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UK politics 2: Political Parties - Coggle Diagram
UK politics 2: Political Parties
2.1
Party Functions and features
Features: left and right wing ideas
Right wing ideas derrive from liberal and conservative ideology. Emphasis on limited government, keepign taxation low and protecting individual liberty
Left wing ideas: higher taxes on the wealthy, extensive welfare provision and greater state influence in the economy.
Adversory vs consensus politics: Adversory is used to denote where the two main parties have opposite stances on most policies. Consensus politics is when the two main parties agree.
Party functions
Create policies to put in their manifesto
To represent the public: 75 percent of voters in the 2019 election felt their opinions were represented by the two main parties.
Select candidates to fight on local, regional, mayoral and general elections
Choose a leader (party members)
Form a government if they get a majority
Campaigning
Party funding
Policy development grants: allocates £2 million to all the main parties so they can employ policy advisors.
Short money: Allocated to the opposition party based on the number of seats they have. Labour received 6.6 million 2021-2022
Public funding
Cranbourne money: opposition party in the house of lords
Private donations come from party membership.
During the 6 weeks of the general election, the conservatve party recieved nearly 6 million from large businesses. In the same time stamp, labour recieved £5 million from trade unions.
State funded political parties:
Yes
It would ensure a more level playing field for smaller parties
'Cash for honours' - Peter cruddas donating £3 million to the conservative party and being awarded a lordship by boris johnson.
No
In a free democracy, people should be able to financially donate and support any party they wish to.
How would the amount be decided?
2.3
2.2 - established political parties (conservatives)
Origins
Based off of Thomas Hobbes ideas of respecting tradition and authority. Most opposed to change.
One nation conservatism
More centre right compared to traditional and new right
Benjamin disraeli warned about britain becoming two nations, 'the rich and the poor', arguing for a more inclusive conservatism for all classes which is why it was named as 'one nation conservatism'.
This helped the conservatives to reach out to the working class.
Key figures: benjamin disraeli, harold macmillan, edward heath
'Noblesse oblige'.
The New right
Combination of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism
The economy best regulates itself with as little government intervention as possible
Discouraging 'dependency culture': where people relied on the government to create wealth
Limiting the influence of trade unions
Neo-conservative ideas: authoritarian state, giving the government extensive powers to fight law and order
Strong defence policies
Discouraging permissive and alternative lifestyles
Modern day policies
The economy: One nation/thatcherite. One nation because of boris johnson's high government spending to 'level up' society. Thatcherite because Rishi Sunak cut public spending after Li z Truss.
Welfare: One nation/thatcherite. Thatcherite based on the universal credit system, where the more you earn the less you recieve. One nation because of the 'living wage' introduced in 2015.
Law and order - Thatcherite. Recent governments have committed consierably to strict law and order, such as the police, crime, sentencing and courts act passed in 2021.
Foreign policy (thatcherite). Boris Johnson announcing a £16.5 billion increase in public defence spending.
2.4
Party Success
Factors:
relationship with media
Jeremy Corbyn losing the 2019 election due to his poor relationship with the media due to his anti semitist remarks
-Despite their confidence with the media, Labour found it much harder to control their political agenda in 2003 due to the bloody afetr math of the iraq war.
Record in government
Callaghan government failing to address the winter of discontent in 1978-1979, hindering their success to the point Tony Blair had to 'rebrand' the party.
Record in Opposition
tony blair scrutinising John Major's government by highlighting conservative divisions over EU membership
Party finance
Not that important: The conservatives have dominated funding for a while, but lost 3 general elections to Blair, despite having significant financial resources.
Choice of candidates and campaign methods
Labours enthusiastic campaigns in the 2017 general election increased their vote share to 9.6 percent. Despite this however, the conservatives were still successful.
Impact of referendums
2.2 established parties: Labour
Old labour (formation - 1979
Traditionally the more left-wing branch of labour, based on social democracy and democratic socialism
Extensive welfare state
Nationalisation
Close links with trade unions
Key figure Anthony Crosland; under his government, 20 percent of the economy was nationalised, and the NHS was established.
New labour
Labour moved left initially under James Callaghan but moved back to the centre after being defeated by Thatcher.
Most significantly developed under Blair.
'Creating wealth' instead of 'residtributing wealth'
Blair believed in the benefits of a free market economy
Centre - left
Authoritarian policies like the introduction of ASBOs, but more inclusive policies like introducing minimum wage.
Modern day policies
Labour has adopted a more centrist approach on nationalisation under Kier Starmer. Although Labour are more likely to impose higher taxation, kier starmer said that 'the role of government is to be a partner to business, not to stifle it'
Welfare: While labour still holds a traditional left - wing committment to the NHS, they also wish to abolish the universal credit system, claiming it traps people in poverty.
Law and Order: A more authoritarian approach. Kier Starrmer pledged that Labour will always be more tough on criminals compared to the labour party.
Foreign policy and defence: Strong foreign policy, such as encouraging NATO membership and the nuclear deterrent, far different from Corbyn.
2.2 established parties: Liberal Democrats
Modern Liberalism
The Liberal Democrats were formed as a pact between the social democrat party and the liberals.
Co-alition with David Cameron 2015-2020
Current ideologies and policies cover a broad spectrum.
The economy: a strong influence from the Social Democrats comes from their commitment to raise income tax by 1p, raising 7 billion to be refunded into the NHS.
Welfare: As an attempt to tackle social injustice, the Lib Dems wish to bring back the student grant to encourage people from dis advantaged backgrounds to attend uni.
Law and order: Prevention approach with support for neighborhood policing, and also the legislation of cannabis, using a liberalist 'self-harm' principle.
Foreign policy: Anti - brexit and remained as the party with the strongest links to the european union.