1.2 Party policies and ideas

1
1.2 Party policies and ideas
2
What is a political party?

• A political party is an organisation that
  develops a set of political goals and policies
  which it seeks to convert into political action
  by obtaining office or by influencing the
  government of the day. It pursues its goals by
  mobilising public opinion in its favour,
  selecting candidates for office, competing at
  elections and identifying suitable political
  leaders

3
Features of a political party

• Organisation- to be successful, parties need to
  be organised- large organisation of activists are
  needed to mobilise public opinion and to fight
  elections. Even Green Party which is loosely
  organised on a largely informal basis, has
  developed a mechanism for producing election
  manifestos and selecting candidates. Parties
  fail because unable to create an effective
  organisation quickly enough- 1997 James
  Goldsmith Referendum party because it could not
  attract sufficient members.
• Ideological identity. This is important in
  developing policies and programmes to present to
  the electorate.
• Government. Large parties aim to secure office.
  To gain office or to influence policy as their
  reason for existence. For a new or small party
  e.g. Greens (2010) the immediate objective may
  be to gain supporters and to win a few seats.
• Public Support. Parties must devise policies
  which gain support.
• Select candidates. Procedures need to be set in
  place for selecting candidates. This is usually
  a local function as politicians should represent
  the locality as elections are local affairs.
• Leadership. Leaders give the party direction and
  are essential for mobilising public support. The
  Green Party is the exception as it is reluctant
  to recognise leaders as it is a highly
  democratic party.

4
Party Functions

• Policy and the programme. This is known as
  aggregation. This role is especially important
  when it seeks to replace the government. In
  opposition, the leadership of the party is not in
  a pre-eminent position. A political programme is
  more specific as it prioritises what the party
  should achieve and corresponds broadly to a five
  year term of office- e.g. Labour Government was
  sceptical of the honours system but did not seek
  to fundamentally reform it (populist honours and
  peoples peers though)- this is according to a
  Sunday Times interview June 2012 by Alastair
  Campbell.
• Representative. All main parties claim to
  represent the national interest rather than of
  specific groups and classes as in the past- Big
  tent strategy of New Labour 1997, the Big Society
  of the Conservatives 2010. Now parties seek to
  ensure all groups in society have their
  interests considered by government.
• Selecting candidates. Mostly done at
  local/regional level although leaderships do have
  a say. For the Conservative Party for 2010, the
  candidates' department (Conservative Central
  office) had hoped that intensive lobbying of
  association chairmen and compulsory shortlisting
  of women would have produced greater change. The
  dept is reportedly disappointed because they do
  not believe that further / tougher pro-women
  measures would be acceptable to associations. In
  spite of Central Office interference, c85 of the
  selection contests were won by men.
• Identifying leaders. Established party leaders
  have a key role. PM chooses ministers- but
  consider the impact of the Coalition Agreement
  here. In opposition the leader chooses a front
  bench spokesmen.
• Organising elections. Parties publicise election
  issues, persuasion to vote and inform about
  candidates.
• Education. This is a continuous process- note Ed
  Balls (shadow chancellor) comments on the
  austerity programme and comments on the budget.
• Running Parliament. Business managers- whips and
  other parliamentary managers crucial. Party
  leaders consult on determine proceedings of
  Parliament, organise debates, manage the
  legislative process, ensure MPs and peers are
  well informed about proceedings.
• Reinforcing consent. A hidden function is the
  mobilisation and reinforcement of consent. All
  support parliamentary democracy and by operating
  and supporting this system, ensure egneral
  consent.

