Multimedia Mania/abacus-multimedia-mania.iso/dp/0051/00516.txt

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$Unique_ID{bob00516}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{United Kingdom
National Organisation}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Subject{party
leader
conservative
members
committee
labour
parties
policy
elected
national}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Title:       United Kingdom
Book:        Organisation of Political Parties in Britain
Author:      Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Date:        1990

National Organisation

Conservative Party

     The central pillar of the party organisation in England and Wales is the
National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, a federal
organisation to which are affiliated some 560 constituency associations.
Scotland has its own organisation, the Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Association, but its 72 constituency associations are now also affiliated to
the National Union. The main functions of the National Union are to advance
the Party's cause, to give an opportunity for issues to be debated, and to
serve as an advisory body which keeps the leader informed of party opinion.

     The governing body of the National Union is the Central Council, which
meets once a year to debate motions which have been submitted from
constituencies, areas, and national advisory committees. It also elects the
officers of the National Union. Membership includes the leader of the Party
and other principal officers and officials; the Conservative Members of both
Houses of Parliament and of the European Parliament; the members of the
Executive Committee; and six representatives from each constituency
association, together with representatives from the Scottish Association,
provincial area councils, and national committees.

     The Executive Committee of the National Union (which meets regularly) is
composed of 200 members, including representatives of the provincial area
councils (who, in turn, represent the constituencies in the areas) and the
leader and other provincial officers of the Party. The Committee has
authority to act on behalf of the Central Council in the intervals between
the latter's meetings. Its functions include: recommending to the Central
Council for election the officers of the National Union; approving the
admission of constituency associations to the National Union; settling
disputes between or within constituency associations; considering proposals on
party or public affairs from the provincial areas or constituencies and
forwarding them to the appropriate quarters. It also elects representatives of
the National Union to the various national committees of the Party and submits
an annual report to the party conference. The Executive Committee is advised
by the following National Advisory Committees: Women, Young Conservatives,
Trade Unionists, Local Government, Education, and the Conservative Political
Centre National Advisory Committee.

     There are also a number of other central committees or boards, some of
which report to the Executive Committee, and they occupy an important place
in party organisation. They are: the Advisory Committee on Policy, which is
responsible solely to the party leader; the Conservative Party Board of
Finance; the Standing Advisory Committees on United Kingdom and European
Candidates; the Examination Board (for agents and organisers); and the
Superannuation Fund.

     An annual conference, lasting four days, is held by the National Union
every year and is the most important annual gathering of the Party. The
conference is attended by the members of the Central Council and two
additional representatives of each constituency - one of whom must be a Young
Conservative - including certificated agents or organisers. At the conference
the National Union receives the report of the Executive Committee, and
debates and passes resolutions on party policy. It is not authorised to
decide on policy and has no executive power; its resolutions are therefore not
binding on the party leadership, but they have considerable influence. Annual
conferences are also held by the Party in Scotland and Wales.

Labour Party

     The highest authority in the Labour Party is the party conference, which
controls the work of the Party outside Parliament, is responsible for its
constitution and standing orders, and decides, in broad outline, party
policy. The conference is normally held once a year for four and a half days
and is attended by some 1,100 delegates appointed by trade unions,
constituency parties and socialist and co-operative societies. Ex officio
members, such as leading officials of the Party, MPs and prospective
parliamentary candidates, and constituency party agents, take part.

     Seven-eighths of the votes at the conference are held by the trade
unions, distributed in proportion to the money that each union pays annually
as an affiliation fee; the payment is made from union members' contributions
to political funds.

     The National Executive Committee (NEC) is the administrative authority
of the Party and seeks to apply its policies between annual party
conferences. It consists of 29 members, three of whom are ex officio - the
leader, the deputy leader of the Party, and one youth member elected at the
National Youth Conference. The treasurer and 25 members are elected every
year at the annual conference, on the following basis: 12 members by the
trade union delegates; 7 by the constituency party delegates; 1 by the
delegates of socialist, co-operative and professional organisations; and 5
women members elected by the conference as a whole (as is the treasurer).
The NEC elects its own chairman and vice-chairman every year. Its functions
are to supervise the work of the Party outside Parliament at every level,
and to report on its own work to the conference. It submits to conference
'such resolutions and declarations affecting the programme, principles and
policy of the Party as, in its view, may be necessitated by political
circumstances'.

