Conservative Party (UK)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
| Conservative Party | |
|---|---|
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| Leader | Michael Howard |
| Founded | 1830 |
| Headquarters | 25 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0DL |
| Political Ideology | Conservatism |
| International Affiliation | International Democrat Union |
| European Affiliation | European Democrats |
| European Parliament Group | EPP-ED |
| Colours | Blue |
| Website | www.conservatives.com |
| See also | Politics of the U.K. |
The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. It is descended from the Tory Party and its members are still commonly referred to as Tories. It is a member of the International Democrat Union worldwide, and the European Democrats on the European level. In the European Parliament, its MEPs sit in the EPP-ED group. Its current leader is Michael Howard, who as Leader of the Opposition heads the Shadow Cabinet. Although Howard has formally resigned, he remains caretaker until his successor is appointed.
The Conservatives were the governing party in the United Kingdom on many occasions from 1834 until 1997. Since losing the 1997 election to the Labour Party under Tony Blair, they have been in opposition.
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Conservative Party today
Since 1922, only the Conservative Party and Labour Party have been in government and official opposition. Since 1997, the Conservative Party has been in opposition to the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. Although there are nine political parties represented in the House of Commons, three dominate the house. As of 7 May 2005, Labour holds a 66 member majority in the house with 356 Members of Parliament. The Conservatives come in second with 198 Members of Parliament and the Liberal Democrats follow with 62 Members of Parliament.
Conservative leaders since 1997 have faced difficulties in returning the party to being a serious contender for government. Major's successor, William Hague, resigned after a second landslide defeat in 2001. Iain Duncan Smith, the leader after 2001, was deposed in a vote of no confidence in 2003, to be followed by Michael Howard. Howard reduced the Labour majority at the 2005 general election but the day after the poll announced that he would resign "sooner rather than later", citing his age as the principal reason for his resignation. The party had only marginally increased its share of the vote to 32.3%.
The Party's current formal name, registered with the UK Electoral Commission but rarely used outside Scotland and Northern Ireland, is The Conservative and Unionist Party. The formal name is a vestige from the 1912 merger with the Liberal Unionist Party, and an echo of the party's defence (1886-1921) of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland and subsequent insistence on British sovereignty in Northern Ireland in opposition to Irish nationalist and republican aspirations. The electoral symbol of the Conservative party is a hand holding a torch.
Policies
Conservative Party policies are generally supportive of reduced government intervention in the economic sphere (e.g. through tax cuts and privatisations) and increased government intervention in the social or cultural sphere (e.g. through the 'defence' of the traditional family and through restrictions on immigration).
They are also noted for their Eurosceptic stance. Many commentators believe that their post-1997 failure in UK politics is partly the result of continued internal tension between Europhiles (such as Kenneth Clarke and Michael Heseltine) and Eurosceptics (such as John Redwood and William Hague). However, the Conservative party have in recent years come to terms with these issues, and even the archetypal pro-European, Kenneth Clarke, has reluctantly accepted the party line on Europe.
Conservatives are also generally opposed to devolution to the regions of the UK, prefering a unitary centralised state. They opposed the succesful devolutions to Wales, Scotland and London in 1999, as well as the unsuccesful devolution of power in the North of England in 2004.
Conservative image
Economic policy
During much of the twentieth century the Conservative Party was considered the "natural party of government", a position founded upon the party's reputation for pragmatism and economic competence. The contrast with Labour's perceived poor twentieth century record remained strong, even as the Conservative governments of the 1980s presided over mass unemployment (peaking at 11% in 1986) on a scale which had not been seen since the 1930s. The party's economic reputation was however dealt a fatal blow by the 1992 Black Wednesday debacle, in which billions of pounds were wasted trying to keep the pound within the European ERM system of exchange rates at an overvalued rate. Coming on the heels of the recession of the early 1990s, this laid the groundwork for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to claim from the Conservatives the mantle of economic competence. Many on both the left and right have since argued that New Labour's embrace of market forces and public sector modernisation amounted to little more than stealing the Conservative Party's economic clothes, and this has irked many Conservatives. As a result of the dominance of the Labour Party in debates over economic policy, recent Conservative election campaigns have focused much more on social or cultural issues such as crime, immigration and asylum. The party has even felt it necessary to commit to matching Labour spending plans - a reverse of the situation in 1997.
