1. Do small parties
matter ?

2. Breaking the mould
 Political commentators often use the expression ‘breaking
the mould’ of British politics to describe the possible
breakthrough of a new party.
 The ‘mould’ refers to the traditional two party system or
duopoly.

3. How many small parties can you
name ?
 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
 Sinn Fein
 Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalists)
 Scottish National Party (SNP)
 Green Party
 British National Party (BNP)
 UK Independence Party (UKIP)
 Social and Democratic Liberal Party (SDLP)

4. Choose one party to research.
Policies Leader Membership Representation Prominent
figures

5. Do small parties matter ?
 The voting system works against small parties and favours
Labour and Conservative.
 How can small parties make a difference ?

6. Do small parties matter ?
 Most small parties find it easier to win seats in
local councils rather than Westminster.
 They can highlight issues ignored by other
parties.
 Small parties only have importance in the
Westminster parliament when the government
has no majority or only a small majority. This is
called a ‘hung parliament’.

7. 1992-1997: small parties do matter
!
 John Major won the 1992 election with a small majority
of just 32.
 This was reduced over time by deaths / retirement of
MP’s and by-elections.
 By mid1990s Major had no ‘working majority’ (reliable
vote).
 He had to rely on the votes of the 10 UUP MPs to get
government legislation (laws) passed.
 This is not quite a coalition government but the
government must listen to the wishes of that small
party.
 In the 1970s Labour’s majority relied on the Liberals
support (The Lib-Lab Pact)

8. Some parliamentary arithmetic
There are 650 seats at Westminster
326 would give one party the majority.
Form a government with a working majority from these
election results:
Labour 297
Conservative 294
Lib Dems 28
UUP 11
DUP 7
Plaid Cymru 3
SNP 10

9. Two party system ?
1. Since 1945, do you think the UK is a two party system?

10. Sometimes a small party can win a
seat at Westminster because they
have a famous / high profile leader
like former Labour MP George
Galloway or Robert Kilroy Silk

11. Party funding
1. Where do political parties in the UK receive
funding from ? What rules exist to regulate
this ?
2. Is our system open to bribery / corruption ?
3. Should political parties in the UK receive
state funding (as in some European
countries like Germany where parties
receive funding in proportion to votes won) ?

12. Party funding
 Political parties in Britain are funded from their
members and from their sponsors and donors.
 All parties accept donors from private
businesses and companies.
 Following numerous scandals in the 1990’s
and 2000’s rules exist concerning donations:
they must be declared.

13. Swing or marginal seats
2005 Election Results
2010 Election Results

14. Party membership
1. Suggest reasons why party membership across the UK is
declining for all political parties. (P29 in text book)

15. Membership
 Party membership could be declining for a
variety of reasons:
i. Disillusionment
ii. Lack of control by ordinary party members
iii. Competition from other leisure activities
iv. Lack of interest from younger age groups
v. Lack of difference between the three main
parties – crowding in the centre ground.

16. Participation
 Party membership is declining, however, membership of
pressure groups has increased in recent years:
i. Rise of single-issue politics
ii. Direct action groups seen as more effective and able to
influence politics
iii. Spread of the internet, online forums, blogs etc
encourages the growth of small pressure groups.