     The NEC works through a number of committees (Organisation,
International, Home Policy, Communications and Campaigns, Women, Youth,
Finance and General Purposes, Campaign Strategy, and Appeals and Mediation).
Two of these (the International and Home Policy committees) have a number of
special sub-committees and working parties appointed to deal with particular
areas of policy or problems of current concern to the Party. The leader of
the Party, the deputy leader, and the chairman, vice-chairman and the
treasurer of the NEC are ex officio members of each committee; the remaining
members are elected through the NEC itself.

     The NEC also participates in a number of general committees with other
representative Labour organisations. The Fabian Society is affiliated to the
Labour Party; it publishes pamphlets on social, economic, political and
international issues, many of which aim to influence Labour Party policy.

Liberal Democrats

     The Liberal Democrats determine party policy through the Federal
Conference. This is attended by representatives of local parties, associated
organisations representing youth and students, the party's parliamentary team
and the party officers. The Conference normally meets twice a year, in spring
and autumn. It receives reports from the party's Federal Executive, the
Federal Policy Committee and the Federal Conference Committee.

     The Federal Policy Committee is responsible for developing and presenting
party policy, including the preparation of the general election manifesto. The
committee consists of the party leader, the President, five representatives of
the party in both Houses of Parliament, three principal local authority
councillors, two representatives of each of the Scottish and Welsh parties,
and 13 members elected by the Federal Conference.

     The Federal Executive, whose membership is elected on a similar basis to
the Federal Policy Committee, is responsible for directing, co-ordinating and
implementing the work of the Federal Party. Its responsibilities include
establishing a Finance and Administration Committee, which manages the
finances and directs the administration of the Federal Party, including its
headquarters.

     In England, Scotland and Wales the Liberal Democrats constitute separate
state parties. Regional parties in England may also seek recognition as state
parties but so far none have sought to. The state parties have separate
organisations and hold their own conferences; together they form the federal
party.

Central Offices

     Each main party has a national headquarters, staffed by full-time
professional workers who co-ordinate the party organisation and prepare
various party publications, including general outlines of policy and
pamphlets on particular topics.

     The Conservative Central Office, along with its 11 area offices, is
presided over by a chairman, assisted by one deputy-chairman and four
vice-chairmen of the party organisation and three treasurers. The chairman,
who is appointed by the leader of the Party, is in charge of Central Office
and has overall responsibility for maintaining the nationwide organisation of
the Party. Four vice-chairmen are responsible respectively for parliamentary
candidature, international affairs, relations with Eastern Europe and the
women's organisation. The executive vice-chairman is responsible for the
day-to-day management of Central Office, for financial control, and for
co-ordinating the detailed development of election preparations. All these
appointments are made by the leader of the Party. There is a separate Central
Office in Scotland with its own chairman.

     Central Office departments cover organisation and campaigning, community
and legal affairs, communications, speakers, finance, training, trade unions,
local government, women and youth, and small businesses.

     The Conservative Research Department, the International Office and the
Conservative Political Centre also form part of Central Office. The
Conservative Research Department, which is responsible to the party leader
through the party chairman, plays an important part in developing party
policies. On a day-to-day basis, the Research Department is responsible for
briefing the parliamentary party (including the Cabinet when the Conservative
Party is in power) and servicing Conservative backbench committees. It
provides factual material for party publicity and produces reference works. It
has four major sections: economic, home affairs, political and constitutional,
and overseas and defence. The International Office provides briefing on
aspects of foreign policy, maintains contact with right-wing parties
worldwide, assists liaison between the European Parliament and Westminster,
and acts as the point of first contact with the party for organisations and
individuals from other countries, foreign journalists and diplomatic missions.
The Conservative Political Centre provides political education facilities for
party members and others interested in politics, through constituency
discussion groups, seminars, weekend schools, and publications by MPs and
others.

     The headquarters of the Labour Party is composed of the General
Secretary's Office and four directorates dealing with administration,
organisation, policy development, and campaigns and communications. The chief
official is the General Secretary, who works under the direction of the NEC,
and is appointed by the annual conference on the recommendation of the NEC.

     The General Secretary, as chief executive, is concerned with the entire
work of the Party. The International Secretary is responsible for maintaining
contacts with socialist parties in foreign countries and in the Commonwealth.
All the directorates are responsible to committees of the NEC; the General
Secretary reports directly to the NEC itself.

     The headquarters of the Liberal Democrats is responsible to the Finance
and Administration Committee, which consists of the Treasurer, the President,
the Vice-Presidents, the Federal Chief Executive, two elected representatives
of staff employed by the Federal Party, and five members elected by the
Federal Executive. The Federal Executive appoints a salaried General Secretary
who is responsible for the employment of the staff of the Federal Party.
Federal and English Party staff currently share the same headquarters and are
organised into seven departments: General Secretary's; membership and direct
mail; finance; campaigns and elections; policy; conference; and party
newspaper.

