2.2 old Flashcards
7
Describe the history of the conservative party
fill in later
- Oldest political party
- Long periods in office
- Electorally successful - ‘adapt or die’ mantra
- Formed in 1834 from Tory party
- Grew from parliament
- One of major two parties, along with Liberals, in 19th century
- Tory party supportive of Ireland being part of UK
5
To what extent is the Conservative Party still a Thatcherite party?
P1: ON influence on Europe - wide support of Windsor Framework: closer co-operation vs Thatcherite - hard brexit (no freedom of movement, CPTPP shift)
P2: ON influence on Econ - stealth tax raids vs Thatcherite - mini-budget
P3: On influence on welfare - inflation-linked rises in pensions/benefits amid shrinking fiscal headroom vs Thatcherite - introduction of £26k per annum family benefits cap in 2013
P4: ON influence on law and order - May warned of excessive use of ‘stop and search’ vs Thatcherite - Rwanda plan
P5: ON influence on FA - 2015 Xi Jinping state visit vs Thatcherite - Ukraine (£50m Nov 2022, Sea King Helicopters)
P1-3 is dufficient
10
Labour party: history
don’t need to know about in huge detail
- Early 1900s
- Born out of trade union movements and socialist societies
- Born from Parliament
- won votes of WC
- Atlee 1945 win: NHS, welfare state - established post-war consensus
- SDP
- 1983 defeat - manifesto longest suicide note in history e.g. unilateral nuclear disarmament
- New Lab 97-10 - centrist, capitalist economy with social justice
- 2019 Corbyn - high tax, higher spending, nationalisation
- Factions: centrist New Labour/Third Way (social democracy), left-wing Old Labour (democratic socialism)
3
Labour party: ideological foundations
- Equality, class politics, common ownership
- equality of opportunity now preferable to equality of income
- moderate socialism rather than marxism
3
Labour party: factions
Centrist New Labour/Third Way
Social democrats
Left-wing Old Labour (democratic socialism)
4
To what extent is the Lab party still a socialist party?
P1: Old Lab influence on economy - remove charitable status of private schools (£1.7bn) - eq of opportunity, Corbyn manifesto (10% of shares to workers for 10 years), scrap non-dom status vs New Lab - Thatcher privatisation not reversed (mixed economy), less immigration-dependent economy, 2022/23 strike position (Sam Tarry)
P2: Old Lab influence on welfare - reduce universal credit taper rate (rate at which universal credit is cut for every £1 earned above claimant’s work allowance), introduce universal sick pay, opp cuts to universal credit vs New Lab- no radical change, last govt contracted out cleaning NHS, private-public partnerships in welfare state
P3: Old Lab influence on law and order - end ‘immoral’ Rwanda plan, ‘presumption against prison sentences’ (2019), rehabilitation focus vs New Lab - 13k more neighbourhood police officers, 2019 manif restore prison police officer levels to 2010
P4: Old Lab influence on FP - 2013 Miliband Syria, socialist ideas of internationalism vs New Lab - softer brexit deal (e.g. eliminate border checks for low-risk goods at NI border), Ukraine support, so humanitarian intervention sometimes necessary
P4 is hard, so just do P1-3
7
Lib Dems: History
again don’t need to know in huge detail
- Formed in 1988 from merger of Old Liberal party and SDP
- mixture of liberalism and social democracy
- centre-to-left
- 2003 - did not support Iraq war
- 2010 - entered Coalition
- 2015 - electoral annihilation
- 15 MPs through by-election victories
3
Lib Dems: factions
Orange Book liberals (closer to right - support for free markets, more eurosceptic, strong local govt e.g. Clegg, Cable, Davey)
Social Liberals (left, sceptical of free markets e.g. Farron)
Liberal left (opp to coalition, keynes-style borrowing for econ growth)
Classical liberals (Orange Book) vs Modern liberals (social liberals)
Con, Lab, LD
Major party ideas: Economy
- Con - low taxation (support non-dom status), fiscal responsibility (£55bn hole), supportive of private enterprise and private property ownership
- Lab - reduce inequality in society through progressive taxation, equality of opportunity, nationalisation of some industries (e.g. rail, energy)
- LD - supported free markets and private property ownership, abolition of inherited privilege
Con, Lab, LD
Major party ideas: Law and Order
- Con - stress on national security, law and order, strong police force is necessary, preference of collective rights over individual ones when it comes to terrorism, anti-drugs
- Lab - promotion of equal rights, rehabilitation, but strong on criminal justice system (e.g. ‘creeping authoritarianism’)
- LD - promote equal rights, rule of law
Con, Lab, LD
Major party ideas: Welfare
- Con - individualism not dependancy (NR), noblesse oblige (ON)
- Lab - well-funded welfare state with free healthcare and comprehensive education, measures to reduce child poverty, belief in state to promote social and economic change
- LD - state welfare to provide equal opportunities and greater freedom of choice, well-supported education system, Orange Book - smaller state, Modern - enabling state
3
Major party ideas: Foreign Policy
- Con - euroscepticism debates, special relationship/NATO support
- Lab - diplomacy preferred, humanitarian intervention if necessary, middle ground EU
- LD - close relationship with EU
3
Conservative Party: factions
- One Nation - moderate, noblesse oblige
- New Right (Thatcherite) - right-wing, Thatcher
- further split within new right between neoliberalism (econ focus) and neo-conservatives (social focus)
2
Describe Conservative Party policy on the economy
- Fiscal Responsibility - debt falling as share of GDP in 5yrs, creation of OBR
- Autumn Statement 2022
4
Describe the autumn statement 2022
- £55bn black hole in public finances
- stealth tax rises, cut tax thresholds (45p rate cut from £150k to £125k) and public spending cuts
- windfall taxes raised to 35% from 25%, despite pressure
- minimum wage increased to £10.40 (now £11.44)
