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neurologyYou need to know

• Political parties are organised groups that seek to gain political power through elections and to influence government policy.
• Ideology is a set of political beliefs and values about society, the economy and the role of the state.
• Party structure refers to how a party is organised, including its leadership, membership, conferences and internal decision-making.
• Party functions are the roles parties perform in democracy.
• Party funding means the ways parties raise money to campaign and operate.
• Party systems describe the number and importance of parties competing in a political system.
• Minor parties are smaller parties that do not usually form government but may still shape debate and policy.
• The political agenda is the set of issues that dominate public and political debate at a given time.
• Functions of political parties
• Represent different interests and viewpoints.
• Recruit and select political leaders and candidates.
• Develop policies and manifestos.
• Offer voters choice at elections.
• Organise government and opposition.
• Educate and mobilise the electorate.
• Help link citizens to the state.
• The Conservative Party
• Originated in the nineteenth century from the Tory tradition.
• Traditionally associated with conservatism: authority, tradition, pragmatism, private property and limited change.
• Developed through strands such as:
• One Nation conservatism: paternalism, social cohesion, moderate reform.
• New Right/Thatcherism: free markets, privatisation, individualism, a smaller state.
• Current Conservative policies have been shaped by tensions between One Nation and New Right ideas, especially on the economy, welfare, Europe and immigration.
• The Labour Party
• Founded in 1900 to represent organised labour and the trade union movement.
• Traditionally associated with socialism and social democracy.
• Key values include equality, social justice, workers' rights and state intervention.
• Developed through strands such as:
• Democratic socialism: greater equality and public ownership.
• Revisionism/New Labour: moderation, market acceptance, social justice through opportunity rather than extensive state ownership.
• Current Labour policies reflect debate between the party's socialist roots and more centrist social democratic approaches.
• The Liberal Democrats
• Formed in 1988 from the merger of the Liberal Party and the SDP.
• Associated with liberalism: freedom, individual rights, constitutional reform, social justice and internationalism.
• Includes:
• Classical liberal ideas: limited state, personal freedom.
• Modern liberal ideas: state action to create fair opportunities.
• Current policies often emphasise civil liberties, electoral reform, environmental protection and decentralisation.
• Party structure
• Conservatives: more leadership-centred; leader is highly influential; members and MPs both play roles in leadership selection.
• Labour: formal links with trade unions; conference, members, MPs and affiliated groups all matter.
• Liberal Democrats: more federal and decentralised; conference has an important role in policy-making.
• Internal democracy varies between parties, and leaders often dominate despite formal structures.
• Party funding
• Main sources:
• membership fees
• individual donations
• trade union funding
• state support such as Short Money
• Funding is controversial because large donations may create unfair influence or the appearance of corruption.
• Labour has traditionally relied more on trade unions.
• Conservatives have often received more support from wealthy individuals and businesses.
• Debate continues over whether parties should receive more state funding.
• Media and political parties
• Parties use television, newspapers, interviews, party broadcasts and social media to shape their image.
• The media can influence leadership perception, issue salience and campaign momentum.
• Relationships with newspapers can matter, but media influence is hard to measure precisely.
• Social media has become increasingly significant, especially in campaigning and targeting voters.
• Factors affecting electoral outcomes
• Leadership image
• Party unity or division
• Campaign effectiveness
• Strength of manifesto and policies
• Media treatment
• State of the economy
• Major political issues, such as Brexit
• Electoral system used
• Minor parties
• Examples include:
• Green Party: environmentalism, sustainability, social justice.
• Reform UK/UKIP: Euroscepticism, immigration control, anti-establishment politics.
• SNP: Scottish independence, social democracy, anti-Westminster sentiment.
• Plaid Cymru: Welsh interests, devolution, nationalism.
• Minor parties may not win many seats at Westminster, but they can influence the political agenda by forcing major parties to respond to their issues.
• Party systems in the UK
• The UK has traditionally been seen as a two-party system, dominated by Conservatives and Labour.
• It has increasingly shown features of a multi-party system because of:
• growth of smaller parties
• regional parties in Scotland and Wales
• weaker class voting
• partisan dealignment
• FPTP still favours larger parties, so the UK is not fully multi-party at Westminster.
• Multi-party politics can affect government and policy by encouraging coalition, minority government or greater responsiveness to a wider range of views.

• Define ideology, party structure, party systems, party funding, party functions, minor parties and political agenda accurately.
• Explain the origins and development of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.
• Show how party ideology shapes current policy positions.
• Compare the structures of the three main UK parties.
• Explain the main functions political parties perform in a democracy.
• Analyse the main sources of party funding and evaluate debates about fairness and influence.
• Assess the impact of the media on party image and electoral success.
• Explain why some parties win elections and others lose.
• Analyse how minor parties influence debate even when they win few seats.
• Evaluate the extent to which the UK is now a multi-party system.
• Make supported judgements about the impact of party competition on government and policy.
• Use accurate examples from recent UK politics to support argument