Political Parties

Question 1

What is a political party?

Answer 1

A group of similiary minded people who aim to achieve their objectives by fielding candidates for election to political office
They put the policies it aims to pass into law in its manifeso
The party that wins power via an election earns a mandate (has authority to make decisions or put policies in place)

Question 2

Function of a UK political party: Government and opposition roles

Answer 2

Ensure that a single government is formed as a result of the gnerla election whihc is able to safely pass its legislation through the House of Commons
Also perform role of opposition parties who check the actions of the government and hold it to account

Question 3

Function of a UK political party: Representation

Answer 3

Have to represent their members - Labour Party membership increased under Jeremy Corbyn by 200,000 since December 2015
OVERALL, party membership been declining since 1950s (so this role has changed)
Represent the wider public in Parliament, regional parliaments and assemblies, and in local councils

Question 4

Function of a UK political party: Political participation

Answer 4

Parties allow people to have a greater participation in politics by becoming members of the pary and so increase their involvement in the democratic process
Also aim to increase political engagement by educating citizens on political issues

Question 5

Function of a UK political party: Recruiting politicians

Answer 5

Recruit individuals into the political system and choose those individuals they believe to be most suitable to stand for public office
Also play a role in the promotion of politicians, with those who are seen as having the qualities most suitable for national leadership toles promoted to more senior positions within the party:
- Prospective MPs have to apply in writing and sit interviewd for selection
- Some parties have all-owmen shortlists for some elections

Question 6

Function of a UK political party: Creating policy

Answer 6

Establish policies they believe are in the interests of voters and meet their needs
These policy proposals are presented to voters in the form of a party manifesto:
- In the 2017 elections, the Conservatives promised a balanced budget by 2025 and an orderly Brexit. Labour promised the end of austerity, tax increases and the abolition of tuition fees for univeristy

Question 7

Function of a UK political party: Choice at elections

Answer 7

Offer voters a clear choice at elections, ensuring that voters are able to support the party whose policies most appeal to them

Question 8

How do parties get funded?

Answer 8

1. Membership fees - paid by party members, not major source of income due to delcining membership: Conservative membership income decreased to under £1m in 2017, Labour seen rise under Corbyn to ober £16m
2. Donations - increasingly reliant on donations from individuals and organisations -> majority of funding from donations
3. Short money - funds received by opposition parties that win two or more seats in HOC or win one seat and gain more than 150k votes. Designed to cover admin costs and to allow for effective scrutiny of government. Labour receive most as have most oppo seats

Question 9

What was New Labour’s party funding?

Answer 9

Historically Labour Party funded by trade unions
Tony Blair wanted to decrease influence of trade unions and under New Labour was increasingly funded by large donations from a small number of wealthy individuals such as Lord Sainsbury and Bernie Ecclestone

Question 10

What is Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour funding?

Answer 10

Moved torwards a large amount of funding coming from smaller donations made by ordinary members of the party with over £18m received in 2017
Also a rise in income from trade unions -> trade union UNITE donated £4.5m in the 2017 general election

Question 11

What is the Conservative Party’s funding?

Answer 11

Receive majority of funding from wealthy donors such as Ehud Sheleg and Lord Bamford
2017 it was revealed large amounts of funding for the general election came from hedge funds and bankers

Question 12

Controversies with funding

Answer 12

Controversies around party funding party funding have come from a small number of large individual donations including the ‘Cash for Questions’ and Bernie Eccleston affairs
Led to the belief that individuals can buy access to, and influence over political decision makers

Question 13

Regulations introduced: Political Parties, Election and Referndums Act (PPERA) 2010

Answer 13

Introduced party spending limits at general elections to £30,000 for each constituency
Also limits spending for elections to European Parliament and devolved bodes and says parties must make public any donations over £5,000

Question 14

Regulations introduced: Political Parties and Election Act (PPEA) was introduced in 2009

Answer 14

Enabled the Electoral Commission to investigated and fine parties who broke the rules of the PPERA
Also limits the donations allowed from non-UK residents and reduces the amount at which donations need to be made public by parties

Question 15

Funding reforms HAVE worked

Answer 15

Regulations have incrased the transparency of party funding

Question 16

Funding reforms HAVEN’T worked

Answer 16

Parties have encouraged supporters to give long-term ‘loans’ instead of donations to get around the regulations set out by the PPERA
Main political parties still receive large donations from wealthy individuals - these donors have not been deterred

Question 17

What is the current public funding?

