Component 1: UK Politics: Political Parties
Support Booklet for Advanced Information
Aims: Using this booklet, along with your PLCs and notes, you can review, deepen and
challenge your understanding of the key concepts and issues covered. The specification is
broken down in accordance with the Advanced Information with tasks for you to complete
in each section.
What is included in Component 1?
,Established Political Parties: What do I need to know?
1. The origins of each major political party
2. Policies on Economy, Law and Order, Welfare and Foreign Policy for each party
Step 1: Define what a major and a minor political party are. List 3 examples for each
Step 2: Where do they stand?
The following pages explore where each of the parties stand on the 4 identified issues from this topic. For
each party, summarise how their views have changed on each of the four issues
,Labour:
Economic Policy Welfare Policy
Old Labour: Clause IV, as drafted by Sidney Webb, was adopted into Labour's Old Labour: Emphasis on workers’ rights and protections though unions
constitution, committing the party to work towards "the common ownership
of the means of production, distribution and exchange" New Labour: 85,000 more nurses, 32,000 more doctors, Child benefit up
26 per cent since 1997, 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty. A
New Labour: Creation of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which paid for stress on education, including the expansion of higher education (50%
public needs (railways etc) by selling them to private companies, reducing going to university), introduction of the Social Chapter to protect workers’
government ownership in exchange for cheaper costs, Reduced corporate tax rights, minimum wage introduced,
to encourage enterprise, innovation and investment, 1997-2007 = Longest
period of sustained low inflation since the 60s. Third Way Labour: maintained public spending in welfare, promised
increases to public sector funding (failed), supported a reduction in tuition
Third Way Labour: Introduction of 50% tax rate to tackle the depression, fees, wanted to raise the minimum wage to £8 per hour, increased worker
targeting the richest in the UK, maintained higher rates of public spending, protection, Invest £2.5bn more that the Conservatives to recruit 8,000
Miliband’s aim for a reduced 10% tax bracket for the poorest (failed), tougher more GPs, 20,000 more nurses and 3,000 more midwives. Appoint an
limits on tax avoidance, favoured ‘tax and spend’ policies, promised to “cut the international LGBT rights envoy and a global envoy for religious freedom.
deficit every year” (Miliband), against 0 hour contracts and other ‘capitalist’
views on exploiting workers, mansion taxes on houses over 2 million Corbyn’s Labour: Opposed benefit cuts, wanted all welfare providers to be
state run and not part of Private Companies, promoted national education
Corbyn’s Labour: Called for the creation of a National Investment Bank, service and opposed student fees, More than £30billion of extra funding
renationalisation of railways and industry, wanted to implement the 50% tax for the NHS through increased income tax for top 5 per cent earners,
bracket, mansion taxes, against austerity measure, raising corporation tax to increased tax on private medical insurance and halving management
26% consultants' fees, Creation of a Ministry of Labour to deliver investment in
enforcing workers' rights. Scrap bedroom tax and reinstate housing
Starmer’s Labour: Increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse the benefit for under-21s, Review cuts to Universal Credit and limits on
Tories’ cuts in corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance, particularly payments to first two children of families.
of large corporations. No stepping back from our core principles. Public
services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Starmer’s Labour: Set a national goal for wellbeing to make health as
Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water; end outsourcing in important as GDP; Invest in services that help shift to a preventative
our NHS, local government and justice system. approach. Support the abolition of tuition fees and invest in lifelong
learning. Full voting rights for EU nationals. Defend free movement as we
leave the EU. An immigration system based on compassion and dignity.
End indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl’s
Wood.
Law and Order Foreign Policy
Old Labour: Very few policies until WW2 Old Labour: Few policies until WW2
New Labour: introduction of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders), ‘tough on New Labour: Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest
crime and tough on the causes of crime’ countries, Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year, Introduced
the Equality and Human Rights Commission, involvement in the Iraq War
Third Way Labour: Maintained a tough on crime and tough on causes of crime and elimination of Al-Qaeda, supported membership of the EU, promoted
policy, devolution within the UK
Corbyn’s Labour: opposed cuts to police forces, against the introduction of ID Third Way Labour: Supported the above
cards, rejected plans to increase funding for terrorism control in favour of
welfare, 10,000 more police officers for community beats, Conduct major Corbyn’s Labour: Favoured removal from NATO and other ‘arms’ based
review of counter-terror Prevent programme. groups, supported membership of the EU (debated) and opposed
spending in the war against ISIS, Return Britain to a leadership role in
Starmer’s Labour: Pull down obstacles that limit opportunities and talent. We Europe, but reform the EU so that it works for Britain, continued support
are the party of the Equal Pay Act, Sure Start, BAME representation and the for immigration, Support the renewal of Trident, Keep defence spending
abolition of Section 28 – we must build on that for a new decade. as 2% of GDP.
Starmer’s Labour: No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military
Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy.
Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and
justice.
