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Parties Flashcards

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1
Q

What are mandates and manifestoes for?

A

An election is political consent for a party to carry out whatever feels necessary in the belief of national interest
⤷ the winning party has a mandate to carry out the policy in its manifesto

Mandate - allows others to hold the gov to account/ check their actions
Manifesto - pledges the party makes which they have a duty to uphold

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2
Q

What are the functions of a party?

A
  • Making policy
  • Representation
    ⤷ represent a section of society while considering national interest
  • Selecting candidates
    ⤷ MPs
  • Identify leaders
    ⤷ party leadership gives experience for when they can become PM
  • Encourage participation
    ⤷ membership
  • Organising elections
    ⤷ help organise volunteers and run polling stations
  • Political education
    ⤷ inform the public on policy
  • Reinforcing functions of government
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3
Q

What were the main parties in the 19th C?

A

Conservatives and Liberals

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4
Q

What were the main parties in the 20th C?

A

1920s+ Conservatives and Labour

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5
Q

How much of the 20th C were Conservatives in office?

A

57 years
Churchill - 1940-45, 1951-55
Thatcher - 1979-90
Major - 1990-97

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6
Q

When was the Conservative Party founded? What is the context of this period?

A

1834
- protect crown and appealed to the gentry

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7
Q

What is conservatism?

A

” a social and political philosophy which seeks to retain social institutions”
- pragmatic approach
- maintain the status quo
- favours well established conditions

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8
Q

What are the main three wings of conservatism?

A

One Nation
Thatcherism/ New Right
Compassionate Conservatism

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9
Q

Who does One Nation originate from?

A

Disraeli
- Cons party should seek to speak for the whole nation
- Greatest threat to the nation was not integrating the poorer classes into mainstream society

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10
Q

What are One Nation views?

A
  • Pragmatism
    ⤷ political change should be in the interest of the people and nation not ideology
  • Paternalistic
    ⤷ gov should act as a father to its citizens
  • Against new ideologies
    ⤷ imposing ideology is a way to dictatorship
  • Right to property is a desirable goal for all
  • Organic society
    ⤷ rich have a duty to care for the interests of the poor
  • Supports tradition
    ⤷ provides a link to the past and creates stability
  • Pessimistic on HN
    ⤷ naturally selfish and inclined to fall into disorder
    ⤷ we choose security over freedom
    ⤷ we are competitive
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11
Q

When and why did the NR emerge?

A

Late1970s
- high unemployment w/ no economic growth
- high public sector debt
- industrial unrest
- Labour was radical and brought uncertainty
- NR ideas rising in the US with Reagan

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12
Q

What are New Right values?

A
  • Free market economics
    ⤷ laissez faire
  • Encouraged competition
  • Austerity
    ⤷ no more nanny state
  • Individualism
  • HN is self-interested
  • “Get on your bike” and work
  • “Stand on your own two feet”
  • Euro-sceptic
    ⤷ focus on Britain first
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13
Q

What are the two elements of NR?

A

Neo conservatism
Neo liberalism

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14
Q

What are neo liberalism ideas?

A

Deregulation
- less state intervention = privatisation
⤷ e.g. Thatcher - coal and steel
⤷ e.g. Major - railway 1996

Disengagement
- gov should not help failing businesses
⤷ if they were important they would thrive
- against raising public spending to promote growth

Trade union reform
- reduce union power to make them legally acountable for damage to businesses

Low taxation
- reduce tax on high earners and businesses
⤷ high tax reduces entrepreneurship and incentive to work hard

Dependency culture

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15
Q

What are neo conservative ideas?

A
  • Emphasis on patriotism and nationalism
  • Anti-EU
    ⤷ sceptical of economic benefits and protect domestic trade
  • Authoritarian on crime
  • Moral decline due to family not being the centre of society
  • British values are under threat
    ⤷ multi-culturalism and immigration
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16
Q

What are the values of Compassionate Conservatism?

A
  • Stresses the use of traditionally conservative methods to improve the general welfare of society
  • Social problems can be tackled through charities
    ⤷ state responsibilities onto external agencies
  • Emphasis on social justice
    ⤷ giving individuals the tools to turn their lives around, no ‘benefit culture’
  • Traditional families
  • Individual responsibility
  • Active policing
  • Standards-based schools
    ⤷ e.g. league tables
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17
Q

add info from book - including factions

A

up to party funding

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18
Q

How are MPs funded?