5
Party factions

• A group of members that shares a set of political
  beliefs that is not in full accord with generally
  accepted party policy
• Reasons
• Fundamentalist/traditionalist- oppose attempts to
  reform party and its ideas/policy- No Turning
  Back Group (Conservative post Thatcher).
• Factions which are reformist and feel party is
  too locked in the past- Progress (New Labour)
  and 301 Group (Conservative) which pits itself
  against the opposers of reform in current
  Conservative party. Also consider here
  ConservativeHome an influential website claiming
  the support of 38MPS the fact that David
  Cameron heads a coalition rather than a single
  party government has given the group greater
  freedom to criticise policy- In a publication
  (2011) After the Coalition A Conservative
  Agenda for Britain- the last 30 years of public
  debate in Britain has been dominated by leftwing
  thinking members have looked to emulating raw
  capitalism on the asian model including greater
  freedom of employers to sack incompetent/lazy
  employees, scrapping the minimum wageThe aim is
  to keep grass roots opinion informed.
• Some factions become permanent thorn, while
  others such as the Progress Group had a key
  influence on policy.
• When factions become too powerful they can harm
  electoral prospects- Campaign Group/campaign for
  Labour Party Democracy post 1979 caused a split
  in the Labour party 1980/1 and their influence
  contributed to crushing electoral defeat 1983
  (most socilsit manifesto Labour ever had- abolsih
  House of Lords, independent and selective
  education, nuclear arms, withdraw from EC
  reversal of the Conservative privatsiation and
  trades union reforms) Gerald Kaufmann referred
  to it as the longest suicide note in History.
  Factionalism within the Conservative Party over
  European Union 1990s led to voter rejection.

6
Left and right (factions are generally described
on these terms)

• Left
• Hard Left- Tribune. State economic planning,
  nationalisation, government borrowing,
  Redistributive taxation (progressive), Strong
  unions, anti EU, protect industries, universal
  welfare state, equal rights, tolerance
  minorities, state as social engineer, focus on
  causes crime rather than crime
• Centre-left Elements from both centre and left
• Centre Some state intervention in and regulation
  economy, pragmatic approach to Govt borrowing to
  stimulate growth, pro free trade, some
  redistributive tax, pro EU, target resources, pro
  multiculturalism, balance rights in support
  security (New Labour HRA but ID cards, Control
  orders) Mixed liberal and authoritarian views on
  crime TB as shadow Home Sec 1994 tough on crime,
  tough on the causes of crime, tolerant attitude
  to social issues

• Right
• Centre Right-301 Group, Selsdon Group. Elements
  from both centre and right. State should
  facilitate individualism. The Conservative Way
  Forward seeks to progress the economic
  liberalisation reforms of Margaret Thatcher
  governments. 301 group are cameroons- many
  elected in marginal constituencies on a centre
  ground chosen by cameron. The latter aim to oust
  the bloody rude old guard from the executive of
  the 1922 Committee
• Right- Cornerstone Group- aim for traditional
  conservative values, Strong support for totally
  free markets, low taxation, avoid excessive
  borrowing to stimulate growth, protectionism,
  free labour markets, anti EU, limited welfare,
  anti immigration, asylum seeking and
  multiculturalism, low tolerance alternative
  lifestyles, patriotism, social change should be
  organic.
• Liberal Orange Group (David Laws) is right in
  that it is supportive of neo liberal economic
  policy but Beveridge Group is left of centre and
  supports social democratic policies

7
Traditional Conservatism

• Human imperfection- people are selfish,
  untrustworthy, security seeking, born with
  different talents, unable to understand the
  complexities of the world, crime is a result of
  greed and the innate sinfulnes of man (original
  Sin). Mankind therefore requires strong
  government.
• Tradition. The very fact that values and
  institutions have survived- church and monarchy
  etc is a testament to their quality. They
  provide continuity and promote thereby order and
  stability. Modern conservatism has largely
  ignored the importance of tradition embracing new
  social theories such as opposition to dependency
  culture, privatisation, monetarism etc Also
  consider split within Conservative ranks Cameron
  I support gay marriage not in spite of being
  Conservative but because I am a Conservative.
• Organicism- people are part of a single body
  (nation) and are interdependent. People are not
  merely individuals pursuing their own interests-
  One Nation Conservatism supported welfare as a
  way of avoiding social conflict but the neo
  liberal reforms of 1980s attacked this. Post
  Thatcher, however, there has been a move back
  towards One Nation ideas. IDS There is such a
  thing as society, David Cameron- the Big Society.
  