, Conservatives:
Economic Policy Welfare Policy
Traditional Conservatives – strong management of the economy from the Traditional Conservatives – nothing discussed or included
crown
One Nation Conservatives – Employers and Workmen Act 1875 to protect
One Nation Conservatives – Some use of Keynesian Economics to promote the workers and their rights in some ways, Conspiracy and Protection of
saving during the good years to increase public spending in periods of Property Act which secured workers rights to strike
challenge
New Right Conservatives – Removal of free milk for school children and
New Right Conservatives – widening of the gap between the rich and the student tuition assistance programs, reduced welfare across the board for
poor, introduction of the Poll Tax which unfairly impacted multi-adult all groups. Introduced Section 28 which limited by law the acceptance and
households (which tended to be the poorer households). Low Taxation – teaching of homosexuality. Minimal reforms for welfare
previous attitudes had been high taxation for high state welfare. Thatcher
saw high taxes as a disincentive and reduced this to allow workers and Modern Conservatives – Cameron pledged £8 billion extra for the NHS, to
businesses to retain more of what they had worked for. This included remove the cap on university places to enable more to go to university.
reducing tax for top earners from 83% to 60% and then to 40%. The aim was Support in place for lower income families and maintained the level of
to give everyone an incentive to work as they could keep more of what they support in maternity and paternity packages.
earned.
Modern Conservatives – Johnson pledged 50,000 new nurses and 60,000
Modern Conservatives – Cameron raised the income tax threshold to new doctors. 50 million extra GP appointments a year. Maintain the 'triple
£12,500, supporting the poorest families in the UK, but also to raise the top lock' protection for pensions to ensure they don’t lose any money. Raise
tax bracket to enable to richest to stay richer. Pledged austerity measures to National Insurance threshold to £9,500 in 2020 again supporting the lowest
reduce the deficit and as a result reduced public spending. income families (rather than supplying a range of welfare packages)
Modern Conservatives – May pledged to support David Cameron’s tax "triple
lock”, which guaranteed there would be no rise in national insurance, VAT or
income tax, will be scrapped in favour of a general statement of intent to
lower tax and simplify the tax system. There will be no increase in the level of
VAT. A commitment to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £12,500 by
2020 will stay. The Tories will also keep a commitment to raise the threshold
for the 40p tax rate to £50,000 by 2020.
Modern Conservatives – Johnson pledged no increases to income tax,
National Insurance or VAT and to keep 19% corporation tax; reduce business
rates; increase small business employment allowance; stricter anti-tax
avoidance and evasion measures. Tax credits in place to support working
families (focus on those who pay into the system)
Law and Order Foreign Policy
Traditional Conservatives – strong on order within society, but the concepts Traditional Conservatives – minimal involvement, some links to Empire and
of police had not been formalised yet the role of Britain in retaining this ‘tradition’
One Nation Conservatives – Opposed to immigration during WW1 and fears One Nation Conservatives – working with the Western countries in WW1
of Bolshevism from Russia and WW2 to create a support network
New Right Conservatives – Strong approach to law and order with Thatcher New Right Conservatives – Strong engagement in the Falklands War. Key
and the Falklands War, tough on criminals with increased sentencing. Law and issues over sovereignty and power within the British Isles. Very opposed to
order is a social service. Crime and the fear which the threat of crime induces the EU and argued that we should reduce the power of the EU over UK
can paralyse whole communities, keep lonely and vulnerable elderly people based issues. Promoted transatlantic relationships with the USA
shut up in their homes, scar young lives and raise to cult status the
swaggering violent bully who achieves predatory control over the streets. Modern Conservatives – Cameron wanted to remain in the EU, but
Thatcher referred to this as a ‘barrier of steel’ to promote strong law and supported the majority vote to leave the EU. He also pledged to remove the
order Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights. He wanted to
change our relationship with the EU and Keep an ambition of delivering
Modern Conservatives – Cameron aimed to Outlaw groups that support hate annual net migration in the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of
with the introduction of banning orders for extremist organisations. thousands. Negotiate new rules with the EU so that people will have to be
earning income in the UK for a number of years before they can claim
Modern Conservatives – May pledged to create a "national infrastructure benefits, including the tax credits that top up low wages.
police force" will be set up combining the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the
Ministry of Defence Police and British Transport Police. The Serious Fraud Modern Conservatives – May pledged to reduce annual net migration to
Office will be incorporated into the National Crime Agency while £1 billion will the tens of thousands. Overseas student numbers will remain in the
be made available to modernise the prison estate. immigration statistics. Students will be expected to leave the country at the
end of their course unless they meet new "higher" requirements allowing
Modern Conservatives – Johnson pledged to recruit 20,000 more police them to stay. The UK will retain its commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of
officers and end halfway automatic release for serious crimes. A ‘safer GDP on foreign aid but the way in which the money is spent will be
streets’ message was key in the manifesto, linking to increase presence of changed. A pledge to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence and
police officers increase the budget by at least 0.5 per cent above inflation in every year of
the new parliament. A pledge to "maintain" the overall size of the armed
forces, retain the Trident continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent.
Modern Conservatives – Johnson wanted to negotiate trade deals with the
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