week 5 – are political parties in britain becoming obsolete?

WEEK 5 – ARE POLITICAL PARTIES IN

BRITAIN BECOMING OBSOLETE?

2

THE ‘CRISIS’ OF POLITICAL PARTIES

“Few aspects of the political system investigated by POWER received more hostile comment than the main political parties … [there is] a widespread sense that, at best, the main parties are failing in the basic function of connecting governed and governors, and, at worst, are serious obstacles to democratic engagement.”

POWER Inquiry, ‘Power to the People (2006), p.181

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THE ‘CRISIS’ OF POLITICAL PARTIES

“Political parties have formed the

cornerstone of our representative system since long before the era of universal suffrage. Yet there are signs that the age of the mass party is coming to an end; that our political parties are dying on their feet.”

Vernon Bogdanor, New Statesman (Oct 2006)

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ISSUES FOR TODAY

1. What role do political parties play?

2. How far have parties lost their legitimacy and strength?

3. How far has the party system changed?

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FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES

1. Communicate with, and inform, citizens

2. Encourage participation

3. Articulate and aggregate interests

4. Form and run governments

Source: Webb (2007)

6

FUNCTION OF PARTIES: REPRESENTATION OF

INTERESTS

ISSUE A

PARTY 1

ISSUE B

ISSUE C

ISSUE D

ISSUE A

ISSUE X

ISSUE E

ISSUE Y

ISSUE C

ISSUE Z

PARTY 2

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FUNCTION OF PARTIES: REPRESENTATION OF

INTERESTS

ISSUE A

PARTY 1

ISSUE B

ISSUE C

ISSUE D

ISSUE A

ISSUE X

ISSUE E

ISSUE Y

ISSUE C

ISSUE Z

PARTY 2

CITIZENS

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FUNCTION OF PARTIES: REPRESENTATION OF

INTERESTS

ISSUE A

PARTY 1

ISSUE B

ISSUE C

ISSUE D

ISSUE A

ISSUE X

ISSUE E

ISSUE Y

ISSUE C

ISSUE Z

PARTY 2

CITIZENS

GOVERNMENT

9

FUNCTION OF PARTIES: REPRESENTATION OF

INTERESTS

ISSUE A

PARTY 1

ISSUE B

ISSUE C

ISSUE D

ISSUE A

ISSUE X

ISSUE E

ISSUE Y

ISSUE C

ISSUE Z

PARTY 2

CITIZENS

GOVERNMENT

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LINKS BETWEEN PARTIES AND SOCIAL GROUPS

WORKING CLASS SALARIAT

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LINKS BETWEEN PARTIES AND SOCIAL GROUPS

WORKING CLASS

SALARIAT

Environment

Europe

Human rights; personal morality

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DECLINE OF CLASS VOTING

Source: Paul Webb, The Modern British Party System (2000) Table 2.3

Non-manual Con voters + Manual Lab voters

All voters

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TWO PARTY (CON/LAB) SHARE OF VOTES AND SEATS

Source: House of Commons Library papers

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PARTY SYSTEMS AT WESTMINSTER AND EUROPEAN

ELECTIONS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2005: Westminster 2009: European Parliament

% o

f vo

te

Lab

Con

LD

BNP

Nats

UKIP

Green

Source: House of Commons Library papers

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MEMBERSHIP OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN BRITAIN, 1964-

2001

Source: Paul Webb,, ‘Political Parties in Britain’, in Webb et al, eds, Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies (2002)

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… AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Source: Susan Scarrow, in Dalton/Wattenberg, eds, Parties Without Partisans (2000)

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MEMBERSHIP OF SINGLE ISSUE GROUP AND PARTIES, 1960-

1997

Sources: Party members: Webb (2002); RSPB members: RSPB website. (Note data points not always the same.)

18

POPULAR ATTITUDES TOWARDS POLITICAL

INSTITUTIONS

Source: Eurobarometer 61 (2004)

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ATTITUDES TO PARTIES IN BRITAIN, 1973-2003

Source: Bromley et al, 2001; British Social Attitudes

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PARTY DOMINATION OF ELECTIONS/LEGISLATURE/GOV

NTElections In 2005 general election, of 3,500

candidates, just 180 were independents.

GovernmentAt national level, very few ministers come

from outside partyAt local level, of 293 councils controlled by

single group, just 14 were Independent run (2006)

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

Parties less aligned to social groupsMore free-floating in search of votersNot unresponsive; but less ‘natural’

constituencyTwo party system breaking downLess ‘natural’ ties to parties mean

citizens less trusting in/engaged with parties than before

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SOLUTIONS?

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Parties not representative

(a)Parties more internally democratic

(b)Reform party funding to encourage grassroots

Parties don’t offer adequate choices

(a)Electoral reform to encourage more parties

(b)Direct democracy to allow greater choice on issues