Political Parties

• The Conservatives and Labour accounted for 70% of the fundraising total for the 2019 general election. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• The Tories and Labour had 76% of the vote share in 2017, which increased to 82% in 2019. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• Only 3 elections since 1929 have failed to produce a Conservative or Labour majority government: 1974 Labour minority, 2010 coalition and 2017 Tory minority. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• The Brexit Party won the European Parliament elections in 2019 with 32% of the vote. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• The DUP formed a confidence and supply agreement with the Conservatives under Theresa May in 2017. This earned them £1 billion in infrastructure funding in Northern Ireland. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• The Liberal Democrats had 5 cabinet ministers during the 2010-2015 coalition government with the Conservatives. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• The SNP have been the biggest party in Scotland since 2007 and won 56 out of 59 available seats in the 2015 general election. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• The rise of the SNP led to the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• Neither the Conservatives or Labour stand in Northern Ireland. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• Sinn Fein and the DUP are consistently the two most successful parties in Northern Ireland. Shows evidence for multi-party system.
• The Brexit party have never won a seat in a general election. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• Caroline Lucas is the only MP for the Green party, she has held the seat in Brighton Pavilion since 2010. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• A two-party system is where only two parties can consistently influence policy-making or have a realistic chance at forming part of the government.
• A multi-party system is where more than two parties are able to influence policy and form part of the government.
• Whilst UKIP had 12.6% of the vote share in 2015, it fell to 1.8% in 2017 and lost its only seat. Shows evidence for two-party system.
• The Conservatives raised £19.4 million in 2019, this was over 60% of the total amount raised by all parties.
• The Brexit party raised the third-highest amount of funds in 2019, £4 million, but failed to win any seats.
• The Conservatives spent £6 million on a mail campaign in 2019, which was more than Labour spent on their entire campaign.
• Companies linked to Tory donors were awarded government contracts worth £880 million during the Covid pandemic.
• The influence of trade unions, such as Unite, has created controversy for Labour.
• State funding would solve problems but it would mean that taxpayers' money would be funding parties that they don't support.
• Capping individual donations would disproportionately affect the Conservatives.
• Capping trade union donations would disproportionately affect Labour.
• The SNP won 48 seats in the 2019 election, a 13 seat increase from their 35 seats in 2017; whilst the Brexit party won 0 seats showing how funding can have little impact on success.
• Thatcherite Conservatives are a blend of neoliberal economic policy and neoconservative social policy. They desire minimal state intervention in the economy and foreign policy should be based on the UK's national interest.
• One Nation Conservatives believe in pragmatic economic and social interventions and favours close co-operation with international bodies.
• The Conservative's 2019 manifesto pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• Johnson had a One Nation approach to fund support for households struggling with rising bills, he introduced a 25% windfall tax on energy company's profits in 2022.
• Johnson had a One Nation approach to Covid. He committed £70 bn to the furlough scheme. The government also temporarily increased welfare payments by £20 per week.
• Johnson's Brexit deal was Thatcherite as it saw the UK leave the single market and customs union.
• Johnson's approach to immigration is Thatcherite. He approved Priti Patel's plan to deport all single male asylum seekers to Rwanda.
• The recent Tory PMs have had a mix of ideologies. Johnson was a mix of Thatcherite and One Nation whereas Sunak and Truss have been more Thatcherite.
• Sunak vetoed the Scottish Parliament's Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would have allowed 16-18-year-olds to change their gender without medical diagnosis.
• Sunak's government introduced the Public Order Act (2023), showing a tougher approach to law and order.
• Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak have continued Patel's Rwanda plan.
• Liz Truss announced plans to cut the top tax rate from 45% to 40%.
• Sunak kept the 45% top tax rate and his chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, increased corporation tax to 25% from 19%.
• The hard left involves support for significant state and economic intervention, high taxation and complete nationalisation of industry and a diplomatic and non-interventionist foreign policy.
• The soft left involves significant regulation of business, progressive taxation and some nationalisation as well as some support for foreign intervention.
• The New Labour is pro-business, accepting of privatisation and deregulation and believes it is the UK's duty to protect the interests of overseas democracies in whatever way it can.