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2. Political parties > The Labour party > Flashcards

The Labour party Flashcards

(43 cards)

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1
Q

When was the Labour Party founded, and who by?

A

1900 by Keir Hardie.

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2
Q

The creation of Labour coincided with the end of…

A

the industrial revolution.

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3
Q

Labour, generally, represent…

A

the working class, and their interests.

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4
Q

Working class people who had previously voted Liberal felt…

A

they needed a new voice.

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5
Q

What is Clause IV of the Labour Party>

A

Introducted the idea of nationalisation in the party’s 1918 constitution.

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6
Q

Who was the first Labour Prime Minister?

A

Ramsay MacDonald - couldn’t command majorities in the commons.

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7
Q

When was the first Labour majority in the House of Commons?

A

1945 - Clement Attlee.

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8
Q

What did the Attlee administration do?

A
  • Focused on social welfare which propelled them into government
  • Nationalisation of coal and railways
  • Nationalisation of steel and civil aviation
  • Implementation of soical security and the NHS as outlined in the Beveridge Report
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9
Q

From 1951-1970, the idea of managing…

A

capitalism came into force - Labour opposition and governments in this time period did not try to get rid of capitalism because it was engrained
- They tired to protect the workforce

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10
Q

Who came to power in 1964?

What did he promise?

A
  • Harold Wilson

- Promised a ‘new Britain’ forged in ‘the white heat of a second industrial revolution’

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11
Q

Wilson’s administration ever escaped from a cycle of…

A

economic crises, vainly battling against further devaluations of the pound.

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12
Q

In 1974 after Ted Heath…

A

Wilson became prime minister for the third time at the head of a minority government, following the first hung parliament for 45 years.

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13
Q

In October 1974, Wilson…

A

called another general election, to attempt to achieve an overall majority.

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14
Q

Why was Labour sharply divided during Wilson’s government?

A
  • Many Labour MPs were bitter about Wilson’s manoeuvring against his colleagues
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15
Q

Wilson presided over a referendum on…

A

Britain’s membership of the European Economic Community (EEC).

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16
Q

Who was PM from 1976-79?

A

James Callaghan.

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17
Q

What was the ‘Winter of Discontent’?

A

Britain was ‘strikebound’, with public servants staging mass walk outs, leaving food and fuel supplies undelivered, rubbish uncollected and - most notoriously - bodies unburied.

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18
Q

The Callaghan ministry saw the end of…

Study These Flashcards
A

Old Labour - the far left and the moderate socialists

19
Q

Who fought Thatcher in the 1983 general election?

Study These Flashcards
A

Michael Foote - left-wing of the party, but not as left-wing as the Bennites in the party who demanded far left social change.

20
Q

Described the transition from old Labour to new Labour.

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Party moved away from radical far left policy
  • Focusing purely on the working class was not going to win them elections anymore
  • Clause IV of its constitution in 1995 was changed under Blair
  • No longer committed to nationalisation
  • Role of trade unions was downgraded
  • Party furthered links with business
  • Labour became more pro-European in contrast with the Conservatives
21
Q

How could new Labour be described?

Study These Flashcards
A

As bridging the gap between old style socialism and free market capitalism - modern labour

22
Q

What are the arguments that new Labour didn’t completely move away from socialism?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Introduced the NMW
  • Largest rise in spending on the NHS
  • Rise in funding of schools and university
  • Number of people sleeping out on England’s streets from 1,850 in 1998 to 440 in 2010
  • NHS waiting lists fell from 13 weeks to 4 weeks between 1997 and 2009 due to more funding
23
Q

What are the arguments that new did move away from socialism?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Emphasis on wealth creation
  • No tax raise on the rich
  • NWM was low
  • Tough measures to deal with anti-social behaviour
  • Tough on crime
  • Influences of liberal ideology - devolution, constitutional reform
  • Blair supported the foreign policy of George W. Bush
24
Q

The 2008-2009 financial crisis led to…

Study These Flashcards
A

a shift in new Labour policy.

