Party Factions

• Momentum formed to support and sustain Corbyn’s leadership. Its members range from being ‘old labour’ democratic socialists, to Marxist inspired socialists. This faction supports Keynesian economics (They support renationalisaion, progressive taxation, and free childcare), social progressivism (They are the only major group in Parliament to endorse British republicanism), and non-interventionism. The main figures of this faction are Jeremy Corbyn, Dennis Skinner, Diane Abbott, and John McDonnell.
• Momentum campaign for policies as; 

  large shifts in distribution of wealth and income through tax reforms 

  State regulation of finance and industry

  Increase in public sector housing

  Minimum wage

  Opponents of nuclear deterrent
• Blue Labour

  Founded by Maurice Glasman. Glasman and supporters believe the UK working class do not favour left-wing policies but prefer ideas associated with conservatism. This faction supports Keynesian economics (They support progressive taxation, free childcare, and economic protectionism), social conservatism (They support family values, law-and-order, and the bishops’ representation in the House of Lords), and are split on foreign policy.
• Blue Labour is socially conservative, believing in:

  British values

  Anti large scale immigration

  Campaigned for UK to leave EU

  Opposes excess big businesses

  Supports free markets
• Blairite

  Believe New Labour policies were successful and should be retained. Their position can also be described as centrist. Prominent members include Hilary Benn, Yvette Cooper, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Refer to New Labour policies.
• Orange Book Liberals

  Traditional liberal values of free markets and the withdrawal of the state from excessive interference with a focus on individual liberties

  Ed Davey

  Nick Clegg
• Old Labour – The term now given to refer to the Labour Party before its transformation under Tony Blair in the 1990s.
• New Labour – The brand of Labour bought under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown that sought to find a Third Way.
• Third Way – A political philosophy that aims to find a centrist approach to political and economic issues.
• Northern Research Group

  MPs that represent the new Northern Conservative seats. It has around 55 members and campaign on issues specifically for their Northern seats, mainly “levelling up” and infrastructure.

  In talks with Michael Gove who is now minister for “Levelling up, housing and communities”

  Jake Berry
• European Research Group

  Eurosceptic MPS that would meet and take anti EU stances on government policy

  AO1: Voted against Theresa May’s Brexit deal three times and effectively ended her premiership

  Steve Baker, Jacob Rees-Mogg. 
• Covid Recovery Group.

  MPs who are skeptical of the governments Coronavirus approach in regards to lockdowns and restrictions

  AO1: 98 Tory MPs rebelled against Boris Johnson’s plan B measures on the 14th of December 2021

  INCLUDE: Mark Harper, Steve Baker
• 1922 Committee

  An organization within the Conservative party that gives backbenchers a method to have power over the leadership. Set up in 1922 to encourage cooperation within the party.

  AO1: Helped organise MPs into a coherent movement that successfully removed Theresa May from leadership of the party

  Current Chairman: Sir Graham Brady
• Cornerstone

  Traditional Values: Christian, Nationalist and focused on family values. Reactionary, opposed to social reforms and same-sex marriage and legal abortion

  AO1: Jacob Rees Mogg consistently voted against allowing marriage between two people of the same sex and equal gay rights. 

  INCLUDE: Edward Leigh, Jacob Rees Mogg
• Conservative Way Forward

  Thatcherite, Neo-Liberal: Retention of free markets through low taxation and de-regulation. Opposed to trade union power and welfare provision

  AO1: Liam Fox generally voted for measures to reduce corporation tax and consistently voted against increasing the tax rate on incomes over £150,000

  INCLUDE: Gerald Howarth, Liam Fox
• Tory Reform Group

  One-Nation Conservative, seeking national unity and believing that too much economic inequality is divisive

  AO1: Ken Clarke generally voted to raise the threshold at which people start to pay income tax.
• Orange Book Liberals

  Traditional liberal values of free markets and the withdrawal of the state from excessive interference with a focus on individual liberties

  Ed Davey

  Nick Clegg
• Social Liberals

  Policies concerning social justice, with wealth redistribution from rich to poor through taxation and welfare provision