Answer 17

Exists through Short money, Cranborne money which is paid to opposition parties in the HOL and Policy Development Grants

Question 18

FOR state funding

Answer 18

Would remove the influence and access private donors have to political decision makers
Gives politicians more time to serve the interests of their consitituents rather than spending time seeking funding
Minority partues would compete better if the funding gap between major and minority parties was smaller -> greater funding for smaller parties would them to research policy and offer a strong alternative to the government, which is good for democracy

Question 19

AGAINST state funding

Answer 19

Taxpayers might oppose funding parties they are opposed to, especially more radical parties
In practice, it would be hard to work out how much each party should receive
State funding would not solve the probelm of parties having different levels of funding, as parties have different levels of membersip to one another
In a democracy and a free society, it could be argued that individuals who wish to donate money to a party should be able to do so

Question 20

What are the beginnings of the Conservative Party?

Answer 20

Established from the Tory Party in the 1830s
Throught 19th/20th centuries was traditionally/one-nation conservative in its ideology
One-nation conservatism was an evolution of traditional conservatism after the industrial revolution

Question 21

How does the Conservative Party preserve the status quo?

Answer 21

One-nation conservatives support traditional insititutions (i.e. the Church, the family and the class system) and the enduring rules of British society
Believed in pragmatically dealing wht issues whilst looking to maintain the status quo and gradually improving on what already exists
Insitiutions like the Church are important and so must be preserved to moderate society

Question 22

Conservative Party’s role of the state

Answer 22

One-nation conservatism is a paternalisitc ideology -> supporters believe that the rich have an obligation to look after the poorest and those who can’t take care of themselves
This type of conservatism supports a Keynesian mixed economy, but if require the state can intervene
Working internationally with other countries, and greater integration with Europe, are also supported

Question 23

Who was Margaret Thatcher?

Answer 23

Key figure in the New Right movement
Became Conservative party leader in 1975
Helped move the party to a more radical free-market right wing ideology
First female leader of the Conervatives and first female PM
PM from 1979-1990 when she was challened to the party leadership and stepped down

Question 24

What was Thatcherism and the New Right?

Answer 24

Thatcherism came as part of the New Right Movement
The New Right movement combined an orthodox conservative state with a neo-liberal state
- Orthodox Conservative ideas: social policy and law and order
- Neo-liberal ideas: the free market, monetarism and less regulation
During the 1970s and 80s the New Right movement was popular on the right, with scholars and think tanks writing about neoliberal deas

Question 25

Key parts of Thatcherism

Answer 25

Argued for the importance of individual needs over society Proposed a smal stae where the role of the government and state intervetion is reduced Supported self-reliance Endorsed business deregulation and industry privatisation Supported reduced trade union powers Placed importance on national socereignty Supported fewer taxes and making the welfare state by limiting benefits

Question 26

Differences between Thatcherism and One-nation

Answer 26

One-nation is pragmatic whereas Thatcherism favours an assertive and dogmatic (uncompromising on principles) approach One-nation favours small and gradual changes whereas Thatcherism supports a radical approach to change One-nation focuses on needs of society unlike Thatcherism that concentrates on needs of individuals One-nation supports mixed economy, Thatchersim supports a free-market economy

Question 27

David Cameron's election as Conservative party leader

Answer 27

Elected in 2005 replacing Michael Howard Was labelled 'heir to Blair' -> comparisons were made to when Blair became Labour leader and revolutionised the Labour Party Stepped down in 2016 after EU referndum

Question 28

David Cameron's party image and ideology

Answer 28

Focused on making the party more electable Looked to end the 'nasty party' image voters had Aimed to move the party focus towards issues that would appeal to voters (i.e. the environment) and away from issues that divided the party (i.e. Europe) Adopted a liberal approach to the environment Believed in limiting state intervention

