UK parties Flashcards
(11 cards)
Roles
Representation
Participation
Recruitment
Policy Formation
Stable government
Representation effective
- Representing views of their members (more common in 20th century)
- Johnson and Brexit
- Corbyn neutrality on Brexit
- Farage and immigration
Representation ineffective
- Leaders casting aside the other factions in the party
- Starmer with left wing, on issues such as Gaza
○ Johnson with moderates
Whip system
- Only winning 35% of population in 2024 -
Participation ineffective
- Lower turnout in 2024 conservative leadership - 70%
- falling membership of parties - from 3m in the 1960s to 384,000 now
- falling turnout in elections 60% 2024
every election between 1922-1997 had turnout of higher than 70%!
- falling turnout in elections 60% 2024
Participation effective
- Internal elections for members
87% in 2019, 82% in 2022
Canvassing during elections
Recruitment effective
- Strong role in selecting candidates
○ Youngest MP recently selected (22y old)
Better descriptive rep (41% women, 14% ethnic minority, 10% LGBT, compared to 50% and 17% in population)
4% private educated ministers.
Recruitment ineffective
- Often selecting party allies who align with their views
Less local power to choose candidates
23% MPs private compared to 7% population
Policy formulation effective
Manifesto pledges kept
Labour constitution and education reform in 97
Johnson on Brexit (2019)
Policy formulation ineffective
Unimportance of manifesto (breaking pledges) - Johnson, apart from Points based immigration broke or did not meet pledges (e.g. no tax rises,0.7% of GNI on aid, and triple lock pension)
Johnson referendum on EU
Starmer budget cutbacks - welfare cuts
Following not shaping public opinion - response to polls (Starmer on immigration
Stable government effective
Cons in the 80s, labour in 00s
Stable government ineffective
5 PMs for conservatives from 2015-2024)
Johnson gov
Major gov and Brown gov
Coalition
