Political Parties

• UK political parties

  • parties have a core set of beliefs and values
  • two main parties dominate
• Features of political parties

  • share similar views
• Roles of political parties

  • making policy
  • representation
  • selecting candidates
  • identifying leader
  • organizing elections
  • political education
  • reinforcing consent (population)
• Manifestos and Mandates

  • aggregation= converting ideas into practical policy for government
  • populism= movement that appeals to emotions and those who feel ignored
• Doctrine of a mandate

  • mandate allows successful in government by next election
  • strengthens government
  • votes are confident
  • MPs of a winning party = bound in
  • If government strays= scrutiny
• Doctrine of a mandate weaknesses

  • Hung parliament, promises lost
  • assumes that government has support to fulfill all promises
  • interpretations hard to hold government to account
• How are parties funded

  • membership subscription
  • fundraisers
  • donations
  • loans from banks
  • self finance
  • 2 million pounds in electoral commission
• Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000

  • reduction in foreign influence
  • limits on how much can be spent in an election
  • Donations under 500 pounds declared
  • donations over 7500 pounds to be on electoral register
• Large parties advantage

  • small parties struggle
  • promotes inequality
  • Labour received = 51.2 million pounds
  • Green received = 3 million pounds
  • EG, Bernie Ecclestone and Lord Sainsbury
• Large Donors for PP

  • an unaccountable influence
  • parties cant change but favor policy
  • 2015-2017 the conservatives received 11.3 million pounds in donation whereas labour received 650,000 pounds in donations
• Cases for Reform

  • short money
  • use state funding
  • restrict donations to individuals
  • restrict size of donations