Question 29

2010 Conservative election campaign

Answer 29

Manifesto made policy, but was argued to lack substance Policies included: - Stronger economic management, with tax and spending cuts and deficit reduction - Replacing the Human Rights Act with a UK Bill of Rights - Accepting EU principles, but staying opposed to the transfer of powers away from the UK - Tougher exams and reduced state control over schools

Question 30

2010 election result: coalition government

Answer 30

2010 election resulted in a hung parliament (no party had a majority) Conservaitves entered into an agreement with the Lib Dems to form a coalition (two or more parties join together to form a government) The government's policies included reducing benefits, deficit and spending cuts, and a referndum on the Alternative Voting system Economic policy came from Conservatives but political reform came from Lib Dems Coalition ended in 2015

Question 31

Impact of Brexit on the Conservative Party

Answer 31

The Conservatives had achieved little noticable change after successfully winning the 2015 election with much focus on the EU referendum Under Thersea May a significanyt amount of work had been focused on preparing for Brexit and negotiating a deal for Britain's withdrawl from the EU Brexit talks divided the Conservative Party and May's cabinet, with minsiters resigning over decisions regarding Brexit

Question 32

Theresa May's policy proposals

Answer 32

- Regional government: decided not to put in place the previous government's proposals for elected mayors in cities and abandoned the 'northern powerhouse' plans - Environment: replaced the government Department for Energy and Climate Change with departments preparing for Brexit (the Department for Exiting the EU and the Deparment for Internatioal Trade) - Education: May put foward proposals in favour of grammar schools which allowed comprehensives to become grammars

Question 33

Impact of the 2017 general election on the Conservative Party

Answer 33

May called a 'snap' election in 2017 to strengthen her majority for the upcoming Brexit talks Conservative Party losts it majority and so enetered into a 'confidence and supply' deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Meant the DUP agreed to support the government in budget votes and not against the government in a vote of no confidence

Question 34

Founding of Labour

Answer 34

Founded in 1900 by the Trade Union Congress, the Independent Labour Party, the Fabians and the Social Democratic Federation Was founded with the aim of representing the working class and bringing them into parliament

Question 35

Old Labour ideas

Answer 35

Old Labour is a term used to describe the labour party when its political ideology was based on socialims and when the party had strong links with trade unions, socialist societies and the working class Old Labour ideas include: a belief in nationalisation, opposition to capitalism, a belief in equality and redistributing wealth to the poor from the wealthy, continually investing in welfare services and greater state control over the economy

Question 36

What is clause IV?

Answer 36

Some of Old Labour's ideas were outline in the Labour Party's 1918 constitution Clause IV outline the party's belief in the need for wealth to be reditributed and in state ownership of main national industries

Question 37

1983 Labour manifesto

Answer 37

Michael Foot (the Labour Leader at the time) proposed a manifesto which clearly demonstrated ideas of 'Old Labour' including policies for greater state control of industries, more workers rights and nuclear disarment -> described by Labour MP Gerald Kaufman as the "longest suicide note in history' after Labour lost the election Some believe the 1983 lost was due to the party's left-wing ideas After 1983 the Labour party tried to reform

Question 38

What was the rebranding of Labour?

Answer 38

After a number of general election defeats between 1979 and 1992 the Labour party began a process of reforming to widen its appeal among the electorate New Labour was the label for the Labour party under Tony Blair. Used by Blair at a Labour Party conference in 1994

Question 39

New Labour ideas

Answer 39

- Reduce trade union power in the party and decreasing the reliance on them for funding - Increasing the party leader's power over areas such as candidate selection, making policy and party structure - Moving away from traditional Labour policies on tax and spending - Acceptance of Conservative privatisation programmes - Acceptance of devolution and membership of the EU and NATO - Support for private schools and healthcare

Question 40

What happened to Clause IV under Blair?