• Pragmatism- A flexible approach to politics-
  1950s the Conservative government did not reverse
  the reforms of Labour. Edmund Burke- a society
  without the capacity to reform is without the
  means for its salvation
• Individualism. Individuals should be presented
  with widest possible range of choices and
  opportunities (state should therefore restrict as
  little as possible) Also there is an extensive
  private sphere where the state should not
  intervene- private business, religious belief,
  enjoyment of property, family. Individualism
  flourishes within a stable social, moral and
  economic environment. A society which allows too
  much personal freedom may threaten its own
  security and stability- collective security is
  valued over a free society.
• Property. People are naturally acquisitive.
  Property confers a stake in society and is likely
  to make the owner respectful of the property of
  others and to uphold the law. It also is an
  expression of an individuals personality- home
  ownership allows the individual to express his
  tastes and desires. Conservatives are especially
  hard on crimes against property as an attack on
  the individual.
• Opposition to Ideology. An excessive attachment
  can lead to tyranny. An organic society should
  not be driven towards goals but allowed to
  evolve. Ideologies make false assumptions about
  human nature.
• Empiricism This involves judging current actions
  against experience of the past. What has stood
  the test of time should not be lightly cast aside
  (Burke) Also Burke and GK Chesterton- The
  Democracy of the Dead

8
The New Right (Thatcherism)

• Deregulation- State economic and welfare
  regulation was the problem. The state should
  disengage with those parts of society that
  promote wealth. Privatisation of large parts of
  the public sector and compulsion to competition
  within those parts still in the public sector-
  compulsory competitive tendering in local
  government, also hiving off of civil service
  functions. Also industries already in private
  sector such as banking, building societies and
  stock broking were forced to allow more
  competition- deregulation of the financial sector
  to allow freer flow of money to create rapid
  growth.
• Disengagement- State should not prop up ailing
  industries- treating the symptoms not causes-
  this would make industries more efficient and
  competitive or else they would be taken over or
  disappear. Raising public spending to raise
  economic activity was excessive burden on
  taxpayers and artificial way of promoting
  economic activity and failed to come to grips
  with lack of efficiency and competitiveness.
  Hence short term unemployment would have the
  desired effect in the long term.
• Trade Union reform. Unions a barrier against
  necessary and fundamental reform to make the
  economy more competitive. Balloted (secret)
  strikes and forced internal democracy
• Low taxation. High taxes a disincentive to
  enterprise and hard work. Top rate of income tax
  reduced from 83 to 40 during 1980s. Low taxes
  were an incentive to wealth creation and would
  reduce the need for welfare . At same time as
  peoples wealth increased so would the tax base.
• Dependency culture. The rise of the welfare
  state had encouraged the rise of a dependency
  culture (Danegeld state). 1980s and 90s the
  level of state benefits gradually eroded as
  lower benefits seen as an incentive to work.
  However Mrs Thatcher the NHS is safe in our hands
  

9
Neo Conservatism

• Place a great emphasis on nationalism and
  patriotism Economic patriotism including
  protectionism over free trade.
• Social authoritarianism- attitude towrds crime
  and excessive permissiveness and tolerance
• Opposed to multiculturalism

