Political Parties

• factions are groups within a political party
• Political parties will function like think tanks. They will employ some members of staff to write reports
• By convention, the prime minister will choose the person 'who commands a majority of MPs'
• Brexit party was founded by Nigel Farage to give voice to the opinion that the conservatives were not pushing for a 'hard Brexit' in the 2019 European Parliament Electons.
• It enables those with similar views to work together and achieve change as a group, rather than as disparate individuals. - strength to parliamentary democracy
• Voters can easily identify with someone, and those whom they vote for are accountable for their beliefs. - strength to parliamentary democracy
• The funding and support of that party can help individual members grow and develop as politicians. - strength to parliamentary democracy
• Members of political parties tend to be more extreme or fixed in their beliefs than the population at large. - weakness of parliamentary democracy
• The UK party system is dominated by two established parties, making it harder for newer, smaller parties to have their say. - weakness of parliamentary democracy
• Parties can become isolated from the views of ordinary people, as they privilege those with knowledge
• The current salary of an MP is around £81,000 a year
• The current salary of the prime minister is around £150,000
• Many MPs often earn more in the careers they have left to enter public service
• MPs were first paid a salary in 1911. As more working class MPs entered the House of Commons, it was deemed fair to assume not all MPs would be able to live on family wealth or another side income.
• Labour's finances have suffered in recent years as trade union members are no longer automatically party members. However, sem-affiliated pressure group such as Momentum (supported Corbyn) have been effective in raising funds using social media campaigns
• There are issues with 'cash for access' deals on different levels. One of the most common and low-level forms of this is fundraising dinners. Guests pay for a ticket to attend a dinner that will include the chance to meet politicians and share their thoughts with them.
• Individual MPs can receive donations for their campaign though these are heavily regulated by the electoral commission
• Elections and Referendums Act 2000:

  Founding of the Electoral Commission

  Limits on Party Spending

  Donations were regulated
• One nation conservatism is ruling in the interest of everyone.
• In 1979, a small group of conservatives believed in radical economic change. Their ideas, known as neoliberalism, dominated the conservative party in the 1980s and 1990s and became known as the New Right.
• The conservative’s solution to reduce the government deficit by freezing public spending was known as austerity.
• David Cameron offered an ‘In-Out Referendum’ to the EU issue which he fully expected to win however resigned in 2016 after the unexpected victory of the Leave campaign.