Political Parties

• political party - group of like-minded individuals who seek to achieved shared goals by sending candidates at elections

  • securing election to public office
• ideology - set of beliefs/ideas that people have on economic, social and political issues

  • distinguishes between left (extreme communism) or right (extreme fascist) tendencies
• left-wing ideologies: likely to be progressive, favour social justice, believe the state should provide welfare, taxation should be used to help redistribute income
• right-wing ideologies: value tradition + economic freedom, believe people should be able to look after themselves

  • value capitalism + believe welfare creates dependency culture disincentive for people to work
  • believe in freedom to succeed over equality
• manifesto - pre-election policy document which party sets out series of policy pledges + legislative proposals

  • planned to put in place once elected
• mandate - right of governing party to put in place polices set out in manifesto
• Salisbury Convention - HOL doesn't block/wreck legislation promised in manifesto governing party
• function - work/operate in a particular way
• feature - important aspect of something
• mainstream parties

  • Conservatives
  • Labour
  • Liberal Democrats
• niche/minor parties: have distinctive focus on limited set of issues

  • may be ignored by mainstream parties
• nationalist/regional parties: represent shared cultural identity of people in certain area

  • some radical parties on the right, have had success pursuing nationalist agenda

  e.g. UKIP's withdrawal from the EU
• UKIP declined after 2016 Brexit Referendum, as it lost its niche in the UK, leaving EU

  • support base distinctive - MC Eurosceptics + WC voters who felt left behind by economic and cultural change
  • Conservatives become pro Brexit Party, so issue no longer niche BUT mainstream - pressure led David Cameron to call EU referendum
• MPs paid from general taxation

  • allowed to claim benefits/expenses to cover cost of living in Westminster +their constituency + traveling
• Right wing ideas: PART 1

  • strong position on law and order
  • stress national unity and patriotism
  • acceptance of private sector involvement in the provision of public services
  • lower levels of taxation to encourage private enterprise + create incentives to work
• Right wing ideas: PART 2

  • support for free market in goods, finance and labour - including reducing trade union power
  • state shouldn't interfere with working of economy
  • keeping welfare benefits low - incentive for people to work and not become dependent on the state
• Left wing ideas: PART 1

  • support measures designed to create equality of opportunity
  • stress equal rights for all groups in society
  • strong support for welfare state
• Left wing ideas: PART 2

  • redistributing income from rich to poor - through taxation and welfare
  • support for workers' rights and trade union power
  • state should support industries vital to society and economy
• Features of Political Parties:

  • members hold broadly similar political views
  • seek power/influence on those who hold power
  • have formal membership
  • usually have organisation whose purpose is to develop policies and recruit candidates for election
• Functions of Political Parties: PART 1

  • provide organised opportunities for people to participate meaningfully in politics
  • when in opposition, they call government to account
  • educate general public on political issues
• Functions of Political Parties: PART 2

  • recruit people who can stand for election to represent institutions - at local, regional + national levels
  • manage election campaigns, presenting electorate with choices between sets of policies
  • convert political demands into practical political programmes of action/ political ideas and aspiration into policies
• UK resistance to the state funding parties - meet election costs from voluntary subscription of membership + fundraising
• 2000 Political Parties, Election and Referendum Act: attempt to overcome perception that party funding is an undemocratic feature of UK political system

  • donation more than £5000 has to be declared and the details published at regular intervals
  • amount party spend capped at £30,000 in constituency
  • independent electoral commission set to supervise party spending on electoral campaigns
• Short money - publicly funded to support opposition parties carry out parliamentary business (e.g. policy research)
• Cranbourne Money - provides funds to support main + second-largest opposition party and cross-bench peers
• "cash for peerages" - wealthy individuals loaned money to Labour party, and had been nominated for honours

  • exploiting loophole which only regulated outright gifts
• Why is funding controversial?

  • funding by large donors may give them secretive and unaccountable influence
  • part donations verge on being corrupt, as some give with the expectation of receiving an honour (e.g. peerage/knighthood)
  • decline of party memberships = relying heavily on donations from rich benefactors
• FOR - State funding of parties

  • play important role in representative democracy and deserve public funding
  • removed disparity in resources available to different sized parties
  • encourage public participation and recruitment to parties
• AGAINST - State funding of parties

  • increased funding may lead to greater state regulations + reducing party independence
  • hard to decide level of support required for parties to qualify for funding
  • taxpayers resent compulsory contributions to parties
  • isolate parties from wishes of voters
• Labour Party History: "Old Labour"

  • their 1918 constitution, CLAUSE 4 committed campaign for "common ownership" of the means of production, distribution + exchange
  • nationalise key industries + services in interests of community rather than profit
• Key Labour Principles

  • nationalise + redistribute of wealth
  • provision of improving welfare state services - largely rejected more free market approach associate with Thatcherism/New Right
  • post-war Labour government (1945-79) were social democratic - didn't try abolish capitalism, but aimed to manage so didn't exploit workforce

  e.g. creation of comprehensive schools

  • defeat of last "Old Labour" MP James Callaghan caused division between moderate social democrats + radical left-wing members - lost on hardline socialist programme then elected centre left
• Labour Part Today: "New Labour"

  • began to move away from hard left position due to recognition old industrial base of country disappeared - people became more affluent
  • dropped unpopular policy proposals (e.g. CLAUSE 4) + role of trade unions downgraded

  
  

  • aimed go find "third-way" between old-style socialism + free market capitalism
  • became more pro-European as EU adopted policies protecting workers' rights

  e.g. Blair won landslide victory May 1997 - strong emphasis on managing public image to ensure Labour demonstrating unity + discipline
• Similarities between "Old" vs "New" Labour

  • nationalisation
  • minimum wage
  • belief in the NHS
• Features of "Old" Labour

  • comprehensive education (NL wouldn't disagree)
  • universal benefits
  • anti-trident (nuclear weapons)
  • close working relationship with trade unions
• Features of "New" Labour

  • devolution
  • prison as a measure of punishment
  • low taxation
• Miliband was the leader of Labour from 2010 - 2015
• Corbyn was the leader of Labour from 2015 - 2019
• Starmer is the leader of Labour from 2019 - present
• Modern Labour Policies: Economy

  Miliband - opposed cuts to public expenditure imposed under coalition

  + proposed increased investment in economy

  Corbyn - focus on public ownership of industries, total opposition to austerity + support nationalisation of public utilities

  Starmer - promotes policy "Common Ownership", public services should be in public hand + not making profit from shareholders
• Modern Labour Policies: Law and Order

  Corbyn - takes softer line focusing on retaining civil liberties + keeping human rights act as it is

  Starmer - increase funding + support for services (e.g. youth centres + intervention programmes) as cuts fueled anti-social behaviour + violent crime