise electorate to ensure wider participation

• falling voter turnout, party identification and party membership show failure of parties

partisan dealignment

individuals no longer identify with a certain party for long periods of time

representation

• parties link people + govt.

• parties have become catch-all parties → pressure groups have taken over this role

catch-all party

policies appeal to widest range of voters rather than specific/extreme ideologies

linear left-right model L→R

anarchism, socialism, liberalism, conservatism, fascism

left wing views

• nationalisation

• redistribution of wealth

• state intervention

• tolerance for alternative lifestyles

right wing views

• free market

• privatisation

• capitalism

• low taxation

• tradition

• strong law/order

authoritarian

strong central power, limited political freedoms

libertarian

maximise autonomy, freedom of choice

how are parties funded?

• individuals (wealthy donors / general public)

• businesses

• trade unions

• state (short / cranborne money)

which party raised the most money in 2019 election?

• conservatives

• mainly from individuals (£13 mill)

• total = £19 mill = 60% more than other parties

conservative spending 2019

• 2017 = spent more than lib dems / labour combined

• 2019 = £6 mill on mail campaign, more than Lab raised for their whole campaign

brexit party funding 2019

• raised £4 mill (all from individuals)

• didn’t gain a single seat

short money

money given to opposition parties in HOC to help with Parliamentary duties

cranborne money

money given to 2 largest opposition parties in HOL

electoral commission

£2m from UK Parliament to allocate to parties with at least 2 sitting MPs

membership fees

membership subscriptions, in decline for Tories, surge for Labour, SNP and Greens since 2015

2006 Cash for Honours Scandal

• PM Blair appointed many Life Peers to the Lords due to their loans to the party

• Loans bypass public declaration so Labour can accept money off the record

Lord Ashcroft

• PM Johnson gave his medical company £350 mill contract during COVID

• Large donor = cronyism / elitism?

• large donors = disproportionate influence / access

Lord Alli

• TV exec, gifts to starmer → clothes / accomodation

• given temporary security pass to downing street in return

political parties, elections and referendums act (2000)

• created an independent Electoral Commission to regulate political parties and their funding arrangements

• submit statements of their accounts on a regular basis / banned receipt of funds from foreign or anonymous donors

arguments for state funding

• reduce parties’ dependence on vested interests = more responsive to voters

• allocated more fairly, agreed measure of parties’ popularity/engagement = level playing field

• current regulatory framework is inadequate - PPERA not enough

arguments against state funding

• weakens parties links to larger society - need to reach out to secure donations

• bias in favour of existing parties

• public do not like idea of funding parties they don’t support especially in cost of living crisis

• minor parties are able to perform well without reforms (brexit party successful fundraising 3rd highest in 2019)

• funding doesn’t always mean better performance → SNP = 48 more seats than brexit party with only 5% of funding

confidence and supply agreement

• agreement between governing party and a smaller party to support govt in confidence / budget votes in return for funding

• 2017 = extra £1 bn for NI infrastructure spending

traditional conservatism

• C18 anti-French/American Revolution

• C19 anti-socialist

• industrialisation = ‘change to conserve’

one-nation conservatism

• paternalistic

• heal divisions in society

• economic / social state intervention

• favours cooperation w/interntional bodies (EU)

• disraeli

paternalism

rich have responsibility to help poor, deemed as unable to make informed decisions, fathers for sons

post war one nation conservatism

• welfare state

• trade unions

• preservation of traditions

• macmillan

• pragmatic > ideological

new-right/thatcherism/neo-liberalism

• 1970-80s

• free market / small state

• privatisation / deregulation

• authoritarian

• traditional

• eurosceptic

section 28

could not teach about same-sex relations in schools

cameron (2010)

• 2013 same-sex marriage

• global economic crisis → austerity

johnson (2019) = one nation + thatcherite

1N:

• more public spending (HS2, NHS)

• increase in national insurance

• COVID → £70 billion furlough scheme / increased welfare payments £20

THATCHERITE:

• tough on immigration / deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda

• brexit

sunak = thatcherite

• blocked gender recognition reform (scotland) bill

• public order act (2023) / rwanda bill

• BUT … maintained 45% income tax / increased corp tax to 25%

nationalisation

extension of state control over economy through transfer of industries

old labour (social democracy)

nationalisation, redistribution of wealth, improving welfare state

hard left

• significant state intervention

• high taxation

• full nationalisation

• non-interventionist foreign policy

soft left

• state regulation

• progressive taxation

• some nationalisation

• some foreign military intervention

social justice

distribution of wealth w/aims to decrease material inequalities

progressive taxation

introducing higher tax rates for those w/higher income, those who earn more are taxed at higher rate

new labour (third way)

