1. The United Kingdom Party System:
‘The myth of the United Kingdom’s Two-Party System.’

2. Introduction
(a) Electoral and Legislative Party System
(b) Sartori’s Definition of a Two-Party System
Development of the Party System
(a) Early Stages
(b) Emergence of Multi-Party System
(c) Development of Two-Party System
Recent Party System
4. Summary and Conclusion

3. 1 Introduction

4. Sartori’s Definition of a Two-Party System
We have a two-party system whenever the existence of other parties does not prevent either of the two major parties from governing alone
And…….

5. The margin between the two major parties is close enough so that the party in opposition has a chance to oust the governing party

6. Two Aspects
The Electoral Party System
The Legislative Party System

7. 2 Development of the Party System

8. (a) Early Stages ‘Ins’ and ‘Outs’ (pre-1832)
Two-Party System ( )

9. (b) Emergence of Multi-Party System 1886-1918
Conservatives
Liberals
The Irish Nationalists
The Liberal Unionists
Crofters
The Labour Party

10. Parties 1892 Conservatives 268 Liberals 268 Irish Nationalists 81
Liberal Unionists
Crofters
Ind Labour

11. Not Two-Party but Bi-Polar
Left Pole
Liberals
Labour
Irish Nationalists
Right Pole
Conservatives
Liberal Unionists

12. (c)Moves Toward Two-Party System post 1918
Consequence of Irish Independence
Decline of the Liberals
but….

13. ... Labour needed Liberals to form governments, 1924 & 1929-31
Dominant Party System emerged in the 1930s (1935 Conservatives 432, Labour 154, Liberals 21)

14. (d) Two-Party System,
Weakness of Regional/National Divisions
Few Socio-Political Cleavages
The Electoral System

15. 3 Recent Party System

16. Features Assertion of National Particularisms
Weakening of Class-Based Politics
Crises in the Labour and Conservative Parties

17. 2005 General Election Ind (Lab) 1 Labour 356* Con. 198 Ulster U 1
Lib/Dem
SNP
Plaid Cymru 3
Kidmster Hsp 1
Respect
Ind (Lab)
Ulster U
Democratic U 9
SDLP
Sinn Fein
*Inc. Speaker
(see slide) .

18. Complications in Elections
Electors have a choice of a number parties.
U.K. Independence (496)
Green Party (183)
British National Party (119)
Veritas (66)
Scottish Socialist Party (58)
Socialist Labour Party (50)
Respect (26); Legalist Cannabis Alliance (21);
Mebyon Kernow (4); Official Monster Raving Loony (20); Remove Tetra Masts in Cornwall (1)
Note there are numerous other parties, though they are not represented.
Parties such as UK Independence could damage the Conservatives in marginal seats. (A large asteroid rather than a planet)
Most of them are stellar dust.

19. 4 Summary & Conclusion

20. Territorial Axis
Sinn Fein
SNP
SDLP
Economic
Axis
Liberals
Labour
Conservative
Ulster Unionists
UKIP

21. Concluding Points The System is NOT Two-Party The System is Unstable
Future Developments Unpredictable