Political parties - consolidation Mini-quiz! Answer the following five questions about the Conservative Party. 1.Which Conservative leader secured the biggest Conservative majority in the last 50 years? 2.Which high-profile Conservative will be running as the candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in May 2015, with the hope of returning to Parliament after an absence of some years? 3.What proportion of Conservative MPs are female? 4.What have Conservative MPs done more times in the 2010–15 parliament than in any other? 5.Iain Duncan Smith has been responsible for which controversial set of reforms?

Answers 1.Which Conservative leader secured the biggest Conservative majority in the last 50 years? Margaret Thatcher, with a majority of 144 in Which high-profile Conservative will be running as the candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in May 2015, with the hope of returning to Parliament after an absence of some years? Boris Johnson 3.What proportion of Conservative MPs are female? 16% 4.What have Conservative MPs done more times in the 2010–15 parliament than in any other? Rebelled against the party whip 5.Which controversial reforms has Conservative minister Iain Duncan Smith been responsible for? Welfare reforms, including a cap on total benefits of £26,000 p.a. for families, changing the benefits system for disabled people, introducing Universal Credit.

Reflection Thinking back to Tuesday’s examination, identify 2-3 key concepts that you struggled to explain. Be prepared to share those concepts with the class As a reminder, your three key topics were: −Participation and voting behaviour −Electoral Systems −Political Parties

Learning objectives To consolidate our understanding of political parties

Consolidation Each table group has: −a topic to research related to UK political parties; and −an article from Politics Review to get them started Everyone has 15 mins to prepare an effective summary of the article, supplementing what you learn their with your group’s own knowledge Each group will have 5 mins to provide detailed feedback to the class as a whole on their topic

The Party System Read through the Politics Review article on the UK party system and prepare an answer to the following question: How far do you agree that “only FPTP now maintains the dominance of Labour and the Conservatives”. Evidence in support Evidence against Overall conclusion

The Party System - response How far do you agree that “only FPTP now maintains the dominance of Labour and the Conservatives”. FPTP does favour Labour and the Conservative Parties for various reasons.

Party funding Read through the Politics Review article on the UK party funding and prepare an answer to the following question: How far do you agree that “state-funded political parties would be less independent”. Evidence in support Evidence against Overall conclusion

Party funding - response How far do you agree that “state-funded political parties would be less independent”. Political parties are not independent.

Party dealignment Read through the Politics Review article on the UK party ‘dealignment’ and prepare an answer to the following question: How far do you agree that “geography is now more important than social class” in determining voting behaviour. Evidence in support Evidence against Overall conclusion

Party dealignment - response How far do you agree that “geography is now more important than social class” in determining voting behaviour.

Party conferences Read through the Politics Review article on the UK party conferences and prepare an answer to the following question: How far do you agree that “party conferences are more media spectacles than forums for genuine discussion”. Evidence in support Evidence against Overall conclusion

Party conferences - response How far do you agree that “party conferences are more media spectacles than forums for genuine discussion”.

‘Power within modern UK political parties is held by the party leaders and other senior figures as opposed to individual members.’ Discuss. (25) This question clearly focuses on the issue of internal party democracy—that is, precisely where power rests within the main UK parties: with grassroots members or with party leaders. In terms of making party policy, it is probably fair to say that ultimate power now rests with the party leaders. It would be hard for a party to head up policies which they themselves didn’t believe in. In the Conservative Party, the leader has always had the key role in formulating policy, though (s)he is expected to take into account the views of others, e.g. the front bench, the 1922 Committee, the party grassroots, etc. In the 1990s, William Hague sought to democratise the party’s policy-making process with his ‘Fresh Future’ initiative. Even so, the bodies he created were little more than advisory. Under Blair, the Labour Party has also seen a shift in policy-making power to the centre. In the 1970s, the ‘conference was king’ in terms of making policy. Under Blair, the party adopted a two year policy making cycle, during which policy commissions make proposals to the National Executive Committee before being passed to conference for final approval. These arrangements helped avoid the bitter arguments that characterised the party conferences of the 1980s. In terms of selecting parliamentary candidates, all three major a similar three stage process: first, those wanting to be candidates must get themselves onto a centrally-vetted list; second, they must be shortlisted by the constituency party; and third, they must be chosen by local party members, either at constituency meetings or by secret ballot. Even then, the central party can step in and reject local candidates in favour of its own, e.g. the Labour Party’s imposition of Shaun Woodward on St Helens in 2001 or UKIPs adoption of the renegade Tories Mark Reckless and Douglass Carswell. All three main parties give individual members a say in choosing the party leader. Liberal Democracts and Conservatives can both vote for candidates after a short list has been officially selected. In the case of the Conservative Party, this has led to official ‘coronations’, as when Michael Howard was the only candidate selected to stand for party leader. Labour Party members form one-third of the electoral college responsible for choosing between the candidates for party leader. In a sense, one could argue that internal party democracy is probably not a good idea anyway. When party membership was far higher, the views of party members may well have offered a fair insight into the views of the public at large. In the modern era, however, party membership is often not representative of the wider voting population. Allowing individual members too much power could therefore amount to electoral suicide—arguably the situation faced by the Labour Party in the 1980s and the Conservative Party found in the early 2000s.

Generic mark scheme – 25 mark questions AO1 (10-11 marks)AO2 (7-8 marks)AO3 (5-6 marks) The student successfully demonstrates accurate and relevant knowledge and understanding of political concepts/theories/ institutions and processes and the relationship between them, to produce an answer that addresses the focus of the question and that demonstrates significant contextual awareness. The student’s answer includes relevant examples to substantiate and illustrate points made. The student evaluates political institutions, processes and behaviour, applying appropriate concepts and theories. The student provides analysis which displays sound awareness of differing viewpoints and a clear recognition of issues. Parallels and connections are identified, together with valid and precise comparisons. The answer includes relevant and convincing interpretations or explanations. The student communicates clear, structured and sustained arguments and explanations making excellent use of appropriate political vocabulary. The student produces answers with a clear sense of direction leading towards a coherent conclusion. Characteristics of a L4 response (20-25 marks)

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