Answer 40

It was reworded

Question 41

Gordon Brown's Labour ideas

Answer 41

Succeeded Tony Blair as Labour leader and PM in June 2007 Under Brown, main ideology was to increase the state's role in both the economic market and society -> some high street banks were nationalised and Brown put in place an economic policy that focused on managing the deficit without introducing cuts to public services Economic policy similar to the 'tax and spend' policies of Old Labour

Question 42

Labour's manifesto for 2010 general election

Answer 42

Outlined a focus on job creating and increasing the min wage Outlined support for the NHS and education Focus on the need for constitutional reform

Question 43

What happened while Ed Miliband was Labour leader?

Answer 43

Became leader in 2010, after Labour lost election Milibnad labelled 'Red Ed' after his party leadership election victory, which was result of the support he received from the trade unions Suffered a significant electoral defeat in the 2015 election -> led to those on the left of the party calling for it to return to its socialist roots and those of the right stating the need to return to the principles of New Labour

Question 44

Labour under Corbyn

Answer 44

Elected in 2015 as party leader with 59.5% of first vote preferences Election was surprise to many as he was seen as a committed socialist and regular rebel within the party (regularly opposed the party elite, particularly under Blair)

Question 45

Corbyn's policies

Answer 45

- Reducing wealth inequality and promoting a more equal society - Placing peace as the core objective of foreign policy - National education for all - Achieving full employment and increasing job security for workers Party was greatly divided between its left and right -> factions such as 'Progress' who believe in New Labour values, and Momentum who are the campaign group in support of Corbyn

Question 46

Founding of the Liberal Democrats

Answer 46

Formed when the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party merged in 1988: - Liberals major political force in the 19th and early 20th centruy but had declined in popularity -Social Democrats was formed by the 'Gang on Four', four Labour politicians who left the party in 1981 as they were unhappy with the policies under Michael Foot

Question 47

Development of the Lib Dems

Answer 47

Tried to be middle ground between Conservatives and Labour under first leader Paddy Ashdown Initially, failed to win seats, but by 1990s started winning by-elections and increasing support in local elections In 1997 win 46 seats, and increased this in 2001 and 2005 Decline in popularity after 2006, and Nick Clegg became leader in 2007

Question 48

What is the classical Liberal ideology?

Answer 48

Classical liberalism argues for limited state intervention, and advocates equality, tolerance and freedom Proposes that the best way to improve people'e livelihoods is through self-improvement rather than the state playing a role

Question 49

What is the moder Liberal ideology?

Answer 49

Modern liberalism advocates the need for more state intervention by introducing regulation of the market and providing welfare for people Scholars such as Thomas Hill Green and Leonard Hobhouse advocated modern or new liberalism

Question 50

Lib Dems under Nick Clegg

Answer 50

Gained more support in the 2010 election campaign and Nick Clegg was a popular figure, particularly after the leadership debates

Question 51

Lib Dems: Coalition Government

Answer 51

Despite increased popularity, the Lib Dems lost seats in 2010 election Joined Conservatives in a coalition government: - Meant party broke election promises such as not increasing tutition fees - Were a moderating force in the coalition government and blocked some Conservative policies (i.e. inheritance tax cuts)

Question 52

Lib Dems after 2015

Answer 52

Tim Farron leader after Nick Clegg and led the party at the 2017 election -> lost popularity when he made controversial comments on homosexuality Vince Cable then became leader and in 2019 the party elected its first female leader Jo Swinson

Question 53

Conservative economic policy in 2017 manifesto:

Answer 53

Increase higher tax rate to £50,000 Increase personal allowance (tax-free earnings) Cut corporation tax

Question 54

Conservative ideas on law and order in 2017 manifesto:

Answer 54

Inesting to modernise prisons Restructuring police force Limiting stop and search

Question 55

Conservative ideas on welfare in 2017 manifesto

Answer 55

Ending triple lock on pensiosn (pensions rise by infaltion, wages or 2.5%) and having a double lock (pensions rise by inflation and wages) Means-testing the winter fuel allowance Since being in power they have implemented structural change to the welfare system -> the 2017 campaign didn't promise any policy reversals from before

Question 56

Conservative foreign policy in 2017 manifesto

Answer 56

Exit EU single market and customs unions Increasing budget of Ministry of Defence Keep Trident (nuclear deterrent)

