Politics - Political Parties In Depth

. Parties are associations of people who hold similar political views and wish to promote those views

. Parties seek to gain governmental poe]wer at local, regional and national levels - The search for power distinguishes parties from other associations

. Most parties have some kind of formal organistion, normally a hierarchy inckuding leaders, activists and followers

. Most parties have a system of membership

. Develop policies and politcal programmes designed to solve problems in a society or to improve society

. Select suitable candidates for office at all levels - local. regional and national

. Identify and train political leaders, again at local. regional and national levels

. Educate the public about important politcal issues

. Provide organised opportunities for people to participate in politics

. When not in government, call the existing government to account

. Parties are an integral part of the UK political system - they help to organise elections and to run the business of representative bodies at local, regional and national levels

. Membership subscriptions

. Fundraising events such as fetes, festivals, conferences and dinners

. Donations from supporters

. Loans from wealthy individuals or banks

. Self-financing of candiadtes for office

. There is up to 2 million per party available in grants from the Electoral Commission, plus Short money, which grants funds to parties fir research, depending on their size

. Impose restrictions on the size of individual donations to parties - This is broadly the system used in the USA (though donors can grant funds to thousands of individual candidates); the cap would have to be relatively low to be effective

. Impose tight restrictions on how much parties are allowed to spend - This would make large-scale fundraising futile

. Restrict donations to individuals - e.g. outlaw donations from businesses, pressure groups and trade unions

. Replace all funding with state grants for parties, paid for out of general taxation

. It will end the opportunities for the corrupt use of doantions ('cash for honours') - Some donors give money in the expectation of being granted an honour

. It will end the possibility of 'hidden' forms of influence through funding - Organisations and companies often deny they are seeking politcal advantage, but this claim is difficult to justify

. It will reduce the huge financial advantage that large parties enjoy and give smaller parties the opportunity to make progress

. It will improve democracy by ensuring wider participation from grups that have no ready source of funds

. Taxpayers may object to funding to what can be considered to be 'private organisations' - There are many other calls on government revenue which are seen as more important

. It will be difficult to know how to distribute funding - Should it be on the basis of past performance (in which case large parties will retain their advantage) or on the basis of future aspirations (which is vague)?

. Parties may lose some of their independence and will see themselves as organs f the state

. It may lead to excessive state regulation of parties

. Redistributing income from rich to poor through taxation and welfare as well as a generous minimum wage

. Strong support for the welfare state and opposition to private-sector involvement n the provision to such services

. Support for workers' rights and trade union power and the protection of workers' rights in such areas as job security, fair contracts and good working conditions

. The state should support industries which are vital to sicety and the economy, typically energy, rail and the mail system

. Support for measures designed to create equality of opportunity, largely education

. A stress of equal rights for all groups in society, especially women and minorities

. Support for aid to poorer countries

. Low levels of personal and corporate taxation to encourage private enterprise and create incentives to work

. Acceptance of private-sector invovlevment in the provision of public services - Extreme right-wing views include the replacement of the welfare state with private insurance

. The state should not interfere with the working of the economy save for exceptional circumstances

. Support for free markets in goods, finance and labour, including reducing trade union power

. Keeping welfare benefits relatively low as an incentive for people to find work and not become too dependent on the state

. A strong position on law and order

. A stress on national unity and patriotism

. ideologies, ideas and policies which tend towards socialism

. Left wing refers to such ideas as redistribution of income, egulation of the excesses of capitalism, protection for workers' rights, a stress on state welfare and state control of some major industries

. A term related to ideologies, ideas and policies which tend towards the promotion of free market capitalism, acceptance of social and economic inequality and a limited role for the state

. Typical policies include low taxation and welfare levels, the promotion of free markets, a hard line on crime and a preference for the collective rights of the community over individual human rights

