What Determines How Far To The Right Or Left A Particlar Party Is ?

[whiskeryron]

As you are aware the Nazi Party was far right, the Communist Party to the far left . So who determines whether a party is right or left & are there degrees ?

[whiskeryron]

In other words how far removed from the Nazi Party are the Tories & by the same token how far removed from the Communist Party are the Labour Party ?

[Zacs-Master]

Left wing beliefs are usually progressive in nature, they look to the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in equality. People who are left wing believe in taxation to redistribute opportunity and wealth - things like a national health service, and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left wing ideas. They believe in equality over the freedom to fail.

Right wing beliefs value tradition, they are about equity, survival of the fittest, and they believe in economic freedom. They typically believe that business shouldn’t be regulated, and that we should all look after ourselves. Right wing people tend believe they shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s education or health service. They believe in freedom to succeed over equality.

http://idontgetpolitics.co.uk/right-left-wing

[Gromit]

In terms of Brotish Politics, the labels left and right are blurred.

Heath was a Tory, but was probably more to the left than Blair, who was Labour.

After Major lost the election in 1997, the Conservatives lurched rightwards under Howard, Hague and IDS and had similar results as Miliband who had moved Labour leftwards.

The Brotish electorate do not favour extremes, left or right. Cameron and the Conservatives won the electorate by being nearer to the centre than Miliband and Labour. Or course, the Conservative's friends in the media exaggerated Labour's position withe ridiculous Lebels like 'Red Ed', but it was a trap of Labour's own making.

[Clanad]

A direct answer to the OP question would be, in my estimation, the opposition would define those whose philosphical bent as "different" as being either right or left.

There are, of course, variations on the theme. Here in the U.S., there's Left and Right "leaning" as well as Center Right or Center Left. All of these lead to the charge of being "far" right or left. I've noticed those who are 'talking heads' on TV and in print publications and discuss all things political are usually the ones to make the determination of where one fits in the spectrum...

[shoota]

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party) or the Nazi Party considered themselves to be socialist....

[jno]

the terms come from the [places the parties in Paris seated themselves after the French Revolution, I think. ZM has explained the basics, but it can be hard to pigeonhole anyone these days. You might be fiscally conservative but socially liberal, for instance. The terms signify different things in different countries too. Nazis was short for National Socialists but it's hard to see much in common between them and Attlee (though no doubt someone will).

[Svejk]

Nazis were left wing, ron. The clue is in the name, National Socialist Party.