Political parties Flashcards
(28 cards)
what are major parties in the uk?
- conservative
2.Labour - scottish national party(SNP)
what are examples minor parties?
1.LIberal Democrats
2. Green Party
3. Democratic Unionist Party
how are political parties funded?
- party membership
- trade unions
- public funding
- donations
what are arguments in agreement to keep the current way political party’s are funded?
- upholds accountability as donations are monitored and investigated, which increases transparency
- for example, lord ashcroft’s donation to cons in 2016 faced public scrutiny - helps minor parties also gain support, promoting fairness
- for example, libdems received £1.1 million in short money in 2019
what are arguments against keeping the current way political parties are funded?
- scandals could create a lack of trust within the public
- for example, the cash for honours scandal in 2006 where there were cons donors in the HOL means there isnt transparency - larger parties dominate so smaller parties struggle to raise funds and compete nationally
- for example, reform uk in the 2019 election struggled to gain seats, even after having a strong media presence, due to lack of financial resources
what is a two party system?
only two parties have a realistic chance of gaining power as they dominate
what is a multi party system?
multiple political parties have the realistic chance of gaining power
what makes a political party successful?
- the public perception of the party
- for example, labours reputation had been shaped by tony blair’s gov in 2010, which many blamed for the 2008 financial crisis - campaign strategy
- for example, the cons party 2019 GE, their slogan was centred around “get brexit done” and used targeted ads to capitalise on labour’s internal divisions
what are some old labour ideas?
- nationalisation of key industries
- for example, they nationalised key sectors of the economy such as the NHS, coal mines and railways - welfare state expansions
- for example, this included universal healthcare, pensions, unemployment benefits etc such as free healthcare - progressive taxation
- for example, post world war, the gov introduced higher income taxes for the wealthy to fund public services such as the NHS
what are some new labour ideas?
- tough on crime and its causes
- for example, the number of police increased, there was the introduction of Anti Social Behaviour Orders and youth intervention programs - constitutional reform
- for example, devolution to scotland, wales and northern ireland, reform of the HOl and the human rights act 1998 - emphasis on education
- for example, blair said his priorities when coming into office was “education, education and education”
- for example, there was an introduction of academies, expanding university places and more funding for education
what are arguments for the uk still being a two party system?
- labour and cons have dominated UK GE’s for over 100 years and consistently win the most seats
- in the 2019 GE, they won over 75% of the vote combined and over 90% of the seats - the UK’s electoral system (FPTP) favours large established parties
- for example, in 2015, UKIP won 3.8 million votes but won only 1 seat - smaller parties in westminster struggle to form a gov
- for example, libdems, greens and SNP are influential but rarely challenge the two main parties in terms of forming a gov
- they often act as pressure groups or regional voices rather than serious contenders for power
what are arguments against the uk being a two party system?
- smaller parties are gaining influence
- for example, the SNP won 48 seats in 2019, becoming the third largest party in westminster - there is regional party dominance, where politics is dominated by regional parties, not cons or labour
- for example, the SNP dominate in scotland and sinn fein and the DUP dominate in northern ireland - hung parliaments and coalitions
- for example, in 2017, the cons formed a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP to stay in power
why are other partes (minor parties) important?
POLICY:
+ they can push major parties to adopt new ideas
- for example, UKIP influenced cons policy on europe which led to the 2016 EU referendum
ELECTION RESULTS:
+ they are able to win key marginal seats
- for example, SNP had dominated scotland recently in general elections, winning majority of the scottish seats in westminster
IN FORMING GOV:
+ they can form coalition gov
- for example, 2010 general election had no overall majority, so cons formed a coalition with libdems; nick clegg became deputy PM so it enabled libdems to have key roles in gov
what are one nation conservatism ideas?
- they believe there should be national unity so everyone should feel part of the sme national community (no rich or poor)
- for example, may support welfare spending and public spending to avoid extreme poverty
2.have a paternalistic ideology in the sense that they believe that the rich have an obligation to look after the poorest
- for example, supporting NHS, benefits and free education because it protects social order
what are new right conservatism ideas?
- they have a tough stance on crime, with tough sentencing and strict policing
- for example, thatcher was known for being “tough on crime”, supporting police powers and harsh penalties - they support the free market and believe the economy works better when there is low taxation and privatisation
- for example, thatcher’s gov sold off state owned industries like british gas - they support traditional family values, such as the nuclear family as its seen as the foundation of society
- for example, thatcher promoted “victorian values” such as discipline, marriage and self reliance
what is the development of the libdems?
- in 1997, they won 46 seats after not being able to win any seats
- nick clegg became leader in 2007
what is/what are the features of classical liberalism?
- they believe freedom of the individual is the most important value
- for example, they support freedom of speech and religious freedom - they believe the economy works best when its free from state control and regulation
- for example, the oppose gov ownership of businesses and high taxes, believing competition and profit drive success - they believe everyone is equal under the law (rule of law) and not even the gov is above it
- for example, they support fair legal systems and equal protection of rights
what is/ what are the features of modern liberalism?
- they believe in social justice and believe everyone should have the same opportunities in life (even if it means giving some extra help)
- for example, they support anti discrimination laws and gender equality - they believe in state intervention to promote equality and create a fairer society
- for example, they support progressive taxation, minimal wage and universal healthcare - they believe support and opportunities to help them flourish
- for example, the welfare state (NHS, state schooling) helps individuals to develop and live freely
-
what is UKIP and its policies?
- immigration control and stronger action on illegal channel crossing
- for example, in 2023, they supported the idea of deporting illegal immigrants to rwanda - Brexit
- in 2023 - 2024, it pushed for the uk to fully withdraw from EU linked bodies, like the ECHR and to remove any EU laws - climate policy
- they strongly oppose the Uk’s Net Zero 2050 target as they see it as economically harmful
- in 2024, they proposed restarting coal and fracking to ensure energy security and lower bills
what is SNP and its policies?
welfare
- want progressive social policies such as increasing minimum wage and tackling poverty
- in 2023, they introduced measures to extend FSM to all primary school children in scotland
Environment:
- want to tackle climate change and make scotland a Net zero country by 2045
- in 2024, the SNp gov have continued to push for renewable energy expansion for cleaner air
Economy:
- advocate for progressive taxation (higher taxes for the wealthiest)
- advocate for investment in infrastructure and technology to foster economic growth
- scotland pushed for control over key infrastructure projects under the Scottish act 2016 and further devolution of powers
what are the features of a political party? (what makes a political party)
- they formulate policy through developing a manifesto
- to gain political power and form a gov
- they help with electoral participation; increasing voter turnout and running election campaigns (essential for a functioning representative democracy)
what is an AO1 example of political parties formulating policy?
- ahead of the 2024 GE, labour had outlined that it would have plans to nationalise industries such as railways and water and and energy companies
what is an AO1 example of political parties gaining political power and forming a gov?
- 2019 GE, cons won 365 seats (which is a clear majority) that helped cons gain political power
- as the ruling party, they could now set policies and lead the country
what is an AO1 example of how they help with electoral participation and voter turnout?
- for example, the 2014 scottish independence rederendum which had a turnout of 84.6%
