The Labour Party:
- When someone joins, they are assigned to a local branch
- Delegates to General Committee of Constituency Labour (CLP)
- CLP organises the party at constituency level, lead in national and local campaigns
- Selects candidates for Parliamentary Elections
- One Member One Vote has dimished the role of constituency party leaders.
- NEC the main national organ and it enforces party discipline and the smooth running of the country
- Policy building was once done at the conference but the role has been reduced.
Conservatives
Party:
- Similar to that of the Labour Party
- Branches correspond to a local council below constituent level can associate.
- CA organise the party at grass roots level and planning election campaigns
- CA no longer have free rein
- CCHQ is at Millbank, Westminster and was previously referred to as the Conservatives Central Office
Liberal
Democrats:
- Organised along federal lines where there are separate national parties in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Regional parties exist under the national parties
- English Lib Dems are governed by the English council executive – all 11 English regionals are Lib Dems
- UK level is governed by federal institutions however, the 2016 conference replaced this with a federal board – shapes the direction the policy in going in and oversees the work of parties other federal commitments.
Parties
Sitting In European Parliament:
- Transnational group as opposed to single UK block
- 19 Conservatives with EU Tories and Reformists, 20 Labour with progressive Alliance of Social and Democratic
- 1 Liberal sat with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
Internal
Party Democracy:
Power
Of Rank/File Party Members:
- Votes
- Active in constituencies
- Attend conferences
Choosing
Leaders:
- Conservatives: Vote in a series of ballots to narrow the field of leadership down to 2. Then the use of OMOV to choose leader
- Labour: Secure 15% nominations then OMOV to decide
- Lib Dems: Nominations of 20 local parties or 200 members than OMOV under AV
. Choosing Parliamentary
Candidates:
- First hopefuls must get their names on to a centrally vetted, approved list of prospective candidates.
- Local part draws up a shortlist from those approved candidates
- Constituencies party members vote for their preferred candidates, whether in person at a meeting or by postal vote.