Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
UNIT 9. POLITICAL PARTIES – UPS AND DOWNS (by the 20th of
November – tasks 1-3 (but print out the rest!)
OBJECTIVES: After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Form a clear idea of certain political concepts.
2. Understand political platforms of the major UK
parties.
3. Analyse social attitudes in modern society.
CRITICAL Drawing conclusions
THINKING Understanding cause and effect
SKILLS:
Expressing problems clearly
Demonstrating reasoned judgement
Study the following DEFINITIONS. Which of them best matches your
understanding? In what way do these complement each other?
A political party is a group of people who seek to influence or form the
government according to their agreed views and principles.
A political party is an organisation that mobilises voters on behalf of a
common set of interests, concerns, and goals. It formulates political and
policy agendas, selects candidates, conducts election campaigns, and
monitors the work of their elected representatives. Political parties link
citizens and the government, providing a way for people to have a voice in
their government.
A political party is an organisation of individuals and factions attempting to
gain control of the government by winning elections.
*** Political parties should be distinguished from pressure groups. Essentially a
political party will have policies to cover all general areas of public life, whereas a
pressure group will seek to influence one specific policy area, for example
environmental issues.
1
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
TASK 1. Read the following texts and translate the extracts given in bold type.
The Major Political Parties
British parliamentary democracy has traditionally been dominated by the
two-party system, with two main parties forming the government and the official
Opposition. Over the years these have been Whigs and Tories, i.e. Liberals and
Conservatives and, since the development of the Labour Party at the beginning of
the 20th century, Labour and Conservatives. A number of other parties have also
won seats in Parliament.
Nowadays there are three major national political parties in the United
Kingdom. They are:
The Labour Party
The Conservative Party
The Liberal Democrats
The main parties in Britain have the following political priorities:
The Labour Party
“We want to create a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the
hands of the many not the few, where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe,
and where we live together freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.”
The Labour Party seeks to achieve:
a dynamic economy serving the public interest;
a just society, which judges its strength by the condition of the weak as much as
the strong;
an open democracy, in which government is held to account by the people;
a healthy environment, which has to be protected, enhanced and held in trust
for future generations.
2
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
The Conservative Party
“It's time for a Government that will deliver. It's time to support marriage and
the family; time for a war on crime; time to cut taxes; time for our schools and
hospitals to benefit from choice and freedom; time to show respect to our
pensioners; time for real savings, not welfare dependency; time to endow our
universities; time to be in Europe, but not run by it. It's time for common sense.
The fundamental principles of the Conservative Party can be summarised as
follows:
individuals have an absolute right to liberty;
ownership is the strongest foundation of individual freedom, opportunity
and independence;
the role of government is to strengthen individual liberty and choice;
in economic affairs the Government should establish a climate in which
enterprise can flourish.
The Liberal Democrats
“The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open
society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and
community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or
conformity. We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals. We
believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to
contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect
their lives.”
The Liberal Democrats stand for the right of individuals to have control over
their own lives:
individual liberty lies at the heart of society;
the main aim is to enable men and women to develop their own talents to the
full, free from arbitrary interference of government;
the role of the government is to guarantee this freedom, to create an
enterprising, competitive market-based economy.
***
3
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
Other political parties include two The Unionist Party is the political
nationalist parties, Plaid Cymru (the Welsh party based in Northern Ireland,
and committed to the maintenance
nationalist party) and the Scottish National Party. of the union between Great Britain
In Northern Ireland there are a number of and Northern Ireland. It also seeks
parties. They include the Ulster Unionist Party, to maintain the partition between
the Republic of Ireland and
the Democratic Unionist Party, the Social Northern Ireland.
Democratic and Labour Party, and Sinn Fein.
TASK 2. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following key words
and expressions and use them in the sentences referring to political parties in your
country.
1. основные принципы
2. борьба с преступностью
3. основа свободы личности
4. благосостояние людей
5. рыночная экономика
6. быть избранным в Парламент
7. нести ответственность перед народом
8. сократить налоги
9. защищать свободу
10.защищать права личности
TASK 3. Drawing on the information above, outline each party’s ideology.
Describe different parties’ views on the role of the government.
TASK 4. OPTIONAL (!!!) Using additional sources, gather the info about major
political parties in Great Britain. You may find useful information on the following
websites:
http://www.labour.org.uk
http://www.conservatives.com
http://libdems.org.uk
4
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
DETERMINE YOUR POLITICAL PRIORITIES
(Social Attitudes Quiz)
Analyse the following urgent social and political issues in modern Britain. Debate
each statement to determine which party may favour it.
What is your personal attitude to the matters in question? Which party are you
inclined to support?
