Political Parties - Structure of Parties

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:
  1. First hopefuls must get their names on to a centrally vetted, approved list of prospective candidates.
  2. Local part draws up a shortlist from those approved candidates
  3. Constituencies party members vote for their preferred candidates, whether in person at a meeting or by postal vote.
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