A

Government (taxes)
- £91,400 salary
- Expenses paid for

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19
Q

How are parties funded?

A
  • Membership fees
  • Fundraising
  • ‘Short money’
    ⤷ Electoral Commission donates £2m per party
  • Donations
  • Loans
    ⤷ from businesses/individuals
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20
Q

Why is private funding controversial?

A
  • Possible plutocracy
  • Larger/older parties are more recognisable
  • Open to manipulation
    ⤷ regulatory favours
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21
Q

What are examples of party funding being controversial?

A

1997 Bernie Eccleston
- £1m to Blair
- Blair excluded F1 from the tobacco advertising ban
⤷ ev: money was returned, public apology

2006
- Cash for Peerages scandal
⤷ Labour party had been receiving loans, not donations
⤷ did not have to declare gifts
⤷ Peers were giving gifts and were put through the HOL appointments committee
⤷ EV - no evidence by police that the donations were made to bribe (no prosecutions)

2024
- Reform UK talks of funding from Musk
⤷ suggested $100m
- ev: plans by labour to cap foreign investment in elections ⤷would fit in their manifesto to “protect democracy”
⤷ petition signed by 140,000 people to remove loopholes

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22
Q

Why should there be no concern over private investment?

A

Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000
- Donations over £11,000 must be reported to the Electoral commission
- Parties must have a registered treasurer
- All donations over £500 must be from a ‘permissible source’
⤷ £50 for overseas voters
- Parties can spend up to £35m within the year before an election

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23
Q

Where does labour source their funds?

A
  • Mostly trade unions
    ⤷ 2014/15 - £11m (60% of total income)
  • Declining support from TU
    ⤷ links to less left wing manifestos
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24
Q

How has party funding changed between elections?

Study These Flashcards
A

2019
- Cons accounted for 2/3 of all donations
⤷ £19m tory, £5m labour, £1.4 LD
- Decrease since 2017
⤷ tory 35% less, labour 47% less, LD 64% less
- Increases since 2017
⤷ green 65% more

2024
- Labour got more donations than the other parties combined
⤷ labour £9.5m, tory £1.8m, £1.6m LD, £1.6m reform, £160,000 green
⤷ lord sainsbury - £2.5m, Unite - £1.5m
⤷ lowest TU funding

