Political Parties: The Conservative Party
The Conservative Party
Origins and Core Ideology
The Conservative Party (formally the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the UK's oldest political party, tracing its roots to the Tory faction of the 17th century. It has been the most electorally successful party in Western democracy, governing for approximately two-thirds of the 20th century.
Core Conservative Principles
- Pragmatism — Conservatives favour practical governance over rigid ideology. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) argued that politics should be guided by experience and tradition rather than abstract theory.
- Tradition — Respect for established institutions (monarchy, Church of England, Parliament) as repositories of collective wisdom.
- Organic society — Society is a living organism, not a machine; it cannot be redesigned from scratch. Burke described society as a "partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born."
- Hierarchy and authority — Natural inequality exists; strong leadership and social order are necessary.
- Property — Private property provides security, independence, and a stake in society.
- Human imperfection — Conservatives are sceptical of utopian schemes because human beings are flawed. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) argued life without authority would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."
Key Thinkers
| Thinker | Key Ideas |
|---|---|
| Edmund Burke (1729-1797) | Father of conservatism; change should be cautious and evolutionary; tradition embodies accumulated wisdom; opposed the French Revolution |
| Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990) | Politics should be pragmatic, not ideological; "to be conservative is to prefer the familiar to the unknown"; scepticism of rationalist planning |
| Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) | One Nation conservatism; the rich have obligations to the poor; noblesse oblige; social reform to prevent class conflict |
| Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) | New Right; free markets, privatisation, low taxation, strong state on law and order; "there is no such thing as society" |
| Robert Nozick (1938-2002) | Libertarian right; minimal "night-watchman" state; taxation is "forced labour"; self-ownership and property rights |
Conservative Factions
One Nation Conservatism
- Originated with Disraeli's 1845 novel Sybil, which described "two nations" — rich and poor
- Accepts a role for the state in welfare and economic management
- Pragmatic approach to the mixed economy
- Prominent One Nation Conservatives: Harold Macmillan, Edward Heath, Ken Clarke, Rory Stewart
- Dominated the party from 1945-1975, accepting the post-war consensus on the NHS and welfare state
Thatcherism / The New Right
- Emerged in the 1970s as a reaction against post-war consensus and economic decline
- Combines neo-liberalism (free-market economics) with neo-conservatism (strong state, traditional values)
- Neo-liberal elements: privatisation (BT, British Gas, water), deregulation, trade union reform (1984-85 miners' strike), lower direct taxation, monetarism
- Neo-conservative elements: strong defence (Falklands War 1982), traditional family values (Section 28), Euroscepticism, law and order
- Intellectual influences: Friedrich Hayek (The Road to Serfdom, 1944) and Milton Friedman (monetarism)
Post-Thatcher Conservatism
- David Cameron (2005-2016): "compassionate conservatism," social liberalism (legalised same-sex marriage 2013), the Big Society, austerity economics after 2010
- Boris Johnson (2019-2022): "levelling up" agenda, big-state spending (HS2, freeports), Brexit realignment, broke the "Red Wall" in 2019
- Rishi Sunak (2022-2024): fiscal responsibility, technocratic approach, Rwanda deportation policy
Policy Record in Government (2010-2024)
- Austerity programme reducing public spending after the 2008 financial crisis
- Brexit — the 2016 referendum and subsequent withdrawal from the EU (January 2020)
- Universal Credit replacing six legacy benefits (controversial due to the five-week wait)
- Levelling Up agenda aimed at reducing regional inequality (criticised as lacking substance)
- Rwanda deportation policy for asylum seekers (declared unlawful by the Supreme Court in 2023)
Evaluation
Strengths of conservatism:
- Pragmatic approach allows adaptation to changing circumstances
- Emphasis on order and stability appeals to voters
- Defence of property and free enterprise promotes economic growth
- Respect for tradition provides social cohesion
Weaknesses/criticisms:
- Can be seen as defending privilege and inequality
- Tension between libertarian economics and authoritarian social values
- Austerity policies increased poverty and inequality (UN Special Rapporteur report, 2019)
- Internal divisions over Europe led to Brexit chaos
Exam Focus
- Be prepared to distinguish clearly between One Nation and Thatcherite conservatism
- Use thinkers like Burke, Oakeshott, Disraeli, Thatcher, and Nozick with specific ideas
- Evaluate whether modern Conservatism is still recognisably Burkean or has shifted fundamentally