Political Parties /
Elections in the United
Kingdom
2010 General Election: Hung
Parliament/Coalition Government
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Conservatives: 306 seats (gain of 98
seats) ; 36.1% of vote
Labour: 258 seats (loss of 91 seats) ;
29.0% of vote
Liberal Democrats: 57 (loss of 5
seats); 23% of vote
Other Parties: 28 seats (loss of 1
seat); 11.9% of vote
Foundations of the Party
System
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Two-plus system
2 dominant parties (Labour + Conservative)
Party system reflects class identification
(main social identifier in UK)
Also, ideological (Liberal Democrats) +
Regional parties (Scottish National Party,
Welsh Plaid Cymru)
 2010 - Labour + Conservative only won 65% of
popular vote, but have 87% of seats in
Commons
Labour Party
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Largest/strongest party on the “left” of
political spectrum
Traditionally labor unions have provided
majority of funds for the party
Former Labour Leaders Gordon
Brown + Tony Blair
Current Labour Leader:
Ed Millibrand
Tony Blair’s “Third Way”
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Moderate “New Labour” Party
Centrist alternative to “Old Labour” Party on
left and Conservative Party on right
Initiated by Blair in late 1990s:
– Acceptance of market economy by Labour Party
– Devolution
Conservative Party
(Tories)
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Dominant party in Great Britain between
WWII and late 1990s
Main party on the right
98% of all Conservative seats are in
England
Conservative Leader/Prime
Minister: David Cameron
Thatcher’s Reforms
(1980s)
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Privatized business and industry
– Sold many government-owned enterprises
to private sector
Cut back on social welfare programs
Strengthened national defense (staunch
anti-communist)
Resisted complete integration into the
European Union (EU)
– “Euroskeptics” – feel EU threatens British
sovereignty
– Rejected single currency (Euro)
Liberal-Democratic Party
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Alliance between the Liberal and Social
Democratic Parties during the 1980s
Supports social programs, integrated Europe
(EU)
Currently part of coalition government with
Conservatives
Liberal Democratic
Leader/Deputy PM: Nick Clegg
Other Parties
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Scottish National Party
Plaid Cymru – Welsh nationalist
party (Wales)
Sinn Fein – political arm of the IRA
(Irish Republican Army)
Elections
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Members of Parliament (MPs) are the only
national officials that British voters select
Elections must be held at least every 5 years,
but Prime Minister may call them earlier
Power to call elections very important –
Prime Ministers always call elections when
they think that the majority party has the best
chance to win
Elections II
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“Winner-take-all” system
Single-member district plurality system
Parties select a candidate to run in each district
“First-past-the-post” winner
Elections III
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MPs do not have to live in the district in
which they are running, therefore party
selects who runs in what districts = parties
powerful
Party leaders run from safe districts –
districts that the party almost always wins
Effects of FPTP/WTA
System
Voting Patterns
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Conservative Party:
– Middle and upper classes
– Educated
– Residents of England, mostly rural and
suburban areas
Labour Party:
– Working class
– Residents of urban / industrial areas
– “Third Way” centrist policies/devolution
made Labour Party appealing to Scots,
Welsh, and the poor
U.S. vs. British Elections
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United States
– Parties are less powerful
– Members must live in
districts
– Party leaders run in their
respective districts
– Citizens vote for three
officials on national level
– Between 30 and 60% of
the eligible voters actually
vote
– First-past-the-post, singlemember districts; virtually
no minor parties get
representation
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Great Britain
– Party determines who runs
where
– Members usually don’t live
in their districts
– Party leaders run in “safe
districts”
– Citizens vote for only one
official on the national
level
– About 65-75% of the
eligible voters actually vote
(number was less in 2001
& 2005)
– First-past-the-post, singlemember districts; some
representation from minor
parties, but still less than if
they had proportional
representation
Conservative Party
(Tories)
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Weakened by division of party in late 1990s:
– Traditional Wing – values noblesse oblige
and elitism, supports Britain’s membership in
EU
– Thatcherite Wing – strict conservatives,
support full free market
 “Euroskeptics” – feel EU threatens British
sovereignty