Multimedia Mania/abacus-multimedia-mania.iso/dp/0051/00517.txt

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$Unique_ID{bob00517}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{United Kingdom
The Nationalist Parties}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Subject{party
executive
constituency
committee
conference
elected
members
unionist
leader
annual
see
tables
}
$Date{1990}
$Log{See Table 3.*0051701.tab
}
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

The Nationalist Parties

Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru

     The Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist)
each returned three members to Parliament in the 1987 general election. The
SNP received 416,873 votes or 14 per cent of the total vote in Scotland; Plaid
Cymru received 123,589 votes or 7.3 per cent of the total vote in Wales.

     The organisation of the two parties, which has many features in common,
is outlined below.

Branches and Constituency Associations

     The basic unit of organisation in both the Scottish National Party and
Plaid Cymru is the branch, rather than the constituency association. This is
partly due to the large geographical area of many constituencies in the rural
regions of Scotland and Wales, which makes it convenient to organise parties
at a more local level. Delegates from the branches of both parties are
appointed to the constituency associations. Both the SNP and Plaid Cymru
consist of individual members who pay an annual membership fee; the SNP also
has three affiliated organisations. In both parties parliamentary candidates
are chosen by the constituency associations in consultation with their
respective National Executive Committees.

National Organisation

     The annual conference of the SNP is its `supreme governing body'. The
National Council, which meets at least three times a year, is the Party's
governing body between conferences. Delegates to the annual conference and
National Council are appointed by their branches and constituency
associations. Three affiliated organisations - the Federation of Student
Nationalists, the Young Scottish Nationalists and the SNP Trade Union Group -
are also represented.

     The annual conference of Plaid Cymru is the supreme authority within the
Party. Between conferences, which are attended by delegates from the branches,
the National Council assumes responsibility for taking policy decisions. It
comprises two representatives from each constituency, together with
prospective parliamentary candidates and national officials. Management and
finance decisions are taken by the Party's National Executive Committee, which
meets monthly and comprises elected national officers and representatives of
the county organisations.

Central Offices

     The headquarters of the SNP comprises five departments: organisation,
administration, Press, research, and publications. Plaid Cymru has a national
office with a general secretary and executive secretary dealing with public
relations, election organisation, finance and internal administration.

Party Finance

     About two-thirds of the SNP's central income is derived from membership
subscriptions; the Party does not publish an annual income figure. Three-
quarters of Plaid Cymru's total income comes from donations other than those
from the constituency parties, and from miscellaneous sources, including the
sale of literature. The Party's turnover in 1988-89 was an estimated 207,000
Pounds.

Party Leaders

     In the SNP the offices of leader of the Party in the country and leader
of the MPs in the House of Commons may be separate. The leader of the SNP
members in the House of Commons is responsible for the day-to-day tactics of
the Party in Parliament, within the broad policy framework agreed by the
Party's annual conference. The leader of the Party outside the Commons,
however, is the National Convener, who is elected (or re-elected) annually by
the party conference. He or she is responsible for the Party's overall
organisation. The leader of the SNP in the House of Commons is Mrs Margaret
Ewing, MP, who was elected in 1987, and the National Convener and Leader of
the Party is Mr Alex Salmond, MP, elected in 1990.

     The leader of Plaid Cymru, known as the president, need not necessarily
be an MP. Until 1981 the president was traditionally chosen directly by the
party conference every two years. As a result of constitutional changes passed
in that year, elections of the president and vice-president now take place by
ballot held in party branches and area meetings. The election is for a
two-year term. The current president of Plaid Cymru is Dr Dafydd Elis Thomas,
MP, who was first elected in 1983.

Northern Ireland Parties

     Members of parliament representing Northern Ireland constituencies belong
to political parties organised separately from those in the rest of Britain.

     There are two major Unionist parties, representing most of the Province's
Protestant community, and committed to the maintenance of Northern Ireland's
union with Great Britain. The Ulster Unionist Party is the descendant of the
party which provided the Government of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972 when
the Stormont Parliament was prorogued (discontinued without being dissolved)
and direct rule from Westminster introduced. The second major Unionist party,
the Democratic Unionist Party, was formed in 1971.

     The Social Democratic and Labour Party, the main Nationalist party,
attracts support from most of Northern Ireland's Catholic community and
aspires eventually towards a constitutionally achieved united Ireland. The
party was founded in 1970.

     The Alliance Party, launched in 1970, attracts support from both Unionist
and Nationalist communities, but has not been successful in Westminster
elections.