Social policy
The Conservative Party has historically been associated with social conservatism, views which have often been reflected in the party's social policies. One of the more infamous example of Conservative social conservatism was Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which outlawed "the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". This highly controversial piece of legislation was regarded by many as homophobic, and is seen to have driven many liberal-minded individuals away from the party (most notably former Conservative MP Shaun Woodward, who defected to Labour in 1999 after William Hague sacked him from the shadow cabinet for refusing to support Section 28 in a parliamentary vote).
Many Conservative modernisers have claimed that the intolerant and authoritarian nature of past Conservative social policies have played a major part in the decline of the party in the 1990s and 2000s. For example, David Willets has criticised what he termed "the war on single parents", whilst former Conservative Party Chairman Brian Mawhinney observed that the party had "created the impression that if you weren't in a traditional nuclear family, then we weren't interested in you".
Since 1997, a debate has therefore raged within the party between modernisers such as Michael Portillo, who believe that the Conservatives should change their social views in line with 21st century Britain, and traditionalists such as William Hague and David Davis, who argue that the party should stick to its traditional conservative social agenda. The Conservative Party grassroots (predominantly white and elderly) have pushed in the latter direction, helping the right wing of the party win many of these political battles. This famously resulted in William Hague's and Michael Howard's pre-election swings to the right (in 2001 and 2005, respectively), and the election of the stop-Ken Clarke candidate Iain Duncan Smith in 2001. Theresa May famously remarked that the result of all this was that the Conservatives were perceived as "the nasty party".
One area in which the battle for the soul of the party was visible, was the party's position over ID cards. At first it was hesitant to oppose a measure that some consider valuable in the fight against crime and terrorism. However before the 2005 election, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis decided to position himself against the introduction of ID cards. He followed Michael Howard's original line that they were a good idea, but showed caution in the House of Commons when they were debated. At the same time, he argued within the Shadow Cabinet that escalating cost estimates and the need to protect libertarian values meant the proposals should be opposed. Subsequently the party altered its line, first allowing a free vote on ID cards and then opposing them outright. This was viewed by some as a victory for Davis, and a useful means for him to attempt reach out to liberal Conservatives before the subsequent Conservative leadership election.
The 2005 election saw the first black Conservative MP, Adam Afriyie, elected in Windsor. This contrasts positively with the situation in Cheltenham thirteen years earlier, when the black Conservative candidate John Taylor was defeated defending a Conservative seat, allegedly due to the unwillingness of local Conservatives voters to support a non-white candidate. Conservative modernisers point to Afriyie's election as evidence that the party is changing, though opponents argue that the election of a single black MP in what is essentially a safe seat doesn't count for much against the anti-immigration campaign fought by the Conservatives in 2005.
Sleaze
A number of political scandals in the 1980s and 1990s created the impression of what is described in the British press as "sleaze": a perception that the Conservatives were associated with political corruption and hypocrisy. In particular the successful entrapment of Graham Riddick and David Tredinnick in the "cash for questions" scandal, the contemporaneous misconduct as a minister by Neil Hamilton (who lost a consequent libel action against The Guardian), and the convictions of former Cabinet member Jonathan Aitken and former party deputy chairman Jeffrey Archer for perjury in two separate cases leading to custodial sentences damaged the Conservatives' public reputation. Persistent unsubstantiated rumours about the activities of the party treasurer Michael Ashcroft did not help this impression.
At the same time a series of revelations about the private lives of various Conservative politicians also grabbed the headlines and both the media and the party's opponents made little attempt to clarify the distinction between financial conduct and private lives.
John Major's "Back to Basics" campaign back-fired because of media focus on its morality aspects, where they exposed "sleaze" within the Conservative Party and, most damagingly, within the Cabinet itself. A number of ministers were then revealed to have committed sexual indiscretions, and Major was forced by media pressure to dismiss them. In September 2002 it was revealed that, prior to his promotion to the cabinet, Major had himself had a longstanding extramarital affair with a fellow MP, Edwina Currie.
History
Main articles: History of the Conservative Party and Leaders of the Conservative Party
The origins of the Conservative Party go back to the Tory faction of 1678-1681 which opposed the exclusion of the Duke of York, later King James VII&II, from the order of succession to the throne. The term 'Conservative' was first used by George Canning in the 1820s and was suggested as a title for the party by John Wilson Croker in the 1830s and later officially adopted, but the party is still often referred to as the 'Tory Party' (not least because newspaper editors find it a convenient shorthand when space is limited). The Tories more often than not formed the government from the accession of King George III (in 1760) until the Great Reform Act of 1832.