Question 57

Labour economic policy as of 2018

Answer 57

Economy based arounf supporting 'the many, not the few' Introducing a fairer taxation system, where top earners and corporations pay more taxes Investing in education and infrastructure

Question 58

Labour ideas on law and order as of 2018

Answer 58

Increase police numbers and community policing Invest in border security Reverse Conservative cuts in law and order

Question 59

Labour ideas on welfare as of 2018

Answer 59

Policies focused on 'dignity' Ending Conservative policies such as the 'Redroom Tax' and cuts to welfare services Reforming benefits assessments

Question 60

Labour's foreign policy as of 2018

Answer 60

Promoting a global Britain during and after Brexit Investing in diplomatic services Focus on human righst and resolution of conflicts Stopping support for wars of intervention

Question 61

Lib Dem economic policy in 2017 manifesto

Answer 61

Support capital investment Eliminating the "day-to-day" deficit Reforming taxes and increasing tax on corporations Encouraging a living wage

Question 62

Lib Dem ideas on law and order in 2017 manifesto

Answer 62

Increase community policing Protect individual rights Stay in the European Court of Human Rights Introduce Digital Bill of Rights

Question 63

Lib Dem ideas on welfare in 2017 manifesto

Answer 63

Making the benefits system fairer for young people and the disabled Reserving Conservative policies that cut benefits for some people Reforming benefit assessments

Question 64

Lib Dem foreign policy in 2017 manifesto

Answer 64

Controlling sales of arms to countries with human rights abuses Promote cooperation internationally Vote on the final Brexit deal Remaining in the single market

Question 65

What are nationalist parties?

Answer 65

Seek to appeal to the shared identity and language of individuals from a geographical areas such as a region or nation Have different objectives, with some seeking full independence for their region or nation whilst others promote nationalist policies

Question 66

Examples of nationalist parties

Answer 66

SNP - have campaigned for Scottish independence and were instrumental in bringing about the the Scottish Referndum on Indpendence in 2014 The British National Party (BNP) - campaigned for values they see as being held by indigenous people UK people. Considered now to be a far-right party with facist views

Question 67

What are single-issue parties?

Answer 67

Offer a range of policies all of which are based on a particular ideological perspective Other, single-issue parties have a primary goals, and camapign on a particular issue or policy

Question 68

Examples of single-issue parties

Answer 68

The Green Party - example of a party with policies based on one ideolgical perspective. Their policies are based around the principles of social justice and environmentalism UKIP - example of a party with policies based on a primary goal: they campaigned for the UK to leave the EU. Can also be argued that UKIP also bases their policies around the ideology of British nationalism

Question 69

Impact of minority parties on Local and EU elections

Answer 69

Fewer people vote in local and EU elections, and minor parties can be more successful than in national elections -> UKIP won more seats that Labour and the Conservatives in the 2014 EU parliament election By winning these elections, minor parties can make their agenda public and known and put pressure on major parties Minor parties get power to dictate policy at a local and EU level

Question 70

Impact of minority parties on National elections

Answer 70

Can electorally harm other mainstream parties by taking their voters in elections and attracting their membership -> The Conservatives lost 2 MPs to UKIP before 2015 Can have a role in reflecting protests and grievances -> people may vote for minority parties to express unhappiness with the major partys In minority governments, minority party support can be vital -> 2017 the Conservatives entered a 'confidence and supply' deal with the DUP

Question 71

Impact of minority parties on putting issues on the agenda

Answer 71

If successful in gaining seats at a local or national level, minor parties can impact policy and put their main issues and cause at the centre of political debate -> UKIP helped make the EU an issue debated at national level

Question 72

UKIP's ideas

Answer 72

Founded in 1993 by members of a group opposed to the Maastricht Treaty Conventionally been against greater European integration Is a populist and right-wing party Main ideas are anti-EU membership ("Euroskepticism"), pro sovereignty, promotion of British nationalism and British unionism