. Conservative: Centre-right - There is a large right-wing minoirty in the party

. Labour: Left - The leadership group is left wing but many MPs are centre-left

. Lib Dems: Centre-left - Many part supporters are very centrist

. UKIP: Right - Some describe UKIP as extreme right, it does have some extremist supporters

. Green Party: Left - The party's main concern is environmentalism, but it has other left-wing views

. Scottish National Party: Centre-left - Independence is the main policy, but it is close to Labour in its other ideals

. Plaid Cymru: Centre-left - In non-mationalist policies it is similar to Labout

. DUP: Right - Largely concerned with NI domestic issues

. A stress on order and harmony in society (one nation)

. Opposition to strongly held ideology or political principles

. A preference for gentle reform over radical ideas

. A belief in individualism and a limited state

. Support for traditional institutions and values

. Nationalism

. A pragmatic approach to political decision making

. Low taxation

. Financial responsibility

. Stressing the importance of private property ownership

. Support for capitalism

. Preference for community rights over individual rights

. Stress on law, order and national security

(Based on the June 2017 Queen's Speech outlining government policies for two years)

. To achieve a surplus government budget as soon after 2020 as possible

. To renew the Trident nuclear submarine missile system

. To negotiate the best possible terms for leaving the EU

. To increase the personal tax-free income tax allowance to 12,500 per annum

. To reduce the tax burden on company profits

. To reduce the tax burden on middle-income groups

. Generous increases in the minimum wage by 2020

. Not to increase the rate of VAT

. To reduce tax avoidance and evasion by individuals and companies

. To build a Northern Powerhouse by investing in infrastructure in northern England

. Reform of the social care system to reduce the burden on low-income groups

. Thatcherism (New Right) - Supporting the policies adopted in the 1980s; they include neo-liberal ideas of free markets, low taxation, low levels of welfare benefits and the weakening of trade unions plus neo-conervatism which wishes to see a strong, authoritarian state (the main group is called Conservative Way Forward)

. Liberal progressive conservatism - Opposes the Thatcherite agenda and accepts the need for greater social justice, liberal policies towards lifestyles and a balanced view of welfare versus low taxation; e.g. Tory Reform Group

. One nation Tories - Now a small minority who wish to avoid policies which may be socially divisive

. Euroscpetics - After the UK's decision to leave the EU, this groups hopes that the UK will not join the European single market or the European customs union but will claim full economic independence

. To reduce inequality in society

. To regulate capitalism

. A belief in the power of the state to promote social and economic reform

. To balance the interests of workers against those of employers

. To promote equal opportunities and reduce unjustified privilege

. Support for an extensive, well-funded welfare state

. A progressive tax system to redistribute real income

. Relatively high direct taxes to fund public services

. Support for a strong, free, comprehensive education system

. The promotion of equal rights

, Measures to reduce poverty, especially child poverty

(Based on the 2017 party manifesto)]

. To increase taxation on the wealthiest groups in society

. To increase taxation on company profits

. To reduce taxation on low-income groups

. To attack tax evasion and avoidance

. Significant increases in the minimum wage

. To reverse welfare benefit cuts implemented since 2010

. To bring the railways, water companies and Royal Mail under public ownership (nationalisation)

. Large-scale government borrowing for capital spending on transport, schools and hospitals

. To restore trade union powers removed since 2010

. To increase spending on health and social care

. To abolish university tuition fees

. An extensive programme of affordable house building

. The supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, known as Momentum - They support left-wing scialist policies such as the re-nationalisation of some important industries and strong regulation of public utilities, strengthening trade unions, and raising taxes to redistribute income and improve welfare services; they are sometimes referred to as Old Labour or democratic socialists

. The opponents of Corbyn and supporters of centrist policies such as poverty-reducation programmes, mild redistribution of income, support for the welfare state but not excessively generous state benefits, and a pragmatic approach to economic management - Sometimes they are referred to as New Labour supporters or even Blairites, or sometimes moderate social democrats