     Sinn Fein supports the campaign of the Provisional IRA, a Republican
terrorist organisation. It has not taken up the one Westminster seat held
since 1983.

     At the general election in June 1987 the 17 Northern Ireland seats were
distributed as follows: Ulster Unionist 9; Democratic Unionist 3; Ulster
Popular Unionist 1; Social Democratic and Labour 3, Sinn Fein 1. The Ulster
Unionists and Democratic Unionists formed a pact before the election and did
not put up rival candidates in individual constituencies. Neither party
contested the seat of the Ulster Popular Unionist member, Mr. James Kilfedder,
the only MP at Westminster to have been elected without the support of a party
machine.

[See Table 3.: Northern Ireland Parties]

     The total number of votes gained by the five main political parties in
Northern Ireland and their percentage of the total vote in the province in
the 1987 general election were as shown in Table 3.

Branches and Constituency Associations

     Outside Parliament, the basic units of organisation in the Ulster
Unionist Party are the local branches, which are based mainly on local
government electoral wards. A number of branches together form the local
constituency association, which elects its own officers and delegates for the
Council and party Executive, as well as selecting candidates for parliamentary
elections.

     In the Democratic Unionist Party membership of the local branch is open
to anyone aged 18 years or over who is on the electoral register for the area
covered by the branch and who has given a written undertaking to support the
constitution and rules of the Party. Each branch elects its own officers
annually and is allowed to decide its own rules, providing these do not
conflict with the party constitution and rules. Branches are affiliated to the
local constituency association, which meets at least three times a year. Full
members elect annually the leading officers of the association and whatever
other officers they think appropriate. They also elect four members to
represent the constituency on the central Executive Committee (see p 34).
Each association has a standing committee with overall responsibility for
organising and coordinating its affairs, subject to the approval of the full
association. It includes two representatives elected each year from every
local branch within the constituency.

     In the Social Democratic and labour Party branches have two classes of
membership: individual members and corporate members. Individual members must
be attached to the appropriate branch operating in the constituency where they
live or where they are registered as electors, and must support the principles
and aims of the Party. Corporate members consist of trade unions affiliated to
the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, co-operative societies, socialist
societies, professional associations and cultural organisations. Branches
appoint delegates to the local constituency council which promotes the
policies of the Party, co-ordinates the work of the constituency branches, and
runs an effective electoral organisation within the constituency. Branches and
constituency councils elect their leading officers at an annual general
meeting.

     Membership of the local Sinn Fein branch is open to anyone aged 16 years
and over provided they accept the party's constitution and policy. An area
council is drawn from local branches and several of these make up the regional
councils (based on county or constituency boundaries) which meet regularly
throughout the year to co-ordinate party activities. The final tier of
organisation has several departments each of which has a 'head' accountable to
the National Executive.

     The basic organising unit of the Alliance Party is the constituency
association, whose territorial boundary corresponds to the district council,
except in Belfast where, instead of a single association, there are eight
associations covering each electoral district in the city. All associations
may form one or more branches, based mainly on local government electoral
wards. At an annual general meeting, each association elects its officers, and
an executive committee and delegates to the party council and to the annual
conference.

Parliamentary Candidates

     The selection of prospective parliamentary candidates for the Ulster
Unionist party begins with the placing of advertisements in the local press
inviting applications. These are then normally processed by the local
executive or management committee, which may either prepare a shortlist or
place all applicants before a selection conference. Candidates have an
opportunity to address the selection meeting and to answer questions, and
voting continues until one candidate obtains an overall majority.

     In the Democratic Unionist Party prospective parliamentary candidates are
selected by the constituency association, with voting taking place by secret
ballot. The names of the selected candidates go before the Central Executive
Committee for final confirmation.

     In the Social Democratic and Labour party prospective parliamentary
candidates are chosen by a selection convention consisting of delegates
appointed by branches affiliated to the constituency council, and organised by
the Executive Committee. A prospective candidate must be proposed and seconded
in writing by individual party members, and the nomination forwarded to the
Executive Committee. The candidate is elected by secret ballot, each delegate
at the convention having one vote. The Executive Committee has the power to
confirm or to refuse to confirm the choice of candidates.

     In Sinn Fein prospective parliamentary candidates are selected by their
constituency convention and the choice is ratified by the National Executive.

     Any members wishing to have their names placed on the Alliance Party's
list of approved parliamentary candidates must apply in writing to the general
secretary of the Party, after which the application is considered by the
candidate's sub-committee. A selection meeting for the constituency, which is
chaired by a constituency organiser (appointed by the Executive Committee),
selects a candidate from the party's approved list. Selection is by secret
ballot using the alternative vote system, and the candidate with over 50 per
cent of the votes is selected.