Widening of the franchise in the 19th century led the party to popularise its approach, especially under Benjamin Disraeli who carried through his own Reform Act in 1868. After 1886 the Conservatives allied with Liberals who opposed their party's support for Irish Home Rule and held office for all but three of the following twenty years, but when it split over tariff reform, the party suffered a landslide election defeat.
World War I saw an all-party coalition and the Conservatives then stayed in Coalition with half of the Liberals for four years after the armistice. Eventually, grassroots pressure forced the breakup of the Coalition and the party regained power on its own. It again dominated the political scene in the inter-war period, from 1931 in a 'National Government' coalition. However in the 1945 general election the party lost power in a landslide to the Labour Party.
After the end of the Second World War, the Conservatives accepted the reality of the Labour government's nationalisation programme and creation of the 'welfare state', but when it returned to power promoted an economic boom, under Winston Churchill and later Harold Macmillan, which led back to prosperity in the 1950s. The Heath government of 1970-74 was notable for taking Britain into the EEC, a decision which would have a significant effect on the party over subsequent decades. In 1975 Margaret Thatcher became leader and converted it to support a monetarist economic programme; after her election victory in 1979 her government became known for a free-market approach and privatisation of public utilities. Here, the Conservatives experienced a high-point, Thatcher leading the Conservatives to two landslide election victories in 1983 and 1987. However, she was deeply unpopular in some sections of society, initially for the massive unemployment caused by the economic reforms, and later for what was seen as a heavy-handed response to the Miners' strike, and for her introduction of the poll tax (repealed within a year or two in favour of the council tax, essentially the previous rates system by another name).
However, Thatcher's increasing unpopularity and unwillingness to change policies perceived as vote-losing, together with internal tensions over European policy, led to her being deposed in 1990. She was replaced by John Major who won an unexpected election victory in 1992. Major's government suffered a political blow when the Pound Sterling was forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism later that year, which lost the party much of its reputation for good financial stewardship. An effective opposition campaign by the Labour Party led to a landslide defeat in 1997.
Recent history (1997 - )
William Hague (1997 - 2001) portrayed himself at first as a moderniser with a common touch. However by the time the 2001 general election came he concentrated on Europe, asylum seekers and tax cuts whilst declaring that only the Conservative Party could "Save the Pound". He was seen as a political lightweight by many, and was widely mocked for his claim that he drank 14 imperial pints (8 l) of beer in a day in his youth. Despite a low turnout, the election resulted in a net gain of a single seat for the Conservative Party and William Hague's resignation as party leader.
Iain Duncan Smith (2001-2003) (often known as IDS) was a strong Eurosceptic but this did not define his leadership - indeed it was during his tenure that Europe ceased to be an issue of division in the party as it united behind calls for a referendum on the proposed European Union Constitution. Duncan Smith's Shadow Cabinet contained many new and unfamiliar faces but despite predictions by some that the party would lurch to the right the team instead followed a pragmatic moderate approach to policy. After losing a vote of confidence, Duncan Smith remained as caretaker leader until Michael Howard, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, was elected to the post of leader (as the only candidate) on 6 November 2003.
Howard announced radical changes to the way the Shadow Cabinet would work. He slashed the number of members by half, with Theresa May and Tim Yeo each shadowing two government departments. Minor departments still have shadows but have been removed from the cabinet, and the post of Shadow Leader of the House of Commons was abolished. The role of party chairman was also split into two, with Lord Saatchi responsible for the party machine, and Liam Fox handling publicity. Michael Portillo was offered a position but refused, due to his plans to step down from Parliament at the next election.
In the 2005 general election, the Conservative Party made a partial recovery, increasing their share of the vote by around 0.6% (up to 32.3%). However, due to a tactical unwind by Liberal Democrat voters (many of whom were no longer willing to back the Labour party in Labour vs. Conservative marginal seats), the Conservatives made a net gain of 33 seats. This helped slash the Labour majority from 167 seats down to 66. The day after, on May 6, Howard announced that he believed himself too old to lead the party into another election campaign, and he would therefore be stepping down to allow a new leader the time to prepare for the next election. Howard said that he believed that the party needed to amend the rules governing the election of the Party leader, and that he would allow time for that to happen before resigning. See Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005
The campaign has received criticism from its main financial backer, Michael Spencer. In an interview with The Times Tim Collins claims the reasons the party won more seats will not or may not be repeated in the next general election:
- Unpopularity of Tony Blair which helped the Liberal Democrats and hence the Conservative Party in close fights.
