Conservative

• Tories receive the majority of funding from donors like Lord Bamford and Ehud Sheleg. 2017 it was funded by bankers and hedge funds.
• • One-nation conservatives support traditional institutions (eg the Church, family and class system) and the enduring rules of British society.
  • The Conservative Party believed in pragmatically dealing with issues whilst looking to maintain the status quo and gradually improving on what already exists.
  • Institutions like the Church are important, and so must be preserved to moderate society.
• • One-nation conservatism is a paternalistic ideology.
  • Supporters believe that the rich have an obligation to look after the poorest.
  • This type of conservatism supports a Keynesian mixed economy, but if required the state can intervene.
  • Working internationally with other countries, and greater integration with Europe, are also supported.
• • The Conservative Party was established from the Tory Party in the 1830s.
  • Throughout the twentieth century, the Conservative Party was traditionally/one-nation conservative in its ideology.
  • One-nation conservatism was an evolution of traditional conservatism after the industrial revolution.
• • Margaret Thatcher became the party leader in 1975, and helped move the party to a more radical free-market right wing ideology.
  • The 1st female leader of the Conservatives, and the 1st female PM in Britain.
  • Thatcher was PM from 1979 to 1990, when she was challenged to the party leadership and stepped down.
• • Thatcherism came as part of the New Right Movement.
  • The New Right movement combined an orthodox conservative state with a neo-liberal state.
  • During the 1970s and 80s the New Right movement was popular on the right, with scholars and think tanks writing about neoliberal ideas.
• • Orthodox conservative ideas: social policy and law and order.
  • Neo-liberal ideas: the free market, monetarism and less regulation.
• • Thatcherism argued for the importance of individual needs over society.
  • A small state where the role of the government and state intervention is reduced, self-reliance, business deregulation and industry privatisation, reduced trade union powers, national sovereignty and fewer taxes and making the welfare state smaller by limiting benefits.
• • One-nation conservatism has a more pragmatic/practical compared to Thatcherism’s assertive/dogmatic.
  • One-nation conservatism favours small and gradual changes, but Thatcherism supports a radical approach to change.
  • One-nation conservatism focuses on looking after the needs of society, while Thatcherism focuses on individual needs.
  • One-nation conservatism supports a mixed economy whilst Thatcherism supports a free-market economy.
• • David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservatives in 2005 replacing Michael Howard and was labelled the ‘heir to Blair’. Comparisons were made to when Tony Blair became Labour leader and revolutionised the Labour party.
  • Cameron stepped down as leader after the 2016 EU referendum.
• • David Cameron was focused on making the Conservative party more electable. Cameron looked to end the ‘nasty party’ image that voters had.
  • Cameron also aimed to move the party focus towards issues that would appeal to voters, like the environment, and away from issues that divided the party, like Europe.
  • Cameron also believed in limiting state intervention.
• • The 2010 Conservative manifesto made policy promises, but was argued to lack substance.
  • Stronger economic management, with tax and spending cuts and deficit reduction, replacing the Human Rights Act with a UK Bill of Rights, accepting EU principles, but staying opposed to the transfer of powers away from the UK and tougher exams and reduced state control over schools.
• • The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament:
  • The Conservatives entered into an agreement with the Lib Dems to form a coalition. The government's policies included reducing benefits, deficit and spending cuts, and a referendum on the Alternative Vote system. The economic policy came from the Conservatives, the political reform policies were mostly from the Lib Dems.
  • The coalition ended in 2015.
• • Regional government: May decided not to put in place the previous government's proposals for elected mayors in cities and abandoned the ‘northern powerhouse’ plans.
  • Environment: May replaced the government Department for Energy and Climate Change with departments preparing for Brexit, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for International Trade.
  • Education: May put forward proposals in favour of grammar schools which allowed comprehensives to become grammars.
• • Theresa May called a 'snap' election in 2017 to strengthen her majority for the upcoming Brexit talks.
  • The Conservative Party lost its majority, and so entered into a 'confidence and supply' deal with the DUP.
  • This means that the DUP agrees to support the government in budget votes, and not vote against the government in a vote of no confidence.