Annual Conferences, Executive Committees and Party Councils

     The Ulster Unionist Party holds an annual conference organised by the
Party's Executive Committee. Constituency associations and affiliated bodies
may put forward resolutions for consideration; these then go before the
executive committee, which may approve, amend or reject them.

     The party Executive comprises four delegates from each constituency
association and delegates from affiliated groups, the Women's Unionist
Council, the Young Unionists and the Orange Order.

     The governing body of the Party is the Ulster Unionist Council, which is
responsible for the general organisation and promotion of the Party's affairs,
including the annual election of party officers, among them the party leader.
As with the Party Executive, the Council's officers are elected annually, and
generally no one holds a particular office for more than two years.

     The Democratic Unionist Party holds an annual conference which any party
member may attend, but at which only delegates may vote. The conference is
organised by the Central Executive Committee, and local branches and
constituency associations may put forward resolutions which go before the
Central Executive Committee for consideration.

     The Central Executive Committee controls the day-to-day business of the
Party and consists of elected members from each constituency association as
well as the party leader and deputy leader. The leading officers of the
Committee, who are also officers of the central delegates assembly, are
elected annually by secret ballot from among its members.

     The central delegates assembly, which confirms all party manifestos,
consists of members elected by and the from each local branch.

     The supreme governing authority of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
is the party conference, which decides the Party's policies. It is normally
held once a year and is attended by delegates appointed both by branches and
by corporate members. Each delegate attending the conference has one vote. The
conference elects the leading party officers, including the chairman and two
vice-chairmen. Elections are by secret ballot using the single transferable
vote system.

     The Executive Committee controls the Party's day-to-day organisation. It
interprets the Party's constitution and implements conference decisions and
develops policy between conferences. The Committee, which meets at least 12
times a year, consists of the party officers and 15 individual members elected
at the conference.

     There is also a Central Council, which provides a means of communication
between the membership and the central organisation of the Party. It meets
twice a year and includes branch representatives and representatives from each
constituency council and each district executive.

     The policy-making body in Sinn Fein is the annual delegate conference,
which elects the party leader and the National Executive. The conference is
made up of officers and members from throughout the various organisational
tiers. When conference is not in session the 16-member National Executive
controls party policy. It meets at least monthly. The responsibility for
carrying out routine business (the management of party funds and property)
between meetings of the Executive falls to an eight-member standing committee.

     The Alliance Party holds an annual conference, organised by a conference
committee appointed by the Executive Committee. Those entitled to attend
include all party officers, members of the Executive Committee, elected
public representatives of the Party and delegates from each constituency
association and other affiliated groups. The conference elects the party
president, who may hold office for not more than two consecutive years, and
up to ten vice-presidents; it also considers policy resolutions proposed by
the Executive Committee or by affiliated groups.

     The Executive Committee carries out the day-to-day business of the
Party, subject to the direction of the Party Council. The Committee, which
meets at least once a month, consists of the party officers and 15 party
members elected by the Council. It presents a progress report at each meeting
and an annual report to conference on the work of the Party.

     The Party Council is the supreme governing body of the Party and
decides Party policies. It has at least four meetings a year, one of which is
the annual general meeting of the Party, at which the Executive Committee is
elected. The Council consists of the party officers, members of the Executive
Committee and delegates from the constituency associations.

Party Leaders

     Until 1972 Ulster Unionist MPs took the Conservative Whip in the British
Parliament. However, since the Northern Ireland Parliament was suspended in
1972, Ulster Unionists have operated in Parliament as an independent force
and sit on the Opposition benches. The leader of the Party is elected at the
annual general meeting of the Council. Mr James Molyneaux, MP, has been the
leader of the Ulster Unionist Party since 1979.

     In the Democratic Unionist Party the aims of the parliamentary party
include providing a means of consultation and action for the Party's MPs, and
coordinating the efforts of the Party. It elects officers annually from among
its membership and fills any other posts it considers necessary. The leader of
the Democratic Unionist Party is the Reverend Ian Paisley, MP, elected in
1971.

     The leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party has traditionally
been elected by the Party's parliamentary group following a general election.
Mr John Hume, MP, has been leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
since 1980.

     The leader of Sinn Fein is elected at the annual conference. Mr Gerry
Adams is the present leader and also an MP. Since his election in 1983 he has
not taken his seat in the House of Commons.

     In the Alliance Party, the leader is elected by the Party Council, using
the single transferable vote system. Dr John Alderdice has been leader of the
Alliance Party since 1987.