POLITICAL PARTIES ESSAY PLANS
Evaluate the view that reforming party funding would improve the various functions of political parties. -
✔✔intro - current party funding is largely seen as undemocratic. the principles of parties are to rep,
ensure democracy with their policy formulation and increase participation
para one - representation
link people to government
may only need support of 30-40% for fptp victories
YES - For : With public funding the State can encourage or demand changes in for example how many
women candidates a party fields.In the same way as private donations can come with demands on party
or candidate behaviour, the State can use public funds to level the playing field and encourage (or force)
political parties to undertake reforms, hold internal elections or field a certain number of women
candidates, youth or persons from an ethnic minority on their ballots.
NO - reform of party funding may not increase rep, under the current system, people can subscribe to
parties and pay fees to the parties they want. also, parties are increasing their descriptive
representation, over half of Labour MPs are women, almost 10% of HoC are BAME - granted much work
to be done.
para 2 - democracy and policy formulation
formulate public policy and are currently swayed by those who fund them, think tanks may fund parties
in order for them to push for policies which benefit the corporations - cons, new labour. Public funding
can increase transparency in party and candidate finance and thereby help curb corruption.If political
parties and candidates receive a substantial amount of their income from the State, they can more
easily be required to disclose their income and expenditure. If their financial statements are made
publicly available, voters can decide which sources of funds are acceptable to them, and they will also
have better opportunities to hold politicians accountable.Needed with so much government mistrust.
might also give SNP and smaller
Evaluate the extent to which there differences between the Labour and Conservative parties over
policies and ideas - ✔✔Starmer's Labour has it routes in social democracy whilst Johnson's conservative
party can be traced back to neoliberalism. inherently the party policies differ, the spell of consensus
politics around the Blair premiership has been long broken, particularly under a Labour party led by
, leftist Corbyn up until early 2020. these differences are illustrated by positions on devolution and the
economy. However, shared elements of policies between the two parties are increasingly exhibited
particularly to do with ideological stances in social attitudes, as well as with the eruption of Covid-19
and its effects on government spending. Albeit, similarities remain minimal.
Para 1 -economics - although less radical in government spending than Corbyn had attempted to be,
Karmer pledges to distribute wealth and increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reversing the
Tories' cuts in corporation tax. Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for
shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.
- However the conservatives aim for public debt to be lower than the last parliament. Fund day-to-day
spending through taxation, while increasing borrowing to "invest thoughtfully and responsibly in
infrastructure".
- but, since covid - Sunak's furlough scheme and huge spending could be seen as somewhat paternal and
is distinctive to Cameron's austerity following the financial crisis
para 2 - welfare -
under May spending on the NHS would rise at least over £8billion in the five years. Although Johnson
has been accused of possibly selling sectors of the NHS to US corporations, privatising it, since the
eruption of Covid 19 the conservative party have especially recognised the significance of the NHS
Starmer - Abolish Universal Credit and end the Tories' cruel sanctions regime. Set a nationa
Evaluate the extent to which the Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism - ✔✔intro - The
emergence of Thatcherism came after the social democratic consensus had broken down during the 70s.
As PM from 1979-1990, Thatcher introduced a hybrid political theory of neoliberal economics with
traditional social values; the new right. Elements of neoliberalism still exist under Johnson and have
done under May and Cameron with support for austerity, tax cuts and privatisation. However social
attitudes within the party have changed especially regarding same-sex marriage alongside changes in
the crime sector. Nevertheless, the party has largely departed from Thatcherism
para 1 - SUPPORT FOR Neoliberal/Laissez faire economics - specifically Privatisation and Deregulation
Evaluate the view that reforming party funding would improve the various functions of political parties. -
✔✔intro - current party funding is largely seen as undemocratic. the principles of parties are to rep,
ensure democracy with their policy formulation and increase participation
para one - representation
link people to government
may only need support of 30-40% for fptp victories
YES - For : With public funding the State can encourage or demand changes in for example how many
women candidates a party fields.In the same way as private donations can come with demands on party
or candidate behaviour, the State can use public funds to level the playing field and encourage (or force)
political parties to undertake reforms, hold internal elections or field a certain number of women
candidates, youth or persons from an ethnic minority on their ballots.
NO - reform of party funding may not increase rep, under the current system, people can subscribe to
parties and pay fees to the parties they want. also, parties are increasing their descriptive
representation, over half of Labour MPs are women, almost 10% of HoC are BAME - granted much work
to be done.
para 2 - democracy and policy formulation
formulate public policy and are currently swayed by those who fund them, think tanks may fund parties
in order for them to push for policies which benefit the corporations - cons, new labour. Public funding
can increase transparency in party and candidate finance and thereby help curb corruption.If political
parties and candidates receive a substantial amount of their income from the State, they can more
easily be required to disclose their income and expenditure. If their financial statements are made
publicly available, voters can decide which sources of funds are acceptable to them, and they will also
have better opportunities to hold politicians accountable.Needed with so much government mistrust.
might also give SNP and smaller
Evaluate the extent to which there differences between the Labour and Conservative parties over
policies and ideas - ✔✔Starmer's Labour has it routes in social democracy whilst Johnson's conservative
party can be traced back to neoliberalism. inherently the party policies differ, the spell of consensus
politics around the Blair premiership has been long broken, particularly under a Labour party led by
, leftist Corbyn up until early 2020. these differences are illustrated by positions on devolution and the
economy. However, shared elements of policies between the two parties are increasingly exhibited
particularly to do with ideological stances in social attitudes, as well as with the eruption of Covid-19
and its effects on government spending. Albeit, similarities remain minimal.
Para 1 -economics - although less radical in government spending than Corbyn had attempted to be,
Karmer pledges to distribute wealth and increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reversing the
Tories' cuts in corporation tax. Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for
shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.
- However the conservatives aim for public debt to be lower than the last parliament. Fund day-to-day
spending through taxation, while increasing borrowing to "invest thoughtfully and responsibly in
infrastructure".
- but, since covid - Sunak's furlough scheme and huge spending could be seen as somewhat paternal and
is distinctive to Cameron's austerity following the financial crisis
para 2 - welfare -
under May spending on the NHS would rise at least over £8billion in the five years. Although Johnson
has been accused of possibly selling sectors of the NHS to US corporations, privatising it, since the
eruption of Covid 19 the conservative party have especially recognised the significance of the NHS
Starmer - Abolish Universal Credit and end the Tories' cruel sanctions regime. Set a nationa
Evaluate the extent to which the Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism - ✔✔intro - The
emergence of Thatcherism came after the social democratic consensus had broken down during the 70s.
As PM from 1979-1990, Thatcher introduced a hybrid political theory of neoliberal economics with
traditional social values; the new right. Elements of neoliberalism still exist under Johnson and have
done under May and Cameron with support for austerity, tax cuts and privatisation. However social
attitudes within the party have changed especially regarding same-sex marriage alongside changes in
the crime sector. Nevertheless, the party has largely departed from Thatcherism
para 1 - SUPPORT FOR Neoliberal/Laissez faire economics - specifically Privatisation and Deregulation
