Conservative Party

• Traditional conservatism - belief in national institutions and traditions, strong government, maintaining law and order

  Electoral sucess is more important than ideology
• Traditionalism - no change of values but can be accepting of change - organicism
• Organicism - Conservatives accept change that has occured naturally in society (David Cameron legalising gay marriage 2013 Marriage Act due to Conservatives supporting the values of marriage, safe and healthy homes for children)
• Sceptiscism - doubt about the moral values and intellectual character of humans and the capacity for people to make positive changes/ decisions
• One nation Toryism (Wets, Europhiles)

  • Encouraged role of the state and government intervention
  • Regulation of the economy
  • Welfare state and NHS - necessary for the nation
  • Concerned with the welfare of those vulnerable in society
  • Pragmatic approach to policy making - based on experience not ideology
• New Right Conservatism

  • Economic liberalism
  • Minimal government intervention to deal with the economy and social issues
  • Individualism and free market
• Thatcherism

  • Strong state - maintenance of law and order
  • Individualism
  • Radical change
  • Hostility toward the welfare state and government intervention
  • Privatisation, deregulation
  • Hostility towards trade unions
  • Taxation - shift from direct to indirect taxes
• Thatcherism is often linked closely with Classical Liberalism:

  • Freedom, tolerance, and equality
  • Self reliance
  • Self improvement
  • Less state intervention
• After Thatcher the Conservative Party needed to change to appeal to a chnaging electorate and make Conservatism socially and economically liberal to become a catch-all party
• Conservative Party Structure:

  Conservative Associations (local members)

  CCHQ - headquarters

  Parliamentary party
• Conservative party structure pre 1998

  Parliamentary party

  National Union of Conervative and Unionist Associations - voluntary party activity outside Parliament

  Conservative Central Office - HQ and main staff
• Traditionally, the Conservative Party is funded by few large donors and generally receive the most in donations

  In 2017, the Conserevative received £40 million in donations