25
How is party spending monitored?
Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000 - Electoral commission set up - $30,000 cap per constituency - Donations declared ⤷ if over £5000 (nationally), £1000 (constituency) - No non-UK donations
26
How can party funding be reformed?
- Restrictions on donation amounts ⤷ 2015 Labour/lib dems supported a limit on ondividual donations ⤷ Cons countered with wanting to limit trade union funding - Tight restrictions on amount of spending ⤷ help make large scale funding pointless - Restrict donating to individuals ⤷ stop bribes from PG/businesses - Replace state money from taxation
27
Should party funding become state ran?
Yes - improves democracy - increases participation - supports multi-party system - stops hidden influence - stops corruption No - alienate voters - how do parties qualify? etc - more regulation/state funding is controversial - tax resentment - could still prioritise large parties as they are already popular - causes taxpayers to fund parties they do not like
28
When was the labour party founded, and what was its stance?
1900 Democratic socialist ⤷ left wing but moved centre
29
When did Labour become popular?
- Overtook Liberal Party in 1920s ⤷ formed minority govs under MacDonald - Majority gov with Atlee and Wilson - Became more popular with New Labour
30
What was the traditional grounds of the party?
Clause Four 1918 - Nationalisation of key industries - Gov intervention in the economy - Redistribution of wealth - Workers rights - Welfare state - State education and healthcare ⤷ NHS 1948, EMAs etc - Tax increase to fund public services - Close relationship with trade unions
31
How did New Labour change the roots of the party?
- No longer dominated by TU interests - Change of electorate ⤷ w/c proportion was smaller and more fragmented (women and EM) ⤷ can no longer just appeal to the white, male w/c - Emphasis on community and fairness - Amending of Clause 4 in 1995
32
What are the values of old labour?
- Redistribution and equality - Collectivism - Common ownership - Trade unionism - Statism - Welfarism
33
What are the core values of NL?
- Equality - Community - Break away from NL taxes - Keynesian economics over public ownership - Mutual respect and freedom - Enabling state - Individualism - Communitarianism - Reform
34
What did old labour accomplish?
- NHS - TU powers - Nationalisation of coal, steel, and shipbuilding ⤷ 1956, 1967, 1977 (Callaghan) - Higher taxing of rich - 1960s comprehensive schools - Equal pay for women
35
What did NL accomplish?
- Refused power to TU - Failed to nationalise ⤷ water, rail etc - Public borrowing > tax rises - ASBOs + harsh on crime and causes of crime - More NHS spending - Large early years investment - Reduce corporation tax - HRA, FOI - Devolution + Good Friday Agreement
36
What did Brown accomplish?
- Pumped money into banks to boost economy - Part-nationalised banks - Increased income tax ⤷ went back on his word ⤷ new 50% band on over £150,000 - Maintained public spending Overall against NL but it was unusual circumstances
37
What were Miliband's policy?
- Called to return the 50% tax after tories lowered it to 45% - Focus on helping businesses while helping w/c ⤷ calls for crackdowns on tax avoidance and increase in NHS spending - Called for income tax to decrease to 10% - Promised to end borrowing - Rejected private sector and supported tax and spend policies - Reduction of tuition fees from £9000 to £6000 Overall slightly more left wing
38
What were Corbyn's policies?
- Economic policy ⤷ large scale funding of industry/infrastructure ⤷ called for re-nationalisation of rail (NL was against this) - Welfare policy ⤷ opposed benefits cuts ⤷ wanted a 100% state funded NHS ⤷ national education service ⤷ no tuition fees - Law and order ⤷ harsher terrorism laws ⤷ no more police cuts - Foreign policy ⤷ against the use of force ⤷ withdraw from NATO ⤷ abolition of Trident Left wing, anti-establishment, controversial/split the party
39
What policies has Starmer introduced?
Manifesto - Get Britain Building Again - Increase police presence on streets - Get NHS back on street Policy - Minimum wage increase - £1.4b to rebuild 500 schools - Means tested winter fuel payments - Restored NHS funding to highest levels since 2010 - Nationalisation of steel? - removed VAT exemptions for private schools - Party whip to vote against removal of 2 child benefit cap
40
What are the factions within Labour?
Momentum - Corbin/left - marxism inspired - focused on nationalisation Blairism - Social dems/centrists - fought against Corbyn Blue Labour - Socially conservative but interests lie with w/c
41
How did the Lib Dems originate?
- Formed from labour mps and liberals - Increasingly more popular from the 1980s on ⤷ 1997 - 46 seats ⤷ 2005 - 62 seats ⤷ 2010 - coalition
42
What ideology does the lib dems associate with?
Liberalism, but arguably more left wing
43
How did Nick Clegg run the party?
