Party Structure & Role in the United Kingdom

Sir Russell Johnston discussed the electoral system of Great Britain and its effects upon party structures. He argued that the single member district system of the United Kingdom inhibits the sucess of third parties, such as the Social Democrats. Sir Johnston also discussed the nature of British parties and how they are organized. He stated that British parties are very much defined by class structure. This likewise inhibits parties, like the Social Democrats, who are less aligned with a particular class and more with an ideology. Because of this factor, the Social Democrats, and similar parties, must campaign using “the personal approach.” close