- What are the different political parties? (I know Labour, Conservative, SNP, BNP, SSP, Green etc)
The main political parties in England are Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat. In Wales, Scotland and Northern ireland there are also national parties.
Parties such as the Green party and BNP are more active in local politics than national. The House of Commons has no members from those parties because they do not get much support in General Elections.
- What do they all 'want'?
- What is a socialist?
- What is right/left wing?
Historically the Labour party was aligned with the left and the Conservatives with the right. In very general terms this meant that in Economic terms Labour beleived in an interventionist State (i.e. lots of rules and regs, a strong benefits system, high taxes to fund lots of public services) and the Conservatives beleived in a smaller State with less rules and regs, lower taxes, less help for the poor etc. Socially the left tend to be more liberal (pro-life etc) and the right tend to be more traditional.
The Lib Dems have never fitted neatly into the left/right divide.
Nowadays there is much less difference between the main parties. The left/right divide is no longer that helpful. All parties say they beleive in strong public services but they also all claim to want to cut taxes. Socially they also all occupy a middle ground e.g. the Conservatives would no longer support activly discriminatory polcies against homosexuals.
The bigger idelogical differences now are questions around globalisation, attitudes around free trade, attitudes to immigration etc.
Socialism is not really a big force in the UK but was alive and well in Eastern Europe a few decades ago. It is based around ideas of a very strong state and redistribution of wealth so that everyone is more equal.
That is a very simplified explanation (yet still strangely long - sorry!).