MODEL: Royalty and nobility are incompatible with democracy. the Labour
1. Gay couples should be able to adopt children. ______
2. Men are not created equal; therefore social inequality is inevitable. ______
3. People who live in a welfare state tend to lose all sense of initiative. ______
4. Trade unions are a hindrance to industrial progress. ______
5. Young people wearing unconventional clothes, nose studs and dreadlocks
should not be allowed to have responsible jobs. ______
6. Capital punishment is a deterrent to would-be criminals. ______
7. People should not be able to obtain a better education or better medical care for
their families by paying for them. ______
8. It is unfair that some people inherit vast incomes while other people have to
work for a living. ______
9. All segments of society (e.g., coloured people, gays and lesbians, the
handicapped, lunatics) should enjoy fair representation in Parliament. ______
10.In certain circumstances, censorship of the press, literature, films, etc. is
justifiable. ______
11.Soft drugs like marijuana should be made legal. ______
12.Asylum seekers should be given social benefits and accommodation at the
expense of British taxpayers. ______
13.A person should be entitled to take his or her own life without society
interfering, if he or she wishes to do so. ______
5
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
TASK 5. Study the following text and be ready to describe the landmarks in the
history of British political parties.
From the History of British Political Parties
For a long time, the two main parties were the Tories (now the Conservative
Party) and the Whigs (now the Liberal Democrats). The terms Tory and Whig were
originally insults: a “whiggamor” was a cattle driver, and a “tory” was an Irish term
for an outlaw.
Traditionally the Tories were associated with the gentry, favouring
agricultural interests and the Church of England, while the Whigs were more linked
with trade, money, larger land holders (or "land magnates"). Both were committed
to the political system in place, but neither group could be considered a true
political party in the modern sense.
In the 18th century the Tory Party experienced its ups and downs. In the 19th
century it picked up and became known as the Conservative Party (the word
“conservative” first came into use in 1830s). After becoming associated with
repression of popular discontent in the early 19 th century, the Tories underwent a
fundamental transformation under the influence of Sir Robert Peel, himself an
industrialist rather than a landowner, who outlined a new "Conservative"
philosophy of reforming ills while conserving the good.
Whigs were traditionally in opposition to the Tory Party. Initially they
controlled the government, but later developed into the minority party until 1830.
During the next few years, the Whigs became known as the Liberal Party. The
term "Liberal Party" was first used officially in the late 19th century, though it was
used colloquially for decades beforehand.
In the 20th century the Labour Party was established (1906), leading to the
demise of the Whigs as the liberal force in British politics. The existence of the
Labour Party on the left of British politics caused a slow waning of energy from the
Liberal movement.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century Labour governments
alternated with Conservative governments. The Conservatives
were in power for most of the time, with the Labour Party
suffering the "wilderness years" of 1950s and the late 20th
century (several General Election defeats). In 1979 Margaret
Thatcher became leader of the
Conservative party and made a Monetarism is an economic
theory claiming that the money
fundamental change to supply is the basic influence on
Conservative policies, turning the economy.
the Conservative Party into a right-wing radical
6
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
body. Her successor John Major pursued radical policies of privatisation, anti-
trade-union legislation and monetarism, otherwise known as Thatcherism.
The Labour Party responded to Margaret Thatcher's government by moving
the party further to the left, which split it and made it unelectable for a decade.
In response to the leftward shift of the Labour party some moderate party
members formed a breakaway group, called the Social Democratic Party, as a
centrist alternative to the Labour and the Conservatives. It eventually merged with
the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats
(1988). Support for the new party has increased
ever since, and the Liberal Democrats (often
referred to as LibDems) in 2001 won a record
number of seats in the House of Commons.
Tony Blair became leader of the Labour
party in 1994. In 1997 Labour won the General
Election with a historic landslide result. The Labour Party consolidated its position
in 2001, winning a second consecutive General Election – the first time ever
achievement for the Labour Party.
This led to a crisis of confidence in the Conservative Party, which had
become complacent with its position as the 'natural party of government' after its 18
years of power. The recent Conservative Party's drift to the right as well as
leadership problems lost it a large number of voters, which means that its present
leader has taken on a challenging role of improving the party‟s image.
It’s Interesting to Know
Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850) is the founder and leader of the
Conservative Party. He served as British Prime Minister for two
terms. As Home Secretary he reorganized the London police, who
have been called „bobbies‟ after him since that time.
TASK 6. Find in the text above the English equivalents for the following words and
expressions:
1. поражение на выборах
2. всеобщие выборы
3. недовольство народа
4. укрепить положение
5. внести существенные изменения в политику (партии)
6. проводить радикальную политику
7. победить на выборах
7
Just English. The State of Britain. Advanced Course. UNIT 9
TASK 7. Explain the meaning of the following phrases from the text:
1. reforming ills while conserving the good
2. demise of the Whigs as the liberal force in British politics
3. a slow waning of energy from the Liberal movement
4. to suffer the “wilderness years”
5. to make a party unelectable
6. to win an election with a landslide result
7. to become complacent with one’s position
8. ‘natural party of government’
REVIEW
Using the information from the Unit, speak about the ups and downs of the major
British political parties.
ANALYTICAL DEVELOPMENT
Using additional sources, prepare a presentation about one of the major political
parties in your country.
Do you agree that …
Political parties…. are the only place left to us where people don‟t talk politics.
Oscar Wilde
Things must be done by parties, not by persons using parties as tools.
Benjamin Disraeli
Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing.
Bernard Baruch
8