Party Finance

     The main parties receive their funds from various sources. The central
income of the Conservative Party comes from voluntary subscriptions consisting
of individual as well as company contributions. Additional contributions from
the constituency associations are assessed on an agreed basis. There is no
fixed subscription.

     Over 70 per cent of the income of the Labour Party is provided by annual
affiliation fees of 80 pence for each member payable by trade unions. The
remainder is provided by the constituency associations on the basis of
individual membership, each individual member paying a minimum annual
subscription of 10 Pounds, with reduced rates of 3 Pounds for students, the
elderly and the unemployed, and from socialist societies and one large
co-operative society.

     The Liberal Democrats' funds consist of subscriptions from individual
members of the local parties. The Federal Conference determines the proportion
of the state parties' subscriptions which it receives. Each state party's
conference similarly determines the division between its own, and the local
parties' funds.

     In 1989 the Conservative Party received a central income of approximately
9.2 million Pounds; the Labour Party's central income was just under 6
million Pounds; and the central income of the Liberal Democrat headquarters in
London was about 1.3 million Pounds.

     No political party is legally obliged to publish its accounts. However,
business firms required to publish their accounts under the Companies Act 1967
must show the amounts of contributions above 200 Pounds made to political
party funds.

The Party Leaders

     The powers of the party leaders and the method of their appointment
differ among the parties. However, in all cases, when a party wins a general
election, it is the leader who is called upon by the Sovereign to form a
government. As Prime Minister he or she is then entitled to choose the members
of the administration.

     In the Conservative Party, the party leader is elected by Conservative
MPs in a secret ballot. In the Labour Party, the leader's appointment is
decided on a broader basis - through election by representatives of the
affiliated trade unions, the constituency parties, and the parliamentary
party. The Liberal Democrats' party leader, and its President, are elected by
a postal vote by party members.

     Once elected, the leaders of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal
Democrat parties become the national leaders of their parties inside and
outside Parliament.

     The leader of the Conservative Party is the Prime Minister, Mr John
Major, MP (elected as leader in 1990), while the leader of the Labour Party is
Mr Neil Kinnock, MP (elected in 1983). Mr Paddy Ashdown, MP, became the first
elected leader of the Liberal Democrats in 1988.

Conservative Party

     The leader is subject to annual re-election within 28 days of the opening
of a new parliamentary session, or within six months of a general election.
The Conservative leader is elected by Conservative MPs, who nominate
candidates.

     If necessary, there are three ballots. A candidate is elected on the
first ballot if he or she receives both an overall majority of votes and 15
per cent more votes than any other candidate. Before the ballot Conservative
constituency associations, Conservative peers and Conservative Members of the
European Parliament are given an opportunity to make their views known. If no
winner emerges on the first ballot, a second one is held and nominations for
the first are void. Candidates who did not stand in the first ballot may stand
in the second. The winner of the second ballot is the candidate receiving more
than 50 per cent of votes. If there is no second ballot winner a third ballot
may be organised. The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes
at the second ballot go forward to the final ballot where voters indicate
their first and second choices. The candidate with the lowest number of first
preferences is eliminated and the votes of those giving him or her as their
first preference are redistributed among the other two in accordance with
their second preferences.

     Once the result of the election has been declared, the winner is
presented for confirmation as leader of the Conservative Party to a meeting of
Conservative MPs and peers, adopted parliamentary candidates and members of
the Executive Committee of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist
Associations.

     The Conservative Party leader is responsible for the formulation of party
policy. Although kept constantly aware through the various party organisations
of the feelings and opinions of Conservative supporters throughout the
country, the party leader is not normally required to report on his or her
work either inside or outside Parliament. The Conservative leader normally
attends most sessions of the Party's annual conference and addresses the
representatives.

     When the Party is in opposition, the Conservative leader chooses a
'shadow cabinet' of about 18 MPs and peers to serve as a consultative
committee. The leader is also in charge of the party headquarters, with the
right to appoint all its officers. The powers of the Conservative leader are
exercised only with the consent of the Party; if there is clear evidence that
his consent is being withdrawn, the leader has no alternative but to resign.

Labour Party

     The leader of the Labour Party, like that of the Conservative Party, is
subject to annual re-election when in opposition. When the party is in office,
elections for the leadership take place only when a vacancy occurs through
the death or resignation of the Prime Minister.