Question 73

UKIP's policies

Answer 73

Single major policy idea is for the UK to leave the EU, and control UK immigration Before Brexit, policies were broadended to attract voters. Policies included: opposition to gay marriage, tax cuts and cupport for grammar schools In 2014 they had two MPs in parliament

Question 74

UKIP after Brexit

Answer 74

After Brexit, UKIP lost most of their local council seats, and since the 2015 and 2017 general elections have no MPs Since the EU referndum, there has been a disagreement on UKIP's party direction -> Gerard Batten, who led the party after the 2017 election, has been criticised by many former high-ranking members for taking the party too far towards the far-right Been several leaders and lots of controversies

Question 75

SNP ideas

Answer 75

Existed since 1934, with aims to promote political and cultural independence from the UK Supporters have historically come from a broad range of ideologies (and were sometumes nicknamed 'tartan tories') Since the 1970s the party has supported more social democratic and left-wing policies

Question 76

SNP policies

Answer 76

Historic policies involved increasing Scottish independence, by campaigning and the creation of a Scottish parliament, and for the independence referendum in 2014 Ex-leader, Humaza Yousaf, supports another independence referndum Policies moved away from just independence, but all focus on putting Scotland first In the 2017 election, SNP supported higher public spending, anti-austerity, protecting Scotland during Brexit and more devolved powers

Question 77

What is a dominant-party system?

Answer 77

Where only one party has a realistic chance of winning political power even though a number of parties stand in the election This could be due to electoral fraud, exploitation of state resources or genuine popularity -> The African National Congress in South Africa has won every election since 1994, could be seen as a dominant party. In Japan, the Liberal-Democratic Party has been in power almost continually since 1995

Question 78

What is a single-party system?

Answer 78

Only one party exists and all other parties banned The single party that dominates has comeplete control over the elction and often exists in political systes in which one person rules i.e. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) operates in a single-party system and The Lao People's Revolutionary Party in laos is the only legal political party

Question 79

What is a two-party system?

Answer 79

Where only two political parties have a chance of success at an election and so power shifts FPTP electoral voting system is more likely to result ina two-party system i.e. Conservatives and Labour won every UK election in recent years and the US has a two-party system where either the Republicans or Democrats win the presidential election

Question 80

What are two-and-a-half-party systems?

Answer 80

Two main parties exist in the party system, but a third, smaller party challeneges the dominance of the two main parties i.e. coalition of 2010-15 with the Lib Dems and Conservatives

Question 81

What is a multi-party system?

Answer 81

Where more than two parties have the possibility of winning an election or of being able to take up a role in power as part of a governing coailition The government in a multi-party system usually made up of a number of political parties Often a result of a proportional representation voting system i.e. Germany. In 2018 the Chritian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union formed a coalition agreement with the Social Democratic Party following the 2017 national election

Question 82

Arguments that the UK has a dominant party system

Answer 82

Long terms of government i.e. Conservatives 1979-1990 and 2010 to present + Labour 1997-2010

Question 83

Arguments the UK has a two-party system

Answer 83

Only Labour and Conservatives have a chnace if forming a government or being the leading partner within a coalition due to their extensive support -> still take a large % of the opular vote in elections and party membership is still the highest Minor parties not been able to maintain much popularity and support, and their success rarely lasts i.e. UKIP's support has collapsed and The Green Party's support has declined, and they have failed to add to their 1 MP as of 2017

Question 84

Arguments the UK has a two-and-a-half-party system

Answer 84

2010-15 coalition could be argued to be a two-and-a-half-party system with the Lib Dems being the "half" party Conservatives lost 2015 majority in 2017 after calling 'snap' election -> confidence and supply deal with DUP Reliance on a third party to support the government may suggest we have a two-and-a-half-party system HOWEVER, in 2015 general election Lib Dems lost 49 seats, making their presence in parliament much smaller

Question 85

Arguments the UK has a multiparty system

Answer 85

Been support at general elections for minority parties in recent years and a number of parties are seen as important political players In other national assembly elections, minority parties have had success in elections that don't use FPTP -> other voting systems (like Alternative Vote) can help elect parties with a more thinly spread support BUT, the percentage vote share for minor parties fell in 2017

Question 86

What is a political spectrum?