- Labour's campaign in their marginal seats was poor.
Internal Factions
There are three main political factions within the modern Conservative Party:
One Nation Conservatives were the dominant faction for most of the post-war era, providing Conservative Prime Ministers such as Harold MacMillan (1957-1963) and Edward Heath (1970-1974). The name comes from a famous phrase of Benjamin Disraeli and the basis of One Nation Conservatism is a belief in social cohesion, and advocates therefore support social institutions that maintain harmony between people of different classes (and more recently, people of different races or religions). These institutions have typically included the welfare state, the BBC, and local government. One Nation Conservatives are usually seen as being socially liberal, since tolerance is viewed as an important factor in social cohesion. Many are also supporters of the European Union, perhaps stemming from an extension of the cohesion principle to the international level, though some are strongly hostile to the EU. Prominent One Nation Conservatives in the modern party include Kenneth Clarke, Malcolm Rifkind and Damian Green, and the faction is associated with the internal pressure group, the Tory Reform Group.
The Thatcherite wing of the party achieved dominance after the election of Margaret Thatcher as party leader in 1975. The Thatcherite political agenda is mainly concerned with reducing the role of the government in the economy, and to this end they support tax cuts, privatisation of public services and a reduction in the size of the welfare state. Though Thatcher herself was socially conservative, her supporters harbour a range of social opinions from the liberal views of Michael Portillo to the traditional conservatism of William Hague and David Davis. Thatcherites are Eurosceptic, since they view many European regulations as unwelcome interference in the market. Many take inspiration from Thatcher's famous anti-EU Bruges speech in 1988, in which she declared that "we have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at a European level". Thatcherites also tend to be atlanticist, dating back to the close friendship between Thatcher and US President Ronald Reagan.
The so-called Faith, Flag and Family wing are the third main element within the Conservative Party. This faction's name is drawn from its support for three British social institutions: the established Church, the unitary British state and the traditional family. To this end, they emphasise Britain's Protestant heritage, they oppose any transfer of power away from the state (either downwards to the nations and regions or upwards to the European Union), and they are highly critical of homosexuals, single parents and other non-traditional family groupings. They are strongly opposed to immigration into the UK, and some have in the past professed racist opinions. They also are known for their support for capital punishment. Prominent MPs from this wing of the party include Andrew Rosindell and Edward Leigh. It should be noted that this faction has never been particularly strong within the parliamentary party, although its strength within the rank-and-file party membership means that it wields considerable power over Conservative social policy. Gay Conservative MP Alan Duncan famously once referred to this wing as a "Taleban tendency" within the party. Historically, many Conservatives from this faction were members of the Monday Club, and more recently they have participated in the Cornerstone Group.
Note that not all Conservative MPs can be easily placed within these three groupings. For example, John Major was the ostensibly "Thatcherite" candidate during the 1990 leadership election, but he consistently promoted One Nation Conservatives to the higher reaches of his cabinet during his time as Prime Minister. These included Kenneth Clarke (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Michael Heseltine (Deputy Prime Minister), two of the architects of Thatcher's downfall.
Motto
'Today's Britain Tomorrow's Conservatives'
Associated groups
Full list is at: List of organisations associated with the British Conservative Party
- Bow Group
- Cchange
- Centre for Policy Studies
- Conservative Research Department
- Conservative Way Forward
- Cornerstone Group
- European Foundation
- Tory Reform Group
See also
- List of Conservative Party politicians
- Leaders of the Conservative Party
- Chairman of the Conservative Party
- Conservative Central Office
- British politics
- Thatcherism
- Euroscepticism
- UK topics
- Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK) (current Conservative front bench)
Further reading
- Geoffrey Wheatcroft (2005), The Strange Death of Tory England
External links
Official Party sites
- The Conservative Party
- The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party
- Welsh Conservatives
- Conservatives in Northern Ireland
- Conservative Future - party youth wing
Internal party policy groups
Other
- An archive of Conservative electoral manifestos from 1900-present and a directory of Conservative Party websites, including constituency associations
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Special Report: Conservative Party
- LookSmart - Conservative Party directory category
- The Spectator Often called the Conservative Party "house journal", although not officially affiliated to the party
- Open Directory Project - Conservative Party directory category
- Yahoo! - Conservative Party directory category
- Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The Guardian , June 21, 2005, "I said the Tories were dead. It was an understatement: Since the election the party has made every available mistake"
- David Stewart - British Conservative An interesting look at the Conservative party, a good place to get both lighthearted and serious political talk.