25
What economic measures did Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling take to combat the financial crisi?
- Raised income taxes on the rich - Spending on public services increased - Nationalised, or part nationalised, the most the vulnerable banks
26
Under Ed Miliband, Labour seemed to...
shift back to the left.
27
Some argue that Miliband's leadership of the party lacked...
coherence.
28
How could it argued that Miliband shifted Labour back to the left?
- He called for a 50% top income tax rate on £150,000+ earners - the coalition government of 2010 had reduced it to 45% - Energy freeze - what is paid on electricity and water is fixed
29
Labour, under Miliband, tolerated levels of...
capitalism.
30
What did Miliband do within to Labour party?
- Distinguished between what he saw as 'predatory' and 'responsible' capitalism - He called for a crackdown on tax avoidance - Called for more spending on the NHS - He called for a 10% income tax for those starting on the lowest wage (a policy introduced by Brown and then later scrapped) - Miliband pledged in 2015 to cut the deficit each year if Labour got into government - he insisted this would take place without borrowing more money
31
What was Miliband's nickname, even with introducing moderate principles? Why?
'Red Ed' - due to his perceived links with the far left and his dislike for the private sector
32
What was Miliband's defeat in May 2015 attributed to?
His failure to garner the Scottish vote; and his alienation of big business.
33
Miliband's tenure called for a...
new direction for the Party - the Conservatives had now won a majority for the first time since 1992.
34
Who were the candidates in the 2015 Labour leadership election?
- Jeremy Corbyn - Andy Burnham - experienced candidate - Yvette Cooper - experienced candidate - Liz Kendall - most Blairite contender - won 5% of the vote - Both Cooper and Burnham had served in the Labour shadow cabinet
35
The labour membership backed Corbyn but...
this did not extend to all Labour MPs.
36
What happened to Corbyn's first shadow cabinet in 2016?
Fell apart - due to arguments over left wing policy, among other things
37
Who was Owen Smith?
A centrist Labour MP who challenged Jeremy Corbyn in 2016 - the Labour membership again reaffirmed Corbyn as leader
38
Why is Labour so divided during the Corbyn era?
- Many centre-left MPs, many of whom are former Blairites, who are unhappy with the left-wing leadership of Corbyn - This is juxtaposed with the Party's membership, including the trade unions who wave warmed to his more anti-establishment approach
39
What was Corbyn's economic shadow policy?
- A national investment bank to fund large scale investment in industry and infrastructure - Re-nationalisation - Old labour policy of forcing companies to publish pay audits - to counter discrimination against worker - Like Miliband he favoured restoration of the top 50% rate of income tax - Corbyn clear cut in comparison to Miliband with regards to opposing austerity
40
What was Corbyn's welfare shadow policy?
- Opposed to benefit cuts - Poor are seen as the victims of capitalism - Public support for the poor is key - Reducing the private sector in terms of running service - Wholly state-run NHS - National education service, an attempt to remove private schools - Opposing student tuition fees
41
What was Corbyn's law and order shadow policy?
- Opposed to a hard line adopted by new Labour - Policies such as increased powers to stop terrorism, and the introduced of identity cards are viewed with scepticism by Corbyn - Blairites and Corbynites found common ground in the fact that they both opposed Tory cuts to police number, which they state harms public safety - Though it must be stated that under the new Johnson government police numbers are starting to increase again
42
What was Corbyn's shadow foreign policy?
- Shift from new labour - Corbyn has consistently voted against the use of force - He favours the withdrawal of the UK from NATO - Abolition of trident - nuclear defence system - Corbyn is Eurosceptic: but had followed his Party's stance of being pro Europe - campaigning in the 2016 referendum to remain: though many critics said he did so in a lukewarm manner - Corbyn's Party is still divided on Brexit
43
Who is Hillary Benn?
- Son of Tony Benn - Left the shadow cabinet and his since been opposed in his views to Corbyn - particularly to foreign policy - December 2015 - voted on military against Islamic State terrorism - Corbyn was not pleased - the party was so divided on the issue - Corbyn couldn't even whip the party to vote a certain way - MPs were given a free vote

2. Political parties (14 decks)

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