Parties & Candidates (Edexcel GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

The UK's major political parties

• Political parties are membership-based organisations, made up of citizens who share the same political ideas

  • Parties can be local, regional, national or UK-wide

• The political system in the UK - particularly in England - has been described as a two-party system

  • The Labour and Conservative parties have, in recent decades, been most likely to win a general election

• In recent years we have seen a multi-party system emerge, where a number of parties compete for power

  • Parties with smaller - but significant - membership and a growing representation in Parliament include:

    • The Green Party

    • The Liberal Democrats

    • Reform

• In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are political parties who only fight elections in their part of the UK

  • Scotland SNP ( Scottish Nationalist Party)

  • Wales -Plaid Cymru

  • Northern Ireland - DUP ( Democratic Unionist Party), Alliance, UUP (Ulster Unionist Party) and Sinn Féin

Differences between UK political parties

• Political parties are often described as being right- or left-wing based on their views about the economy, society and the role of the state

  • Right-wing parties are generally associated with support for free markets, lower taxes, less government intervention in the economy, individual responsibility and traditional values

    • Examples of right-leaning parties in the UK include the Conservative Party and Reform

  • Left-wing parties are generally associated with support for greater government involvement in the economy, higher spending on public services, reducing inequality and protecting workers’ rights

    • Examples of left-leaning parties in the UK include Labour and The Green Party

• Parties tend to stay close to these positions, but can move to the right or left, especially at elections when they are trying to convince people to support them

• Reform is  a popularist party that is positioned further to the right than the Conservative Party on some issues

  • On other issues it may appear  to have left-wing views, in an attempt to appeal to a broad range of voters

Selection of constituency candidates

• Political parties adopt similar processes to select candidates to stand in elections

  • They use this process to ensure candidates are suitable, trusted and supported, while also allowing local members a role in choosing who represents them

The candidate selection process

Advertising to party members

• Political parties advertise internally for members who are interested in standing as candidates

  • Parties like Labour and the Conservatives often encourage local activists or campaigners to put themselves forward

Formal application and approval process

• Interested individuals must formally apply to the party to become a potential candidate

  • This usually involves completing an application form explaining their experience, values and reasons for wanting to stand

Vetting of the application

• The party will check the application carefully before moving forward

  • This includes reviewing background information and contacting referees to ensure the applicant is suitable and does not pose a reputational risk

• Parties have become stricter after past controversies involving unsuitable candidates

Interview and candidate approval

• Applicants attend an interview, often with senior party members or a regional panel

  • Parties may assess communication skills, knowledge of local issues and commitment to party values

• Many parties, such as the Liberal Democrats, provide training and mentoring to help new candidates prepare

Local selection process

• Approved candidates who want to stand in a specific ward or constituency meet local party members

  • Candidates may give speeches and answer questions before local members vote to select who will represent the party

  • This gives local members a strong say in who represents them

Adoption as a candidate

• Once selected, the candidate is publicly announced and becomes the party’s official (adopted) candidate

• From this point, they campaign openly using the party’s name, logo and support