2.2- lib dems

Question 1

How did the liberal democrat party start

Answer 1

• merger between the Whigs and the SDP
• classical liberal ideology

Question 2

what policies characterised 20th century modern liberalism?

Answer 2

• old age pensions
• national insurance
• in attempts to deter support for the labour party

Question 3

when did the liberal party begin to decline?

Answer 3

• the post war period
• were unable to define their political identity which was necessary in a time of increasing class polarisation

Question 4

why did the liberals begin to grow again in the 1980s?

Answer 4

• liberals formed an alliance with the social democratic party that had seperated from the labour party
• they fought the 1983 and 1987 as the SDP liberal alliance, this formed the lib dems

Question 5

what was the peak of lib dem seats?

Answer 5

• 62 seats in 2005

Question 6

how did the lib dems change under anthony kennedy?

Answer 6

• center left party
• opposed to the iraq war and tuition fees
• wanted to impose a 50% tax rate for top earners
• more collectivist approach

Question 7

what were the policies in the 2010 manifesto?

Answer 7

• personal allownace (first 10,000 tax free)
• scrap tution fees
• backing constitutional reform

Question 8

how did the coalition government harm the lib dems?

Answer 8

• associated with austerity policies
• u turned on their promise not to increase tuition fees
• AV was rejected in the 2011 av referendum

Question 9

what are the arguments that the lib dems have decreased in significance?

Answer 9

• their seats decreased significantly in 2015 and have remained low (just 11.5% of the vote in 2019)
• while previosly they were used as a protest vote for conservative voters who felt unable to support labour, however stamers move to a more centrist position may steel some of their vote share
• Ed Davey (current leader)- is known to a very small portion of the population

Question 10

give an example that suggests the liberal ideology of the lib dems?

Answer 10

• in 2016 they became the first party to support the legalisation of canabis

Question 11

what are the current ideas of the lib dems?

Answer 11

• strongly back green investment
• constitutional reform: reforming the HOL and introducing PR
• oppose vaccine passports and voter ID’s

Question 12

what % of the vote did the Lib Dems get in 2010?

Answer 12

• 23% of the vote