10
The Conservative Party today

• Less government- the UK is over governed in terms
  of over regulation business and commerce and
  excessive interference in peoples lives and over
  protective attitude towrds the vulnerable. EU is
  seen as a main culprit here.
• Reduce taxation where possible. However
  pragmatic- in light of huge deficit placed tax
  cuts on hold.
• Crime- new stress on tackling causes of crime as
  well as crime itself (sentencing wake of 2011
  riots) and focus on breakdown in family life,
  over liberal methods in education.
• Choice. Aim for greater choice in public
  services- even favour voucher system if choose
  private sector health or education.
• Euro scepticism. Tend to be suspicious of the
  EU. Not officially committed to withdrawal but
  wish to claw back independence and officially
  opposed to membership single currency.
• Cameron reforms. Aim was to reposition the party
  towrds the centre ground. His philosophy was a
  break from both New Right and Traditional
  Conservatism
• Big Society- state should retreat and allow
  communities to take control of services- heavily
  influenced by study of localism in New England.
  The free schools project. Also election of
  police commissioners
• Inclusiveness. Accept that significant groups
  excluded from mainstream society because of
  poverty etc- aim her is to give greater
  accessibility to services such as education,
  health, housing, welfare benefits etc This is
  sometimes known as caring Conservatism Also for
  fist time use by Conservatives of the term social
  justice.
• Education Aim to extend opportunities to all-
  abandon commitment to extend selection in place
  of support for a wide range different types
  secondary school available to all irrespective
  of ability.
• Environmentalism- Adoption of the Green agenda-
  greening of the Conservatives.
• Crime- Tough on those who refuse offers of help
  and repeat offenders and also on rioters 2011 but
  also thinking of causes of crime- fewer youth
  custodial sentences.
• Human Rights. Oppose the HRA believe rights
  must be balanced with responsibilities but
  greater focus on defence of rights e.g. scrap
  Labour ID scheme.

11
Core values of British socialism

• Class- Socialists believe that people are defined
  by their socio economic status. Nations are
  artificial constructs and class conflict is the
  most important struggle. Socialist parties
  tended to identify with the interests of trades
  unions and the working class (labourism). Until
  the 1980s, this was true of the labour Party.
  However, to gain office, the party always aimed
  at a widest possible community and certainly with
  the decline of the traditional working class.
• Equality- Central to socialism is this tenet.
  Socialists are communitarian in outlook.
  Socialists reject notions of hierarchy. Equality
  of welfare provision and of access
  (universalism) has always been a feature of the
  labour Party since the welfare reforms of 1940s.
  The Labour party has also always championed the
  rights of minorities and women who have faced
  discrimination or, in the case of women, legal
  inequality.
• Social Justice- There are people who are poor
  through no fault of their own whereas there are
  those who are wealthy through no effort of their
  own- inherence etc. Therefore it is socially
  just to redistribute income. Socialists tend to
  accept that full scale equality is neither
  practical nor desirable as it acts as a
  disincentive.
• Equality of Opportunity- This is in line with
  social justice- the state has a positive role to
  play in opening up opportunities to those
  excluded due to poverty and discrimination. New
  Labour stressed this with its emphasis on
  education and securing access to education for
  all. This has taken the place of social
  engineering practised by the Social Democratic
  governments post 1945.
• Collectivism- Central to socialist thinking is
  the view that people are social animals.
  Collective action has greater moral and practical
  worth than individual self striving. The Labour
  Party has been a supporter of reformed capitalism
  as opposed to its abolition. Nationalisation was
  motivated by the desire to make core industries
  work for the interests of the whole community,
  strengthening of worker rights by encouraging
  and protecting unions, the welfare state whereby
  the state establishes a universal system based on
  need and free at the point of need in place of
  leaving people to make their own welfare
  provision.
• Common Ownership- Fundamental socialism rejects
  capitalism as unjust as it leads to inequality
  and social conflict which weakens the community.
  Common ownership concerns that of productive
  wealth. As wealth is communally produced, all
  have equal rights of access. In its constitution
  of 1918, the Labour party expressed a commitment
  to this principle. However, this was never
  carried out in practice. The nationalisation
  programme of the 1940s still left the bulk of the
  economy in private hands. In 1994 the labour
  Party constitutional convention rewrote clause 4
  to remove any commitment to common ownership.
  The Labour governments of the end of the century
  and early 21st Century continued common ownership
  in the form of the welfare state but elsewhere
  adopted polices to encourage free market
  enterprise, even accepting the trade union
  reforms of the Conservative governments of the
  1980s.