Answer 86

A way of displaying the ideological positions of political parties relative to others across an axis which ranges from left wing to right wing

Question 87

What is the left wing?

Answer 87

Describes those who want to change how society works and reform society Includes a range of beliefs, such as socialists who are further to the left, and want to criticise capitalism and the free-market Includes more centre-left people who wish to reform rather than remove capitalism

Question 88

What is the right wing?

Answer 88

Describes people who support the status quo and order in society Believe hierarcy is important Support private propertt

Question 89

How does the party leader affect a parties success?

Answer 89

Represents the party and many voters view the leader as the imagie of the party -> public opinion of the leader and their ability to offer an appealing brand to the electorate plays an important role in creating support the party.

Question 90

How does the party leader's charisma affect a parties success?

Answer 90

Personality, charisma and popularity among voters is important i.e. Nigel Farage was viewed as the imagige of UKIP and his charisma played a role in UKIP's appeal to voters -> since he stepped down they have lost some popularity Tony Blair was popular beyond traditional Labour voters with his personality and charisma having a wide appeal having a positive affect on the success of New Labour from 1997

Question 91

How does the party leader uniting the party affect a parties success?

Answer 91

Uniting the party is important as party supporters may come from a range of groups in society More divided parties struggle to win electiions and appeal to voters i.e. Labour was divided under Corbyn and he faced a vote of no confidence in 2017 + the Conservatives were divided over leaving the EU

Question 92

How does the party leader getting funding affect a parties success?

Answer 92

They play a role in gaining party funding, which is crucial as greater resources can mean the ability to run a stronger election campaign Theresea May held dinners for donors to increase funding for the Conservative Party

Question 93

How do election campaigns affect a parties success?

Answer 93

These tell the public about party policies, the personality of the leader, and how the party behaves under pressure. For example: Ed Miliband seen to be a weaker leader than Cameron due to the problems in his election campaign BUT, studies have shown that voters already know who they will choose before the election campaign, so the campaign may not always change minds

Question 94

How do policies affect a parties success?

Answer 94

Party policies are important to gather support Change in party policies can gather new voters i.e. the rebranded 'New Labour' under Blair, achieved their biggest general election victory

Question 95

How does the media affect a parties success?

Answer 95

Provides the means by which the electorate can access infomation on parties Different media outlets support different parties and encourage readers to vote in certain ways. For instance: - The Daily Mail is right-wing and supported Brexit in 2016 - The Guardian is centre/left. Some Corbyn supporters accused the paper of being biased against the Labour leader - BBC is funded by taxpayers and is supposed to be unbiased

Question 96

How does social media affect a parties success?

Answer 96

Harder to regulate so can easily spread 'fake news' which could the influence voters A mix of news, personal views, opinions and other infomation xan be seen, which may affect voting intentions

Question 97

How doe external events influence parties success?

Answer 97

How paries respond to external events (i.e. outside UK politics) may impact their support Include terror attacks, world politics and protests If a party responds in an unpopular way, this may impact their support

Question 98

How does class affect a parties success?

Answer 98

Historically, Labour was the party of the working class BUT, voting has moved away from being related to class Classes have changed sizes, and become less important. Reasons include: - Number of workers in mannual industries has fallen - Structure of the UK economy has chnaged and can be argued opportunities are different and less class-related - Educational opportunities have increased

Question 99

How does age affect parties success?

Answer 99

Younger voters tend to lean more left and support Labour or similiar parties The Conservative vote increases with age It is not clear why age changes voting patterns

Question 100

How does ethnicity affect parties success?

Answer 100

Some political parties are more diverse and representative of minority population that others. Historically Labour has been a more diverse electorate

Question 101

How does region affect parties success?

Answer 101

Cities tended to support Labour and rural areas tended to vote Conservatic in revent elections North tends to support Labour, while south tends to support Conservatives -> historically the north was more industrial and has deeper trade union links, and so may be linked to historic Labour support Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different national parties that voters support

Question 102

How does families affect parties success?

Answer 102

Families may pass down political views