Activity 1: Research and make notes on recent developments relating to the British party system

 

Learning objective: To develop understanding of the British party system

Suitable for: Independent study or group work

You will need:

• To have read Blick, A. (2021), UK Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 6
• Access to the internet

Outline of activity:

Research and make notes on recent developments relating to the British party system.

For this you should carry out research into the following parties: Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, Green Party, UK Independence Party, Brexit Party.

Create a table and make notes under the following headings:

• What does the party stand for?
• How much success have they had in general elections?
• How much success have they had in other elections?
• For the Conservative and Labour parties: To what extent have the parties changed in recent years?
• For smaller parties: To what extent have they impacted upon the Conservative and Labour parties’ fortunes?
  • Consider here whether they have had a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or no impact at all on the two main parties
  • If you feel they have had an impact, briefly explain what this is

If working in a group (ideally containing between two and four people), you can divide the parties up between you and, once you have completed your individual research, share knowledge with your study partner/other members of your study group.

Need some help? Why not refer to sections 6.2 and 6.3 of the book? House of Commons Library reports are also a useful resource for election results.

Answer guidance:

When making notes under the headings, consider the following:

What does the party stand for?

• How would you describe their ideology? Economically, are they left-wing, right-wing, or centrist? Are they socially liberal or socially conservative? Are there any tendencies within the parties? Is there a particular issue(s) that they focus on?

How much success have they had in general elections?

• What share of the vote and number of seats have they won in general elections? How have the party’s fortunes changed over time?

How much success have they had in other elections?

• What share of the vote and number of seats have they won in elections to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament, European Parliament, London Assembly, and in local councils? How have these changed over time?

For the Conservative and Labour parties: To what extent have the parties changed in recent years?

• How have the parties’ ideologies shifted? Who have been their party leaders? Under which leaders they have had success and which they have not?

For smaller parties: To what extent have they impacted upon the Conservative and Labour parties’ fortunes?

• Have these parties had a great deal of impact, a fair amount of impact, not very much impact, or no impact at all on the two main parties? Why would you say they have had this amount of impact?

 

 

 

 

Activity 2: Assess the various ways in which the British party system can be analysed

 

Learning objective: To apply theoretical models to the UK party system

Suitable for: Independent study or group work

You will need:

• To have read Blick, A. (2021), UK Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 6
• An A4 piece of paper or access to word-processing software such as Microsoft Word

Outline of activity:

Re-read section 6.3.3 of the book. On a sheet of paper or, if using your computer, in a word-processing document, create headings for each of the following terms: ‘adversarial system’, ‘majoritarian system’, ‘consensus system’, ‘two-party system’, ‘multi-party system’.

Under each heading, make a note of what each term means. Then think of two to three reasons in favour of and against this term being applied to the UK party system.

Finally, write a sentence or two summarising which terms you think best apply to the UK system.

If working with a partner or in groups (ideally containing between three and six people), you could split into teams. One team comes up for reasons in favour of a particular term applying to the UK party system. The other team thinks of reasons why the term does not apply. When moving to the next term, rotate the team thinking up the reasons in favour and against.

Need some help? Why not refer to section 6.3.3 of the book?

Answer guidance:

Consider the following questions:

• What evidence is there that the various labels apply to the UK party system?
• What evidence is there that the various labels do not apply to the UK party system?
• Which label(s) do you think best apply to the UK party system?
• Are there other descriptions of the UK party system which you think are more appropriate?

If you have completed activity 1, use your notes to help formulate your answers.

 

 

Activity 3: Pretend you are doing an interview with a leader of the Conservative and/or Labour parties

 

Learning objective: To analyse the characteristics of the Conservative and Labour parties and the way they have developed over time

Suitable for: Independent study or paired activity

You will need:

• To have read Blick, A. (2021), UK Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 6
• Access to word-processing software such as Microsoft Word

Outline of activity:

Pretend you are doing an interview with a leader of the Conservative and/or Labour parties. Pose questions and think up answers (if writing the answers, write no more than two pages) based on what you know about the leader you have chosen.

If you wish, you can focus on one or do a separate interview for both.

For the Conservative Party, choose from: Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron, Theresa May, or Boris Johnson.

For the Labour Party, choose from: Tony Blair, Jeremy Corbyn, or Sir Keir Starmer.

If you are working in a pair, choose one leader from each party and take it in turns to respond to questions. You can make notes of each other’s answers or record the interviews if you wish.

 

Need some help? Why not refer to section 6.3.1 of the book?

Answer guidance: Some questions to consider:

• What did the leader you have chosen stand for?
• Why did they take the party in the particular direction that they chose? What were their priorities and why?
• What was their relationship like with their party’s backbench MPs? What was their relationship like with party members and the general public?
• How do you think they would assess their performance as party leaders? Would they consider it a success or failure?
• How do you think they would assess their performance relative to other leaders of the party?

 

 

 

Activity 4: Create a short presentation on the question ‘Do party members have too much power?’

 

Learning objective: To evaluate the role of party members in political parties

Suitable for: Independent study

You will need:

• To have read Blick, A. (2021), UK Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 6
• Access to a presentation programme such as PowerPoint

Outline of activity:

Create a five-minute presentation in which you analyse the question ‘Do party members have too much power?’

You can also record your presentation and share it with people you are studying with for feedback.

Need some help? Why not refer to section 6.3.2 of the book?

Answer guidance: While preparing your presentation, consider the following questions:

• How has membership of political parties evolved over time?
• What powers do party members currently have? Do these differ between parties?
• What role do party members play in electing party leaders and shaping party policy?
• Who else currently has input into the decisions parties make?
• Who else could have an input into the decisions parties make?

 

Activity 5: Create a short presentation on the question ‘Is the regulation of political parties within the UK fit for purpose?’

 

Learning objective: To evaluate the role of party members in political parties

Suitable for: Independent study

You will need:

• To have read Blick, A. (2021), UK Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 6
• To visit the website of the Electoral Commission
• Access to a presentation programme such as PowerPoint

Outline of activity:

Create a five-minute presentation in which you analyse the question ‘Is the regulation of political parties within the UK fit for purpose?’

You can also record your presentation and share it with people you are studying with for feedback.

Need some help? Why not refer to section 6.2.4 of the book? See also Chapters 7 and 8.

Answer guidance: While preparing your presentation, consider the following questions:

• How are political parties in the UK regulated?
• What powers does the Electoral Commission have? How are its decisions enforced?
• How are political parties in the UK funded? What are the consequences of this? Is this system fair and does it enhance or undermine UK democracy?
• Should a form of state funding of political parties be introduced?