Political Parties: Summary
Functions: representation, governing, organising the vote, leadership, policy making
Features: proposed programme of govt, a broad policy focus across all areas of govt not sectional interest, internal
democracy – internal systems to elect party leader, shared set of political or ideological goals, seek to gain power
through putting up candidates to win elected office.
Funding of the Conservative party
Mainly funded by large individual or corporate donations but also by membership fees
In the 6 days leading up to the 2017 election they received £3mil in donations of £7500 or more (10 times
the amount that Labour raised in the same period)
Donations come from hedge fund managers, property companies, people working in financial services.
One individual donated more than £1mil between 2015-17
London Mayor 2014 Boris Johnson played tennis with the wife of former Russian minister Vladamir
Chernukhin in return for £160,000 donation
Frank Hester - 10million - Diane Abbott - PMQs - Diane Abbott 46 times - ineffectual
Funding of the Labour party
Funded by trade unions and party members
Big individual donations were more common in the New Labour era
Increased proportion of funding from party membership fees in recent years due to a significant membership
increase since 2015
Reduction in donations from wealthy individuals in the same period
Tony Blair – loans for honours – controversy
1997 – Bernie Ecclestone affair: the first major funding scandal that was a catalyst for election campaign
reform
In January 1997 Mr Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, donated £1million to Labour - a donation only made
public in early November after the government had announced F1 would be exempt from a ban on tobacco
advertising which was a key plank of the party's election manifesto. Mr Ecclestone lobbied for the exemption
at a meeting at Number 10 with Mr Blair on 16 October.
State funding
Short money: money paid for every opposition seat – reduces the advantage in staff and resources which the
government party has over other parties
Cranbourne money: for the opposition party in the house of lords.
Argument that funding parties entirely by the state would remove corruption – but this isn’t a popular idea
amongst the public.
Funding reform: greater limits to individual donations (how collective donation from trade unions should be treated),
funding based on votes or nomination personally for who you want part of your taxes to go to.
HOWEVER: people would prioritise other spending, the state would have to fund extremists, entrenches the
advantage of big parties, separated parties from those they seek to represent (Labour and union members)
Party / policy Economic policy Law and Order Welfare Foreign Policy and the EU
Functions: representation, governing, organising the vote, leadership, policy making
Features: proposed programme of govt, a broad policy focus across all areas of govt not sectional interest, internal
democracy – internal systems to elect party leader, shared set of political or ideological goals, seek to gain power
through putting up candidates to win elected office.
Funding of the Conservative party
Mainly funded by large individual or corporate donations but also by membership fees
In the 6 days leading up to the 2017 election they received £3mil in donations of £7500 or more (10 times
the amount that Labour raised in the same period)
Donations come from hedge fund managers, property companies, people working in financial services.
One individual donated more than £1mil between 2015-17
London Mayor 2014 Boris Johnson played tennis with the wife of former Russian minister Vladamir
Chernukhin in return for £160,000 donation
Frank Hester - 10million - Diane Abbott - PMQs - Diane Abbott 46 times - ineffectual
Funding of the Labour party
Funded by trade unions and party members
Big individual donations were more common in the New Labour era
Increased proportion of funding from party membership fees in recent years due to a significant membership
increase since 2015
Reduction in donations from wealthy individuals in the same period
Tony Blair – loans for honours – controversy
1997 – Bernie Ecclestone affair: the first major funding scandal that was a catalyst for election campaign
reform
In January 1997 Mr Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, donated £1million to Labour - a donation only made
public in early November after the government had announced F1 would be exempt from a ban on tobacco
advertising which was a key plank of the party's election manifesto. Mr Ecclestone lobbied for the exemption
at a meeting at Number 10 with Mr Blair on 16 October.
State funding
Short money: money paid for every opposition seat – reduces the advantage in staff and resources which the
government party has over other parties
Cranbourne money: for the opposition party in the house of lords.
Argument that funding parties entirely by the state would remove corruption – but this isn’t a popular idea
amongst the public.
Funding reform: greater limits to individual donations (how collective donation from trade unions should be treated),
funding based on votes or nomination personally for who you want part of your taxes to go to.
HOWEVER: people would prioritise other spending, the state would have to fund extremists, entrenches the
advantage of big parties, separated parties from those they seek to represent (Labour and union members)
Party / policy Economic policy Law and Order Welfare Foreign Policy and the EU