     Candidates for election to the Labour Party leadership must be MPs and
must be nominated by 20 per cent of the parliamentary party. They are elected
by an electoral college consisting of representatives from the affiliated
trade unions, the constituency parties and the House of Commons members of
the parliamentary party in ratios of 40:30:30 respectively. The successful
candidate is the one who receives an overall majority of the votes cast, and
successive ballots are held until this occurs. If after the first ballot no
candidate has an overall majority, the candidate with the lowest vote drops
out (or the two or three lowest-placed candidates if their combined votes
amount to fewer than those of the candidates above them). After the first
ballot, other candidates may also withdraw if they wish, but no new candidate
may be nominated. The deputy leader of the Party is elected annually in the
same way.

     The function of the Labour Party leader is to implement, as far as
possible, the programme determined jointly by the Parliamentary Labour Party
and the party organisations. He or she attends the annual party conference to
report on the work done in Parliament during the previous year. When leader of
the Opposition, the party leader works with a 'shadow cabinet' (the
Parliamentary Committee, see p 26) whose members are chosen by the
Parliamentary Labour Party. The leader appoints the official spokesmen from
the members of the elected Parliamentary Committee and other members of the
Parliamentary Labour Party, the leader and his or her deputy are ex officio
members of the National Executive Committee, which directs the operations of
the party headquarters, but he or she is not in personal control.

Liberal Democrats

     Unless postponed by a vote of two-thirds of the Federal Executive,
elections for the leader of the party have to be held every two years.
Otherwise an election is held either at the leader's own request or in the
following circumstances: if the leader loses his or her seat in Parliament; if
a majority of Liberal Democrat MPs pass a vote of no confidence in the leader;
or at the request of 75 local parties following the holding of general
meetings at which a quorum of members is present.

     Candidates for the Liberal Democrat leadership must be members of the
party in the House of Commons, proposed and seconded by Liberal Democrat MPs,
and supported by 200 party members in 20 local parties or youth or student
associated organisations following the holding of general meetings.

     Elections for the post of President of the party are held every two
years. The President chairs the Federal Executive.

Party Organisation Inside Parliament

The Whips

     In Parliament the parties are managed by officers known as 'Whips',
who are MPs and peers (chosen within their parliamentary party). Their duties
include informing members of forthcoming parliamentary business, maintaining
the party's voting strength by ensuring that members attend important debates
and support their party in divisions (the taking of votes), and passing on to
the party leadership the opinions of backbench members.

     In the House of Commons the party whips consist of the Chief Whip and, in
the two main parties, the Deputy Chief Whip and a varying number of junior
whips, all of whom are MPs. Those of the party in power are known as
Government Whips and are paid out of public funds.

     There are Government and Opposition Whips in both Houses of Parliament,
but the whips in the House of Lords are less exclusively concerned with party
matters and, unlike those in the Commons, may act as government spokesmen and
women.

     The Government Chief Whip is directly answerable to the Prime Minister
and the Leader of the House of Commons. Subject to the Cabinet, the overriding
responsibility for the progress of the Government's legislative programmes
rests with the Leader of the House. Under the authority of the Leader, the
Government Chief whip in the Commons attends the Cabinet and makes the
day-to-day arrangements for the Government's programme of business (estimating
the time likely to be required for each item and discussing the proposed
business arrangements with the Opposition). The Chief Whip is also responsible
for securing majorities for the Government. He or she is assisted by a very
small Civil Services staff, headed by the Private Secretary, who is frequently
consulted by the Leader of the House. The Opposition Chief Whip carries out
similar duties for his or her own party, and also receives a special salary.
Two other Opposition Whips in the House of Commons also receive official
salaries.

     The Government and Opposition Chief Whips meet frequently. Together they
constitute the 'usual channels' often referred to in the House of Commons when
the question of finding time for debating an issue or other parliamentary
arrangements are discussed.

     The Opposition Chief Whip receives advance notice of the Government's
programme each week, and no final decision is taken until after he or she has
met the Government Chief Whip. The junior whips are responsible for keeping in
touch with individual MPs and passing on their opinions to the Chief Whip.
There are about 12 whips on each side, each responsible for 20 to 30 MPs,
usually grouped on a regional basis.

     In the House of Lords both the Government Chief Whip and the Opposition
Chief Whip receive a salary from public funds. The Government Chief Whip is
assisted by Government Whips who, as in the House of Commons, are paid; the
Opposition Whips are not paid an official salary.

