'Evaluate the view that the only political parties that matter in our political system is labour and
conservative' - INACCURATE - ANS 1) The two parties have struggled to deal with many of the issues
that smaller parties have raise. UKIP - fringe nationalist party started in 1991, whose main obje...
Politics essay plans
'Evaluate the view that the only political parties that matter in our political system is labour and
conservative' - INACCURATE - ANS 1) The two parties have struggled to deal with many of the issues
that smaller parties have raise. UKIP - fringe nationalist party started in 1991, whose main objective was
Britain's membership in the EU. It grew to a sense of dissatisfaction with the way the three main parties
would have to accommodate to the quickening pace of European Intergration. In 2014, it gained a total
of 24 MEPs, making it the largest UK party in the European parliament and showing the cohesion that
people had in regards to their views on the European union. Futhermore, following the expansion of the
EU in 2004, UKIP supporters saw this as a 'threat' to british jobs. Whereas, labour in their 2019 maniesto
called for a second referendum on the matter, decreasing their appeal as a party .Therefore, it is clear
COUNTER Decisions and policies of importance like economic, foreign, law and order policy emanite
from the two party, increasing its longetivety as a two party system and highlighting its importance -
UKIP are a one issue party, with the final leaving date in the EU on dec 31st, it can be argued that their
value of the party is now undermined.
1) Small party membership and support is rising and recent elections show support for the Brexit party
and Liberal Democrats
SNP(centre left party) won 48 out 59 seats (45%, 8.1% up from last election) 2019
Scotland Act 2014, devolution in 1997
There is little chance of minor parties governing alone, therefore they matter less
They may not be able to get majorities however this in countered by the influence they have on single
issues
SNP's capacity to influence legislation at westminister - tuition fees(voted yes in England, but no in
Scotland in 2004)/Sunday trading laws in 2016
LIB DEMS COALITION 2010 TO 2015
2)The use of differing electoral systems in the UK have made smaller parties matter more
'To what extent do socialists have conflicting views about how the economy should operate' - ANS Third
Way
, Embraces aspects of the free market and abandons top down state intervention. T envisages private
enterprise being involved in the delivery of public services, as in the private finance instigated by new
labour
Revolutionary Socialists
want capitalism abolished and replaced with an economy based on collective ownership of property and
the workers controlling the means of production. Dissimilar to Third way , Luxemburg maintains that the
exploitative elements within capitalism are too strong
Democratic socialists
Argue that capitalism should not be abolished but reformed. Socialists argue a mixed economy of state-
and privately-run industries. The state would regulate the economy using Keynesian economics to
maintain growth and full employment
Rather the inequalities caused by capitalism which is described by revolutionary socialists, would be
reformed by the welfare state, which would redistribute wealth. Crosland, for example, focusses on
social justice rather than common ownership (differing to revolutionary socialists) and emphasise the
responsibility of the state in regards to the economy so the benefits can be shared on a egalitarian basis.
Social democrats reinforce the idea of redistribution rather than reform.
'UK democracy is in a crisis' - ANS Turnout at the 2015 General Election was 66.1%, far below the high
levels of the 1970s, where it reached 78.8% in 1974. Of the 66.1% of the electorate that participated in
2015, only 36.9% voted for the Conservative Party. This means that the current Conservative majority
Government was endorsed by just 24.4% of potential voters. As a representative democracy, it is vital
that turnout is high so that the resulting government can claim to have a legitimate mandate to enact
the policies in their manifesto. The 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner elections had record low
turnout, with an average of just 15%, undermining the notion of elected and accountable police officials
'Electoral turnout has fallen sharply, most noticeably at the 2001 general election. Meanwhile, the
introduction of new political institutions since 1997, designed in part to restore people's trust and
confidence, appears to have had little impact.' - 'Political Institution' - devolution
Counter -
Rise of Informal politics
'people remain confident in their own ability to engage with the political process and to believe in the
importance of voting at elections'
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