  Tim Farron

  Jo Swinson

  Layla Moran
• Lib dem Factions: Orange Book Liberlas

  • They lean more towards the centre, supporting greater choice and competition. To a small extent they are linked to the individualism espoused by classical liberals.
  • They aim to increase social mobility through increasing economic freedom for those from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • They tend to favour cutting taxes for the poorest in order to increase opportunity
  • They include Nick Clegg, Ed Davey, David Laws and Danny Alexander
• Popular Conservatives ("Pop Cons")

  • Truss launched a new movement within the Tories, called Popular Conservatism. 
  • They claim to want to “excite the public” and give them “freedom over their lives”
  • Policy of “Robust control” over borders which is seen through the backing of the govt’s Rwanda policy
  • Seek the exit of the UK in the ECHR
  • Push for further tax cuts 
  • The Popular Conservatives are also demanding an end to "Net Zero zealotry", and want to "dismantle the nanny state finger-wagging institutions that attempt to regulate free speech, lifestyle and thought".
• New Conservatives

  • Made up of 25 Tory Backbenchers predominantly from ‘Red wall’ seats
  • The members only entered parliament after 2016
  • Were focussed on delivering on the 2019 manifesto where Johnson promised to ‘get Brexit done2 and “level up”.
  • Outlined its 10-point plan for immigration which included a call to end the temporary visa scheme for care workers and cap the number of refugees who can settle in the UK.
  • Includes the Party’s deputy Lee Anderson
• ERG

  -Eurosceptics and hard advocates for Brexit

  • chaired by Mark Francois 

  -members include Boris Johnson, Suella Braverman, Sir Jacob Rees- Mogg and Steve Barker.

  -Support the Rwanda Bill, calling for the PM to go further in ignoring international treaties and limiting the ability for asylum seekers to take appeals to court.

  -played a key role in blocking May’s Brexit deal and her fall as PM
• Northern Research Group

  • Emerged from the 2019 GE victory
  • Founded by Tory MPs elected in ‘red wall’ constituencies of England as well as Wales and Scotland in 2019. 
  • Promised to focus on the towns and cities that make up the Tories’ “Northern Powerhouse”, through prioritising investment in the North. 
  • Spoke out against COvid lockdowns and business taxes
  • Pushed for core goals around devolution, transport and investment
  • immigration = significant issue and the NRG chair, John Stevenson believes that Sunak’s proposed legislation would receive ‘overwhelming’ support from the northern MPs. 
• Common sense group

  • “Stands for authentic conservatism”
  • Attacked BLM and Extinction Rebellion as “subversives fuelled by ignorance”
  • Led by Sir John Hayes (a veteran Conservative backbencher and former Home office minister who is close to Suella Braverman)
  • Want tougher action on legal and illegal immigration (like New Conservatives)
  • Launched in 2020
  • Pushed hard on culture issues such as Sunak’s plans to phase out smoking, wants a ‘nanny state’ 
  • (Sir john Hayes and Suella Braverman both abstained on the government’s bill on Rwanda)
• • No Turning Back
  • Formed in the 80s to promote Thatcher’s policies 
  • Chaired by Sir John Redwood, who has campaigned for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights to ensure the Rwanda plan can go ahead without further legal delays. (but Redwood abstained on the bill)
  • Defended Thatcher’s free market policies
  • The name of the faction comes from Thatcher’s speech in 1980: “You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning.”
  • No Turning Back exists mainly as a private dining club, and it meets monthly, usually inviting a Minister or external expert to speak.
• One Nation Caucus – The One Nation caucus is the oldest faction, dating to 1975. It promotes the One Nation ideology within Conservatism and was dominant under David Cameron. There are around 100 MPs who are a member of the group and, whilst the other factions believe the bill is not strong enough, the One Nation caucus is concerned that it break international law and fundamental human rights
• Conservative Democratic Organisation – The CDO was formed after the ousting of Boris Johnson, who its members remain loyal to. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel is a key leader within the group. The group are sceptical of everything that Sunak does and the Rwanda Bill is no different.
• The Beveridge Group

  This is a faction within the Liberal Democrats which was founded in response to a sense that the party was drifting too much to the right. Founded in 2001, it’s key members included Alistair Carmichael, Paul Holmes and John Barrett. Named after William Beveridge, the pioneering social reformer of the 1940s, the Beveridge Group seek centre-left solutions to social issues.