Party Organisation

     The most important organ of the Conservative Party in Parliament is the
Conservative and Unionist Members' Committee, popularly known as the 1922
Committee. This Committee, named after the year in which it was formed,
normally meets once a week and consists of the entire backbench membership of
the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. It is not authorised to decide
policy or to control directly the activities of the Party's leader or front
bench. However, it serves to represent Conservative opinion in the House of
Commons, and it is upon this Committee's support that the leader's position
in the Party depends. The Committee is autonomous and independent; it has its
own organisation and its own members. When the Conservative Party is in
office, ministers attend its meetings by invitation and not by right; but when
the Conservatives are in opposition, all members of the Party may attend
meetings. The Committee is presided over by a chairman (elected annually), two
vice-chairmen, two secretaries and a treasurer. Together with 12 others
elected by the Committee from among its members these constitute an executive
committee. This meets weekly, immediately before the meeting of the full
Committee. Major issues of party or government policy are discussed at
meetings of the 1922 Committee, but votes are not normally taken. Instead the
chairman is expected to interpret 'the sense of the meeting'. There are no
members of the House of Lords in the 1922 Committee: Conservative peers hold
their meetings separately as members of the Association of Conservative Peers.
When the Party is in opposition, the leader appoints the consultative
committee which acts as the Party's 'shadow cabinet' and is separate from the
executive committee of the 1922 Committee.

     The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is composed of all Labour members
in both Houses of Parliament. When the Labour Party is in office, a
Parliamentary Committee acts as a channel of communication between the
Government and its backbenchers in both Houses. Half of the committee is
elected by the backbench Labour members of the House of Commons and the
remainder are representatives of the Government. These include the Leader
of the House, the Government Chief Whip and four others, including a
Labour peer, appointed by the party leader. When Labour is in opposition, the
PLP is organised under the direction of the elected Parliamentary Committee
(the `shadow cabinet') consisting of six ex officio members. These are the
leader of the party, the deputy leader, the chair of the parliamentary party,
the Labour Chief Whips from both Houses of Parliament, and the leader of the
Labour peers. Its other members are 18 elected representatives of Labour MPs
and one elected representative of the Labour peers. For ballot papers to be
valid in this election three votes must be cast for women candidates if three
or more are nominated.

     Meetings of the PLP, at which broad outlines of policy are discussed and
important decisions sometimes taken, are held at least twice a week, and may
be convened more often. The party leader and his or her colleagues are
expected to attend and do so whenever possible, whether the Party is in or out
of office. In general, the PLP has a greater measure of influence over policy
than its Conservative counterpart.

     The Liberal Democrats meet each week to discuss forthcoming
parliamentary business and other matters; the leader takes the chair. All MPs
and several peers attend.

Party Committees

     As well as attending party meetings, both Conservative and Labour MPs
have a policy committee system, organised around subject areas roughly
corresponding to those of government departments. Both main parties have about
20 groups of this kind, including, for instance, agriculture and food,
economic affairs and finance, trade and industry, education, science and
technology, aviation, foreign and Commonwealth affairs, and overseas
development. In the Parliamentary Labour Party there are also regional groups.
The Liberal Democrats' Federal Policy Committee establishes policy working
groups to prepare policy papers to be debated by conference, and to provide
policy advice to MPs and peers.

Financial Assistance to Opposition Parties

     Annual financial assistance is given from public funds to help opposition
parties carry out their parliamentary work at Westminster. The amounts
provided are based on a formula related to votes received and seats won at the
previous general election. The amounts payable have been revised on five
occasions since the inception of the scheme in 1975. The last rise was
effective from June 1987.

     Assistance is limited to parties which had at least two members elected
at the previous general election, or one member elected and a minimum of
150,000 votes cast. The amount given is 2,550 Pounds for every seat won and
5.10 Pounds for every 200 votes. The Liberal Democrats and the former Social
Democratic Party (see p 7) have received assistance on the basis of a formula
whereby the Liberal Democrats receive the entitlement of the former Liberal
Alliance and two-fifths of the former SDP Alliance's entitlement. The Social
Democrat MPs receive the remaining three-fifths of the SDP Alliance's
entitlement.

     The amounts payable in 1988 to each opposition party were as follows:
Labour Party 839,135 Pounds; Liberal Democrats 139,965 Pounds; Social
Democratic Party 172,633 Pounds; Scottish National Party 21,812 Pounds; Plaid
Cymru (Welsh Nationalist) 6,034 Pounds; Ulster Unionist Party 39,887 Pounds;
Democratic Unionist Party 6,796 Pounds; Social Democratic and Labour Party
2,270 Pounds. Parties are accountable for expenditure to the Accounting
Officer of the House of Commons. The allocation of a party's entitlement
between its work in the House of Commons and the House of Lords is decided by
the party itself.