uk politics evidence

• 1998 HRA act


  Brought the ECHR into UK law
• 2022 election act


  Introduced Voter ID which may see many disenfranchised, 2% don't have any form of ID, the may 2023 local elections saw 4% of people not voting because they did not have ID, unfair as older people only have to bring a freedom pass
• 16 and 17 y/o to vote


  75% did and 97% said they were likely to do so again and scotland in the scottish referendum
• Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022


  Limits people's rights to free speech as unable to protest peacefully, masked protesters after free palestine marches, they can no longer use the right to protest as a genuine excuse if they commit a public order offence such as serious disruption, Perpetrators in possession of flares or fireworks could be fined £1000
• 1. democracy petition


  High youth participation online, e-democracy - 2007 1.8 million sign petition stopping road charging, Huge youth leadership in BLM movement
• Democratic deficit


  Free media- According to a 2021 report by the Media Reform Coalition, 90% of the UK-wide print media is owned and controlled by just three companies
• Bill of rights 2022


  Has fewer liberties than the HRA, the HRA is unentrenched
• Think Tanks


  Right wing adam smith institute, Fabien society issues concerning social justice, e.g Thatcher often looked at reports by the Adam Smith Institute, Labour leaders e.g Clement Atlee often looked at reports by the Fabian Society, Blair used tt to establish his third way shift - mps get involved as opendemocracy found that the uk's leading right-wing tt discuss strategy with them - large impact on gov decisions -those that are politically connected and wish to impact gov decisions can easily do so
• Margaret Thatcher: '"Referendums are a device used by dictators"'
• Lobbyists


  e.g. stonewall regarding sexual offences act brought age of consent for homo relationships in line with hetero - 1999 challenged ban on gay people in armed forces - revolving door of politics shows some lobbyists can have extremely high levels of influence over mps as they have great connections - owen patterson lobbying scandal, lobbyists from Best For Britain tried to persuade BJ to hold another Brexit ref but he went ahead with his get brexit done agenda anyway, Criticised for being a 'hidden face', Greensill capital had links to david cameron, revolving door theory with ex politicians becoming swayed to reveal government secrets
• Pressure groups


  e.g ASH banned smoking in public places after presenting medical evidence to gov in 2007 or Liberty's involvement in R v Sec of State for Home Department who argued that the current laws undermined the right to privacy leading to gov changing the law, e.g british medical association ( they were able to ban smoking in cars around children in 2014, The british bankers association used their ties with the government to get £850billion in financial support following the 2008 crash, just stop oil glueing themselves to speakers' chair in HoC yet gov still approved plans for Rosebank and new fracking in the Lakes (cumbria) - not influential to gov despite being extremely disruptive and loud as gov pursues their own agenda anyway
• The 2 main parties have never held less than 85% of the seats in the house of commons
• 1979 : 95.8% of seats were won by the 2 main parties
• Examples of dominant-party system

  1979-1997 conservatives, 1997-2010 new labour
• Green party 2019 860,000 = 1 seat
• Funding 3 months prior to 2017 election Cons: £25 mil Lab: £9.5mil
• 2019 tories received £19 mil donations Green party £245,000 tories won 365 seats greens 1
• Old labour clause iv

  Introduced by beatrice webb
• New labour Blair 1997 campaign

  'things can only get better'
• Blair as Pm
• Jewish MP that left Labour Karen Newman
• The dementia tax


  People's value provide for social care
• The Conservative Party is increasing its annual membership fees by 56% amid a drop in donations
• Sunak: Illegal migration Bill 2023


  Very controversial, meant that anyone entering the Uk illegally would not have their case of asylum heard
• How many tories opposed marriage act 2013- 136
• Harold wilson


  Build 1.2 million council homes
• Thatcher


  Allowed people to buy council houses affordably- with the right to buy
• "Hug a hoodie"- cameron

  To please the working class and young audience
• 2015 how many families did Cameron promise right to buy to? 1.3 million
• May - tenant feees act 2019


  Third legislation aimed to protect tenants in the private rental sector
• Furlough scheme introduced in the coronavirus act 2020


  Eat out to help out, granted the government temporary emergency powers for times of crisis
• Truss- energy freeze promised

  To keep energy costs to an average of £2,500 a year
• Johnson "Get brexit done" slogan


  Proves the uphold of euroscepticism
• Truss pledged to cut taxes


  That will cost about £38 billion
• Charles kennedy


  The more left if the lib dems
• Allowed them to take the moral highground in 1999 against the iraq war, also supporting the end of tuition fees
• 2001 GE 52 seats, 2005 62 seats
• Orange book liberals


  Lean towards the centre- linked to classical liberals - individualism, e.g nick clegg and current lib dem leader ed davey
• In 2010 GE the lib dems won 57 seats, one of reasons was due to the success of clegg during tv debate 'i agree with nick'
• SNP membership


  Was 100,000 but has dropped into 72,000 perhaps due to Nicola sturgeon scandal