A-Level Politics: Political Parties — Functions, Funding and Party Systems

This material covers political parties, one of the core topics of the UK politics part of A level Politics. It complements the category's materials on elections and voting systems and on political ideas by concentrating on parties as organisations: what they do, how they are paid for, how their ideas have changed and what kind of party system the UK now has.

The first strand is the functions of parties (representation, policy-making, recruitment of candidates and leaders, forming a government or an opposition) and the way leaders are chosen, using the Conservative procedure of recent contests as an example. The second strand is party funding: membership, donations and trade union money, the state funding that already exists (Short money in the Commons, Cranborne money in the Lords, Policy Development Grants), the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the rules on permissible donors, the Electoral Commission, and the arguments for and against extending state funding.

The third strand is the origins and development of the main parties: the Labour Representation Committee of 1900, Clause IV and its rewrite in 1995 under New Labour, the post-war consensus, Thatcherism and privatisation, the formation of the Liberal Democrats in 1988, the 2010–15 coalition and the referendum on the Alternative Vote in 2011. The fourth strand is minor parties and party systems. The 2024 general election is used as a case study: Labour won 411 seats on 33.7 per cent of the vote, the Liberal Democrats 72 seats on 12.2 per cent and Reform UK 5 seats on 14.3 per cent, so students can explain why concentrated support wins seats and whether the UK is still a two-party system.

The quiz has twelve questions, most of them scenarios or data to interpret, with one item that asks for the strongest evidence of minor-party influence. The flashcards give eighteen terms, dates and results. The written work has eight extended questions, from the functions of parties to evaluating whether the UK now has a multi-party system, each with a reference answer and key points. The oral exam asks questions one at a time and expects answers backed by examples and figures.

Election figures are the published 2024 results; the material names no current politicians and describes party ideas neutrally, without favouring any party. It is practice material and does not reproduce any exam board's questions.

• Explain the functions of political parties with examples
• Describe how UK parties are funded and regulated, including PPERA 2000 and Short money
• Evaluate the case for and against state funding
• Explain key changes in Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat ideas and policies
• Use the 2024 general election results to explain the effect of vote distribution under first-past-the-post
• Classify the UK party system and assess the influence of minor parties

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the political parties content of the A level Politics specifications (for example Pearson Edexcel, UK Politics component, and AQA). 2024 general election figures as published after the election (House of Commons Library).