ABSTRACT
This chapter examines party membership and the role and influence members have in different parties. It looks at fluctuating patterns of party support and voting behaviour which have both posed threats and provided opportunities for the established parties as well as newer ones. The chapter discusses the key challenges parties face in shaping and responding to the political agenda, particularly in the light of internal differences over policy and ideology and, most especially, in the aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union. The growth of so-called 'minor' parties is a notable feature of the contemporary political landscape. Party leaders are often more conscious of the need to appeal to a broader electorate who are less politically and ideologically committed than those who make the effort to join and participate. The Conservative Party operates largely as a 'top-down', leader-dominated organisation, in which policy-making in particular remains largely the preserve of leaders.
