Important

• • They may divert votes away from the main parties example- The SNP has decimated Labour support in Scotland and UKIP took votes away from both the Conservatives and Labour in 2015
• When a constituency is marginal between large parties, small parties may split the vote one way or the other example- The Brexit Party did not campaign in marginal, Conservative-held seats in the 2019 election, allowing leave supporters to vote for the Conservative Party
• • Small parties may affect the policies of large parties if they present an electoral threat example- UKIP's success at the 2014 European Parliamentary elections lead to a Conservative manifesto promise of an in-out referendum on EU membership and The Brexit Party's popularity at the 2019 European elections had a similar effect, encouraging the Conservatives to adopt a 'hard' Brexit stance