POLITICAL PARTIES ESSAY PLANS

Evaluate the view that reforming party funding would improve the various functions of political parties. - intro - current party funding is largely seen as undemocratic. the principles of parties are to rep, ensure democracy with their policy formulation and increase participation para one - representation link people to government may only need support of 30-40% for fptp victories YES - For : With public funding the State can encourage or demand changes in for example how many women candidates a party fields.In the same way as private donations can come with demands on party or candidate behaviour, the State can use public funds to level the playing field and encourage (or force) political parties to undertake reforms, hold internal elections or field a certain number of women candidates, youth or persons from an ethnic minority on their ballots. NO - reform of party funding may not increase rep, under the current system, people can subscribe to parties and pay fees to the parties they want. also, parties are increasing their descriptive representation, over half of Labour MPs are women, almost 10% of HoC are BAME - granted much work to be done. para 2 - democracy and policy formulation formulate public policy and are currently swayed by those who fund them, think tanks may fund parties in order for them to push for policies which benefit the corporations - cons, new labour. Public funding can increase transparency in party and candidate finance and thereby help curb corruption.If political parties and candidates receive a substantial amount of their income from the State, they can more easily be required to disclose their income and expenditure. If their financial statements are made publicly available, voters can decide which sources of funds are acceptable to them, and they will also have better opportunities to hold politicians accountable.Needed with so much government mistrust. might also give SNP and smaller Evaluate the extent to which there differences between the Labour and Conservative parties over policies and ideas - Starmer's Labour has it routes in social democracy whilst Johnson's conservative party can be traced back to neoliberalism. inherently the party policies differ, the spell of consensus politics around the Blair premiership has been long broken, particularly under a Labour party led by leftist Corbyn up until early 2020. these differences are illustrated by positions on devolution and the economy. However, shared elements of policies between the two parties are increasingly exhibited particularly to do with ideological stances in social attitudes, as well as with the eruption of Covid-19 and its effects on government spending. Albeit, similarities remain minimal. Para 1 -economics - although less radical in government spending than Corbyn had attempted to be, Karmer pledges to distribute wealth and increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reversing the Tories' cuts in corporation tax. Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water. - However the conservatives aim for public debt to be lower than the last parliament. Fund day-to-day spending through taxation, while increasing borrowing to "invest thoughtfully and responsibly in infrastructure". - but, since covid - Sunak's furlough scheme and huge spending could be seen as somewhat paternal and is distinctive to Cameron's austerity following the financial crisis para 2 - welfare - under May spending on the NHS would rise at least over £8billion in the five years. Although Johnson has been accused of possibly selling sectors of the NHS to US corporations, privatising it, since the eruption of Covid 19 the conservative party have especially recognised the significance of the NHS Starmer - Abolish Universal Credit and end the Tories' cruel sanctions regime. Set a nationa Evaluate the extent to which the Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism - intro - The emergence of Thatcherism came after the social democratic consensus had broken down during the 70s. As PM from , Thatcher introduced a hybrid political theory of neoliberal economics with traditional social values; the new right. Elements of neoliberalism still exist under Johnson and have done under May and Cameron with support for austerity, tax cuts and privatisation. However social attitudes within the party have changed especially regarding same-sex marriage alongside changes in the crime sector. Nevertheless, the party has largely departed from Thatcherism para 1 - SUPPORT FOR Neoliberal/Laissez faire economics - specifically Privatisation and Deregulation