- Economic policy drifted right ⤷ promoted targeted increases of gov spending but having an overall cut in expenditure - Pragmatist (actions based on evidence)
44
Which policies were passed during the coalition?
Successes - Fixed-term Parliament Act 2011 - ID cards scrapped - Income tax benchmark raised - EU Referndum postponed - Welsh devolution referendum Failures - Benefit cuts - Cut corporation tax - Tax for over £150,000 decreased to 45% - AV referendum failed - Uni fees raised - HOL reform failed
45
What are the 8 core values?
- Liberty ⤷ protection of individual rights - Social justice ⤷ removal of inequality of opportunity - Welfare ⤷ necessary to set people free from poverty, illness and unemployment - Constitutionalism ⤷ suspiscious of gov power - Social reform ⤷ support disadvantaged groups' rights - Liberal democracy ⤷ HR and democracy concerns - Multiculturalism ⤷ toleration of other lifestyles - Environment ⤷ human life is enriched by a healthy planet
46
What is the policy under Ed Davey?
- Welfare ⤷ fair benefits that encourage people to work ⤷ increased funding of NHS - Law and order ⤷ civil liberties need balancing with national security - Foreign policy ⤷ leave Trident ⤷ pro EU ⤷ pro NATO Manifesto - Economy ⤷ increase spending bby £27bn every year by 2029 ⤷ cut down on tax avoidance and raise levies on banks ⤷ rejoin single market (EU) - Welfare ⤷ scrap 2-child benefit cap - Rights ⤷ recognise non-binary identities ⤷ ban conversion therapy ⤷ 16yo vote
47
What is adversarial politics?
When a debate splits poltics ⤷ e.g. EU split parties and MPs within each party ⤷ from 1979-90 with Thatcher
48
What is consensus politics?
Broad agreement in politics ⤷ e.g. NHS after WWII, conservatives understood that the reforms were popular so they built off of it ⤷ collapsed with Thatcher ⤷ re-emerged from 1997-2015
49
How was there consensus from 1997-15?
Blair was very popular with welfare and reform ⤷ NHS funding and education standards Cons and lib dems adopted similar positions to not lose 2010 election ⤷ evident with compassionate conservatism
50
What are the types of party systems?
Dominant party Two-party Two and half party Multi-party
51
When has it been a dominant party system?
(Only one party has a chance) 1979-1997 - conservatives dominated 1997-2010 - labour dominated Sincee 2007 - SNP dominates Scottish Parliament
52
When has it been a two-party system?
1945-1974 - was conservative and labour almost every other election
53
When has it been a two and a half party system?
(when a third party challenges the dominant 2 parties) 2010 - coalition lib dems 2024 - arguably reform split conservative vote, and caused labour to try appeal to the right
54
When has it been a multi-party system?
2010 onwards ⤷ coalition ⤷ rise of minority parties with recent elections ⤷ devolved bodies have PR so more smaller parties
55
What system do devolved bodies have?
Scotland - Dominant party system ⤷ SNP in power since 2007 - Multi party ⤷ 2007-11 and 2016+ SNP is minority gov ⤷ AMS allows for more representation of smaller parties Wales - Multi party ⤷ AMS supports smaller parties ⤷ Govs: labour, labour-lib coalition, lab-plaid Cymru coalition Northern Ireland - Multi party ⤷ STV to promote coalition Govs ⤷ purposefully multi party
56
How is Parliament two party?
- 1945-74 - labour and cons got 91% of vote and 98% of seats on average - FPTP favours 2-party system ⤷ 2024 - reform, 5 seats with 14% (PR = 93) ⤷ 2024 - green, 4 seats with 6.7% (PR = 43) - Smaller parties have periodic success ⤷ SNP seats dropped, UKIP gone, lib dems failure after coalition - Decreasing third party seats popularity ⤷ 2017 - dropped to 10.8% of the vote
57
How is Parliament moving away from being 2-party?
Dominate party - 1979-present, switched from tory to labour Two and a half party - 2010-15 coalition gov - 2017 - tory minority gov so agreement with DUP to have the backing of their whip - 2024 - reform splitting cons votes Multi-party - third-party seats have increased in recent years ⤷ 14% of votes in 2010 were for minority parties ⤷ 2019 - 24.3% ⤷ 2024 - 42.6%
58
How is Britain multi-party?
- Devolved bodies with more localised parties ⤷ SNP, DUP, Sinn Fein, Alliance, Plaid Cymru - PR systems ⤷ more coalitions and power sharing - More nationalist parties ⤷ SNP, Reform, UKIP - Increasing support of smaller parties ⤷ reform, lib dem, green in 2024 ⤷ got 42.6% of vote - More coalitions ⤷ 2010-15 tory-libdem ⤷ 2017 - DUP-tory
59
How is Britain not multi-party?
- Illusion of choice ⤷ Welsh labour/cons/lib dem ⤷ only SNP for Scotland - FPTP is used in GE which is the primary legislature ⤷ favours 2 party system - Success of small parties is arguably short-term ⤷ UKIP - focused on one issue which was adapted by cons - 2024, only 3 candidates had over 300 votes ⤷ Brexit renaming and rebranding to Reform ⤷ lib dem failures after coalition ⤷ SNP decline (2019, 48 - 2024, 9) - Broadchurch ideology blocks smaller parties gaining popularity

UK Politics (5 decks)

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