12
The Labour parties compared

• Old Labour
• Common ownership of the commanding heights and
  capitalism controlled by the state which via its
  fiscal policies ensures high levels of employment
  (Keynesian demand management)
• Pro strong trade unions to protect worker rights
  and involvement of unions in economic policy.
  Union block vote.
• Protect welfare state as essential way of
  redressing the wealth divide. Universal access
  and the state should be all controlling of
  services.
• Sees crime a victim of inequality reflects
  socialist view that human nature is plastic and
  shaped by social factors.
• Anti EEC as a capitalist club serving their
  interests and restricting the freedom of
  manoeuvre of domestic socialist parties to govern
  and implement a socialist programme. However
  Labour was divided and this led to the first
  nation wide referendum on UK membership of the
  EEC in 1975.
• Distance as far as possible from international
  affairs.
• On constitution- radical proposals to democratise
  institutions and to remove House of Lords in
  place of a unicameral parliament. Oppose
  devolution which would restrict power of
  Parliament in its ability to impose a national
  socialist policy.

• New Labour
• Abandon common ownership in economic terms but
  state a role to play in enforcing competition and
  fair trade.
• Accept a role for unions but worker rights to be
  enshrined in law- sign up to the Social Chapter
  of the Maastricht Treaty 1997 , minimum wage
  introduced 1997 and replace union influence in
  party with OMOV.
• Maintain welfare state but dont use it as a way
  of redistributing income. Free at pint of need
  but increased focus on targeting on disadvantaged
  groups. Welfare to work and accept a role for
  private sector if leads to improved efficiency
  and quality of services.
• Tough on crime tough on the causes of crime
  (Blair as shadow H/sec 1994) to steal the thunder
  from the Conservatives as the anti crime party.
• Wants UK to remain at centre of EU and cautious
  support for single currency should the right
  conditions prevail but only on the basis of a
  referendum. UK signs up to the social chapter
  1997 and also incorporates the ECHR into UK law
  as the Human Rights Act.
• A leading role in world affairs- Supportive of
  the Ethical foreign policy of the New
  Republicans- Hard Wilsononism and Manichean.
• Aim for decentralisation of power- supportive of
  devolution throughout the UK. Much greater
  emphasis on rights via HRA.

13
Liberalism

• John Locke (1632-704) everyone is born with
  natural rights and that government depended on
  the consent of the governed and that government
  should be limited in its power. He influenced
  the American and French revolutions.
• John Start Mill (1806-73) Freedom was the right
  to do anything which did not harm others. Mill
  established three main pillars of liberalism-
  Individual liberty, tolerance and limited
  government.
• Liberalism was attacked in Britain by
  conservatives who argued against excessive
  liberty and freedom and by socialists who argued
  that economic liberty resulted in inequality and
  the exploitation of the working class.
• Liberal response was to introduce equality of
  opportunity and state sponsored welfare. By mid
  C20, core values of liberalism adopted by all
  moderate politicians. Liberal principles formed
  the basis of a political consensus in Britain.