• sociologist giddens / blair

• community > class based divisions

• centre left social aims + centre right economic

• limiting regulation / low corp taxes

• maintaining thatcher’s privatisation

attlee reforms (1945-51)

• mixed economy: public/private industries

• econ management: keynes, govt have duty to create jobs

• social welfare: NHS

beveridge report

• 1942

• social policy in post war britain

• 5 giants: want, idleness, ignorance, disease, squalor

wilson (1964-70)

• open uni

• race relations act

blair (1994)

• clause IV labour constitution modified → no more nationalisation

• accepted free market

• asbos

• minimum wage (1997)

corbyn = hard left

• nationalise rail / energy / water

• abolish uni fees / increase income tax for higher earners

• opposed air strikes in syria

starmer = soft left + new labour

SOFT LEFT:

• increase in welfare payments / £40 bn worth of tax increases 2024

• 2024 = vat on private schools

NEW LABOUR:

• supported uk’s military aid to ukraine

• 2024 = nationalisation of energy, great british energy

agreements / disagreements on economy

• cons / lab / lib dems = support 45% tax rate for top earners

• all support increase to 25% corp tax

BUT

• lab = extended windfall tax / opposed by cons

• 2024 budget = £40 bn tax increases

agreements / disagreements on foreign policy

• uk financial aid to ukraine 2024 - £2.5 billion in military funding to Ukraine

• stopped calling for 2nd brexit ref / not reversing it

BUT … SNP / sinn fein want to reverse it

lab / lib dems oppose cons cutting foreign aid to 0.5%

agreements / disagreements on law and order

• libs dems / lab voted in favour of public order act

BUT … lab / lib dems / SNP all oppose cons deportation of asylum seekers to rwanda

2024 = lib dems supported legalisation of marijuana / lab / cons didn’t

agreements / disagreements on welfare

• all supported increase in universal credit payments during COVID

BUT…

• Austerity under Cameron – less money into public services

• Starmer accused Sunak of causing dangerous ambulance / A&E waiting times

• COVID – Lab accused Cons of mismanagement of funds / want to invest more in healthcare

for / against leadership

• presidentialisation of pm

• provide clear direction / united / coherent

• 2019 johnson = personal pop → collapse of red walll

• 2019 corbyn = worst election result since 1935

BUT…

• FPTP / voting system more important

• 2024 = lab 63% of seats on 34% of vote

• 2024 = reform 14% of votes but only 5 seats / under AMS = 91 seats

for / against policy and campaign

• range of policies = key → attract large sections of population

• 2019 cons = get brexit done

• 2024 = sunak leaving d-day commemorations to campaign harmed his popularity

BUT…

• based on leadership / personal pop → perceived competence

• johnson get brexit done = clear messaging / vision

• 2022 truss = disastrous mini-budget = massive drop in polls, driven by image of truss

for / against media

• pop / presentation of party in media = very important

• media shapes political views / electoral behaviour

• sun = endorsed winning party in every election since 1979

• 6.7 mill watched tv debate between johnson / corbyn

BUT…

• lib dems = 28 seats in 1997 with no national newspaper endorsements

• may had 2x endorsements of corbyn, poor campaign / leadership = lost majority

• just echo-chamber for public opinion, people read what they already agree with

party system

number of parties in political system, how they compete

two party system

• only 2 parties have realistic chance of forming govt winning majority of votes/seat

• USA

one party system

• only 1 party allowed to operate, associated w/autocratic govts

• north korea

dominant party system

• only 1 party has realistic chance to form govt, high degree of political stability but lack of competition

• uk 1979-97 (Tory) 1997-2010 (Lab)

2 and a half party system

• 2 main parties contest elections, sizeable 3rd party to maintain balance of power

• uk 2010-19

multi-party system

• several parties competing for votes/power, many parties have realistic chance at govt, coalitions common

• netherlands

arguments for a 2-party system

• only 3 elections since 1929 haven’t been lab / cons majority

• 2019 = lab / cons - 87% seats in commons

• 2024 = labour won majority of scottish seats after period of 10 years

arguments for multi-party system

• 2024 = cons / lab = 57% of vote, record low

• cons 2010 coalition w/lib dems

• neither lab / cons stand in NI → 2017 DUP + cons confidence / supply agreement

• emergence of minor parties (reform, local elections/by-election → 14% vote 2024 GE)

SNP

• biggest party in scottish parliament since 2007

• led to 2014 scottish indy ref

reform uk

• 14% of vote / 5 seats

• 4 million votes