Do small parties matter

1
Do small parties matter ?
2
Breaking the mould

• Political commentators often use the expression
  breaking the mould of British politics to
  describe the possible breakthrough of a new
  party.
• The mould refers to the traditional two party
  system or duopoly.

3
How many small parties can you name ?

• Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
• Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
• Sinn Fein
• Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalists)
• Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Green Party
• British National Party (BNP)
• UK Independence Party (UKIP)
• Social and Democratic Liberal Party (SDLP)

4
Choose one party to research.
5
Do small parties matter ?

• The voting system works against small parties and
  favours Labour and Conservative.
• How can small parties make a difference ?

6
Do small parties matter ?

• Most small parties find it easier to win seats in
  local councils rather than Westminster.
• They can highlight issues ignored by other
  parties.
• Small parties only have importance in the
  Westminster parliament when the government has no
  majority or only a small majority. This is called
  a hung parliament.

7
1992-1997 small parties do matter !

• John Major won the 1992 election with a small
  majority of just 32.
• This was reduced over time by deaths / retirement
  of MPs and by-elections.
• By mid1990s Major had no working majority
  (reliable vote).
• He had to rely on the votes of the 10 UUP MPs to
  get government legislation (laws) passed.
• This is not quite a coalition government but the
  government must listen to the wishes of that
  small party.
• In the 1970s Labours majority relied on the
  Liberals support (The Lib-Lab Pact)

8
Some parliamentary arithmetic

• There are 650 seats at Westminster
• 326 would give one party the majority.
• Form a government with a working majority from
  these election results
• Labour 297
• Conservative 294
• Lib Dems 28
• UUP 11
• DUP 7
• Plaid Cymru 3
• SNP 10

9
Two party system ?

• Does Item A (page 148) prove Britain has a two
  party system in the Westminster parliament ?
• Look at items C-F (pages 149-150)
• Does the same two party system apply in local
  government and Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish
  government ?

10
Answers.

• Item A suggests that since WW2 Westminster has
  been dominated by a two party system (duopoly)
  of Labour and Conservatives.
• A monopoly is where one person or group has
  sole control / ownership. A duopoly is where
  control is split between two.

11
Answers

• Items C-F suggest that local, Scottish , Welsh
  and NI government has more competition between
  several parties. Item C reveals that over 30 of
  local councils were under no overall control
  (NOC).
• Items D and E shows that the Scottish Parliament
  and Welsh Assembly are dominated by Labour but
  the other parties (Con, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Lib
  Dem) are roughly equal.
• Item F shows that the Northern Ireland Assembly
  is split between at least four main parties.
• The Scottish Parliament, Welsh and NI assemblies
  all use a Proportional Representation system of
  voting.
• The two party model really only applies at
  Westminster.

12
Classifying party systems

• Read section 8.5 (page 145)
• Which description best fits the British political
  system ? Justify why you have rejected the
  others.

13
Sometimes a small party can win a seat at
Westminster because they have a famous / high
profile leader like former Labour MP George
Galloway or Robert Kilroy Silk
14
Party funding

• Where do political parties in the UK receive
  funding from ? What rules exist to regulate this
  ?
• Is our system open to bribery / corruption ?
• Should political parties in the UK receive state
  funding (as in some European countries like
  Germany where parties receive funding in
  proportion to votes won) ?

15
Party funding

• Political parties in Britain are funded from
  their members and from their sponsors and donors.
• All parties accept donors from private businesses
  and companies.
• Following numerous scandals in the 1990s and
  2000s rules exist concerning donations they
  must be declared.

16
A design flaw in our democracy ?

• What is the strategy used by Ashcroft to fund the
  Conservative Party ?
• Target the marginal seats (swing seats) that can
  be won with generous funding.
• Can you quantify the influence of someone like
  Ashcroft ?
• Not really, but it acts as a powerful
  consideration when deciding party policy.
• How can their influence be eliminated from
  politics ?
• Adopt a voting system that does not rely on
  winning marginal or swing seats.

17
Swing or marginal seats

• http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/flash_map/
  html/map05.stm

18
Party membership

• Suggest reasons why party membership across the
  UK is declining for all political parties. (see
  Item A page 143)
• What does Item B (page 144) reveal about the
  relative popularity of parties versus pressure
  groups ? Why do you think this is ?

19
Membership

• Party membership could be declining for a variety
  of reasons
• Disillusionment
• Lack of control by ordinary party members
• Competition from other leisure activities
• Lack of interest from younger age groups
• Lack of difference between the three main parties
  crowding in the centre ground.

20
Membership

• Item B suggest that whilst party membership is
  declining pressure group has increased in recent
  years
• Rise of single-issue politics
• Direct action groups seen as more effective and
  able to influence politics
• Spread of the internet, online forums, blogs etc
  encourages the growth of small pressure groups.