14
Core Liberal values

• Freedom and rights. Freedom to do that which
  does not injury or harm others. The power of the
  state should not be used to curtail freedom
  unless there is an overwhelming reason to do so.
  Defence of human rights. Uphold the rights of
  minorities against the tyranny of the majority.
• Toleration. People are free to choose beliefs
  and lifestyles as long as they respect that of
  others.
• Equality of opportunity. Inherited or undeserved
  privilege should not be allowed to give an
  individual or group artificial advantage-
  political power should therefore rest only in
  the hands of elected representatives.
  Discrimination e.g. on grounds of race or gender
  should be outlawed. All are entitled to same
  life chances. Liberals therefore champion the
  cause of those born into deprived circumstances
  or who have traditionally been disadvantaged.
• Social Justice. The most dramatic examples of
  inequality which are result of market forces
  rather than deserving effort and enterprise
  should be reduced by the state. Liberals
  therefore support progressive taxation.
• Welfare. Liberals advocate welfare as a form of
  social justice and because they believe that
  everyone is entitled to a reasonable standard of
  living and as Beveridge reported poverty poses a
  serious threat to freedom.
• Constitutionalism and democracy. Governments
  should be under the democratic control of the
  people and controlled by law. Liberals therefore
  believe in constitutional government which sets
  limits to exercise of government power. Only a
  democratic form of g government can represent
  the demands and interests of the pople.

15
Policies of the Liberal Democrats.

• Fair taxation. Replace council tax with a local
  income tax as only this ensures tax is based on
  ability to pay not property values. Raising of
  the starting point for income tax to 10 000
  p.a. And a 50 tax on income over 100 000 p.a.
  In wake of the 2007-9 banking crisis proposed
  higher taxes on bonuses paid to employees by
  financial institutions.
• Economic management. In general favour minimal
  intervention leaving economic management largely
  to Bank of England and to a responsible attitude
  to public finances by the Treasury.
• Welfare State- oppose greater choice for users
  on grounds this will affect equality of access
  for same quality. Oppose Labour performance
  targets incentives and sanctions in favour if
  ensuring the welfare state has the necessary
  resources and allow it to deliver first class
  services.
• Law and Order and rights. Focus on tackle causes
  of crime. In favour f greater use of community
  based and other innovative responses to deal
  with criminal behaviour. Suspicious of state
  attempts to restrict rights merely in interests
  of a firmer position law and order. It favoured
  the HRA and wants an entrenched bill of rights.
• Constitution. Critical of Labour for not going
  far enough. LibDems want stronger HRA, greater
  devolution of government away from Whitehall. A
  key aim is for electoral reform, a reformed
  House of Lords.
• EU. Most supportive of the three main parties on
  the EU. Do not want centralisation of power in
  Brussels but most power to be exercised by
  regional or local government.
• Foreign Policy. Oppose attempts by Britain to
  intervene directly in affairs of other countries.
  Committed to promoting human rights globally via
  diplomatic and economic not military means.
• Environment. Much greater emphasis than the
  other two main parties on environmental issues.
  Support public transport, recycling programmes,
  controls on carbon emissions, like to support
  Green movement support for local initiative but
  also wish to see the state take a lead.

16
SNP

• Scottish independence.
• Support local democracy
• Defence of human rights.
• Low business taxes and investment incentives to
  make Scottish industry more competitive.
• Pro EU as it sees the EU regional and industrial
  development policies special benefit to small
  countries like Scotland.

17
Plaid Cymru

• A Welsh parliament. Greater autonomy not
  independence.
• Development of a bilingual Wales.
• Generally socialist- redistributive taxation and
  stronger employment rights.
• Environmental protection

18
Adversary v Consensus politics

• Adversary
• Deep and widespread ideological differences.
• The early 1980s when Labour and Conservatives
  diverge- Labour nationalisation, nuclear disarm
  and increased welfare provision. Conservatives
  advocate privatisation, multilateral nuclear
  disarm, privatisation. .
• Also the adversarial style of layout House of
  Commons, ministerial question times

• Consensus
• Recent time s a high degree of consensus on
  issues such as Northern Ireland, anti terrorism.
• 1950s and 60s UK little difference between the
  parties on a range of public policy.
• Formation of the Coalition Agreement 2010. A
  national mood that in the face of severe economic
  crisis a period of consensus politics would be
  beneficial. Here agreement on responsible
  economic management, personal taxation as low as
  possible, maintenance of free market, preserving
  the union, good quality public services within
  basic principles of the Welfare State, support
  for parliamentary democracy, reform of the 2nd
  chamber