The Liberal Democrats (PP 2.2c) Flashcards
(38 cards)
When were the Liberal Democrats formed, and what two parties were merged to form it?
The Liberal Democrats were formed in 1988
Merger of two existing parties
> Long-standing Liberal Party (200+ years in UK Politics)
> Social Democratic Party (SDP), which had split from the Labour Party in 1981.
When was the Liberal Party established, and why?
- Roots back to the 17th century
- Emerged out of the English Civil War, favouring fewer powers for the monarch, and more for Parliament.
When did the Liberal Party properly begin to emerge, and what did they stand for?
- Liberal Party emerged in the mid-19th century
> Supported free trade, rights, toleration of religious choice and democracy (ideology of classical liberalism)
What happened through the latter half of the nineteenth century, in terms of class and franchise?
Working class grew in size, and the gradual extension of the franchise this class became a significant part of the electorate.
In what two ways did the growth of the working class and extension of franchise impact the Liberal Party?
- Developed policy which aligned with working class voters
> Restrictions on the working day and early development of the welfare state (i.e. pensions) - Rise of the Labour Party
> Lost their working class vote to Labour and their middle-class vote to the Conservatives
> Went from winning as much as 50% in 1900 to less than 10% in 1945. Never recovered since.
As the Liberal Party declined, what form of liberalism grew, and with what key thinkers?
Ideas of modern liberalism grew in their influence.
> Keynes (economist) developed policies to regulate the free market and to stop unemployment
> Beveridge outlined policies of the modern welfare state
What happened to the Liberal Party through the 50s and 60s?
Period of crisis
> Declining electoral support coincided with several splits.
> 1951/1955 = 2.5% of the vote won
> 1960s = usually around six MPs in the HoC
What was the impact of the SDP-Liberal alliance, between 1981 and 1988, in terms of electoral results?
- Took stunning wins against Labour and the Conservatvies
> 1983 = 23 seats, 25% of the vote
> 1987 = 22 seats, 23% of the vote
What type of party was the SDP, and what alliance did it form soon after its establishment?
Centre-left party
> Close in policy and ideas to Old Labour
SDP formed an electoral alliance with the Liberals, the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
> Acted as a single party, not competing against each other in elections, standing on a common programme.
What was the SDP (Social Democratic Party), why was it formed, and when?
- Labour lost the 1979 election to Thatcher
> Pressure from members to push to the left.
> In 1981, 28 Labour MPs split from Labour to join the SDP, including senior party members
What is important to understand about the LibDems, in terms of their ideology?
- Ideology and policy is determined both by liberal ideas, and social democratic ideas.
> Developed into a centre-left social democratic party
Generally, the LibDems can be seen as drawing on both sides of the merger:
What happened to the SDP-Liberal alliance in 1988?
In 1988, both parties agreed that having two separate parties was hindering their progress, and the two parties merged to form the Liberal Democrats.
What do the LibDems generally support, in terms of economic policy, welfare policy, rights, and foreign policy?
- Favoured small tax rises (typically 1% on income tax) to pay for better welfare services.
- Constitutional government and human rights (classical liberal and modern liberal traditions).
- Strongly pro-European.
How did the LibDems do in the 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2010 elections?
1992 = 18%, 20 seats
1997 = 17%, 46 seats
2001 = 17%, 52 seats
2005 = 22%, 62 seats
2010 = 23%, 57 seats
What happened to the LibDems after the 2010 election result?
LibDems chose to go into coalition with the Conservatives.
> LibDems gave up too much of their policy in their manifesto and allowed the Conservatives to dominate.
What two election promises did the LibDems campaign on, and ultimately allowed the coalition government to not see into fruition?
> Notably had campaigned on not increasing student tuition fees but agreed that the coalition could raise them from £3,000 to £9,000
> Also were in favour of a proportional voting system, but only agreed for a 2011 referendum on AV (which is non-proportional anyway); system attracted very little support.
What happened as a result of the poor Conservative-LibDem coalition in upcoming elections (2015, and 2019)
2015 = 8% vote, 8 seats
> Worst election result since 1970
Had a marginal voice during Brexit; Labour (under Corbyn) had a particularly weak opposition to it.
2019 = 11.5% vote, 11 seats
What happened to the LibDems in 2024, what was their vote share and seats won, and what were the two reasons behind this?
Restoration of the LibDems
> 12% of the vote, 72 seats
- Collapse of the Conservative vote, opening up many seats to the LibDems
- Tactical voting from LibDem/Labour voters (not splitting their vote, unlike Reform/Conservatives)
What was the LibDems 2024 manifesto generally like?
- Leftist manifesto (left of Labour)
> Promised tax increases for improved public services, which Labour did not.
What are the key ideas of classical liberalism?
- Individualism, negative liberty, and rights (freedom of speech, conscience, religion, etc)
- Free-market capitalism and little state-regulation
- Constitutional government
- Consent to be ruled
When did modern liberalism emerge, and what did they generally support?
- Late nineteenth century, dominant form of liberalism in the twentieth century
> Supported existencve of capitalism but wanted regulation; developed ideas of positive freedom (education, healthcare, living standards, job)
What are the key ideas of modern liberalism?
- Social justice, and equality of opportunity
- State regulates capitalism and provides social justice
- Proponents of the modern welfare state
- Liberty
> Only equality of opportunity; the rest is choice and effort; do not believe in equality of outcome
What type of ideas does modern liberalism closely align to?
Modern liberalism has a lot in common with social democratic ideas.
What are key social democratic ideas?
- Moderate social democratics (not very left-wing)
> Supporters of the welfare state, regulation of the economy and education creating equal opportunity.