. Strong belief in individual liberty

. Strong belief in equality of opportunity

. Stress on equal rights and the rule of law

. A belief in the state welfare

. Constitutional government to prevent abuse of power

. Constitutional reform to make the UK more democratic and to decentralise power

. The redistribution of income through tax and welfare

. Greater protection for the environment and natural resources

. Support for private property ownership

. A strong, fee, well-supported education system to promote equality of opporunity

. The abolition of inherited privilege

(Based on the 2017 party manifesto)

. A proposal for a referendum on any final 'deal' negotiated by the government with the Eu

. Strong measures to protect the environment and to promote renewable sources of energy

. Reignite the debate about constitutional issues such as electoral reform and an elected second chamber

. A programme of building affordable housing

. Reduce taxes on low-income groups

. A vigorous attack on tax evasion and avoidance

. Significant increases in the minimum wage

. Large increases in spending on health, social care and education

. Restoration of the pre-2010 levels of some welfare benefits

. Most Liberal Democrats support centre-left policies similar to those adopted by the centrists in the Labour Party, together with a strong position on environmental control and constitutional reform - These are sometimes described as modern liberals

. So-called Oragne Book Liberals support constitutional reform and environmentalism but also support neo-liberal policies which would establish very free product, labour and financial markets - This is a thowback to the 19th century predecessors known as classical liberals

. Small and emerging parties in the UK can have the following impacts on the outcome of elections and on the 3 main partes:

. They may divert votes away from the main parties - e.g the SNP has decimated Labour support in Scotland; UKIP took votes way 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 - e.g the Green Party splits the centre-left vote

. Small parties may affect the policies of large parties if they present an electoral threat - e.g UKIP has pushed the Conservative Party to take a harder line on negotiations with the EU

. Scottish independence

. Failing independence, greater autonomous powers for Scotland within the UK

. Redistribution of income from rich to poor

. Strong support for public-sector health and education

. Investment in renewable energy

. Cancellation of the Trident nuclear missile programme

. Often described as populism

. UK to leave the European single market

. Strong controls over immigration

. Preference for British citizens in jobs, housing, welfare and education

. An attack on companies that avoid and evade tax

. Reduced expenditure on overseas aid

. Similar nationalist policies to the SNP but acceptance that Welsh independence is unlikely for many years

. Similar economic and social policies to the SNP

. Strong controls on environmental damage and strict emissions control targets (green politics)

. Very large investment in generation of renewable energy

. Radical redistribution of income from rich to poor

. Cancellation of the Trident nuclear missile programme

. Radical constitutional reform

. Close ties between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK

. Keeping an open border with the Republic of Ireland after Brexit

. Resistance to liberal social policies such as same-sex marriage

. Opposition to integration of religious schools

. Percentage of seats won by two main parties - 93% in 1987, 89.2% in 2017

. Decline in two-party dominance in votes (reversed in 2017): Percentage of votes won by two main parties, 65.1% in 2010 and 80.4% in 2017

. Experience

. Decisiveness

. Ability to lead

. Media image

. Intelligence

. Apparent honesty

. Refers to how people generally view the party's image:

. How competent were they when they were last in office?

. How economically responsible do they appear to be?

. Are they trustworthy?

. Parties that are disunited tend to fare badly at elections, whereas united parties are usually successful

. In 1983 and 1987 a divided Labour party was heavily defeated by a united Conservative Party under Thatcher

. In 1997 the Conservatives wre divided over Europe and lost heavily to Labour, which was united around Tony Blair's New Labour agenda

. In 2015 the divided Liberal Democratic Party lost most of its seats in the UK Parliament

. The broadcast media have a legal requirement to be neutral - Media influence therefore centres on the press

. The press presents significant images of party leaders as being weak or strong, decisive or indecisive, charismatic or unpopular

. By publishing opinion poll data, they may influence voting behaviour

. The newspapers have preferences for particular parties - They may, therefore, present the policies of their favoured parties in a more positive light

. At election time most newspapers recommend that their readers vote for a particular party