UK political parties- ideology

Question 1

4 conservative strands

Answer 1

1. one nation
2. butskellite
3. traditional values
4. Thatcherism

Question 1

one nation conservatism

Answer 1

belief in the duty of those with power and to unite the nation
Cameron “big society”
Johnson 2019 embrace state protecting vulnerable w/o penalising rich

Question 2

butskellite

Answer 2

after 1945 labour landslide, party shifted centre and accepted labour reforms
1950s and ’60s areas of consensus.
keen to join EEC- less eurposceptics than labour

Question 3

tradtional values

Answer 3

traditional family and marriage, firm line immigration policy
e.g. john major back to basics campaign 1993- “traditional teaching and respect for the family”
e.g. section 28 passing 1988- ban promoting homosexuality in schools

Question 4

Thatcherism

Answer 4

dominated in 1980s and 90s
economic freedom, stop powerful trade unions, denationalise
e.g. 1984-85 miners’ strike: broke power of strongest TU National Union of Mine Workers

Question 5

how are all 4 conservative strands seen today?

Answer 5

one nation: Brexit and remove ECJ influence
butskellite: NHS funding 50,000 nurses a year
traditional: points system to control immigration
Thatcherism: promise not to raise income tax

Question 6

divisions within Conservative party

Answer 6

2016 empahsised brexit divisions; factions over deal

also social issues e.g. most of Cameron’s own MPs rejected same sex marriage bill 2013

Question 7

4 Labour strands

Answer 7

1. economic socialism
2. trade unionism
3. internationalism
4. new labour

Question 8

economic socialism

Answer 8

postwar Attlee gov set up welfare state and following labour govs nationalise more industries- e.g 1977 aerospace industry
Corbyn 2017 and 2019 manifesto- pledge to partially renationalise reflecting historic pledge to put people before private profit

Question 9

trade unionism

Answer 9

TUs have supplied bulk of funding e.t.c.
however, influence decreased in 80s and 90s due to conservative aims.
blair and brown 1997-2010 didnt reverse these aims.
corbyn increased influence again e.g. Unite’s general sec Len McCluskey was close to Corbyn

Question 10

internationalism

Answer 10

peace and disarmement- grassroots movement to disarm nuclear weapons.
modern day- support for European integration
weakened by Blair due to relationship with Bush and “war on terror”
swing back to left 2017 Corbyn

Question 11

New Labour

Answer 11

blair moved centre after Foot’s lurch left and accepted thatcherite econ but labour social policy
won 3 elections based on this
to some it was a betrayal: Corbyn was a frequent rebel backbencher

Question 12

how are all 4 labour strands seen today?

Answer 12

1. econ socialism: raise health budget by 4.3%
2. TU: repeal anti TU legislation e.g. Trade Union Act 2016 which allowed financial penalties for TUs breaching rules

Question 13

Lib Dems

Answer 13

19th century stood for free trade e.t.c- emergence of labour attracted its working class and cons attracted middle class
today- progressive centrist party with committment to EU and voting system reform

Question 14

key policies from 2019 manifesto

Answer 14

-stop brexit process-most pro-EU party
- defend HRA 1998 and resist attempts to withdraw from ECHR e.g. opposed to compulsory ID cards after labour proposed it after 9/11
- end to wasted votes by proportional rep- STV for electing MPs

Question 15

current state of Lib Dems

Answer 15

2010 won 57 seats, but 2015 only won 8 and 11 in 2019
decrease in votes down to opposition to conservatice coalition in 2010- abandonemnt of key policies like tution fee abolishment