2.2 Conservative party Flashcards
Has the Conservative Party abandoned Thatcherism?
✅ Yes, modern Conservatives have moved away from Thatcherism
Increase in state spending post-2019
E: COVID furlough scheme, Levelling Up fund, £2.5bn military support to Ukraine
EX: High borrowing under Johnson contradicts Thatcher’s anti-debt, low-intervention stance
L: Modern Conservatives rely on state intervention more than Thatcher ever did
Social liberalism and identity shift
E: Same-sex marriage legalised (2013), green investment under Cameron
EX: Moves like this reject Thatcher’s emphasis on traditional moral values
L: Modern party became more socially inclusive, distancing itself from Thatcherite views
Less focus on free-market economics
E: Sunak’s 2024 manifesto pledged NI cuts and debt control, but no radical privatisation
EX: No attempt to shrink the state like Thatcher’s ‘right-to-buy’ or mass privatisations
L: Economic policy is more moderate and pragmatic than ideological
🧾 Mini Conclusion (Yes side): While some Thatcherite themes remain, the modern Conservative Party has taken a far more pragmatic and moderate path, especially economically and socially.
❌ No, Thatcherism remains central to Conservative identity
Immigration policy rooted in deterrence
E: Rwanda Act (2024), Badenoch’s “net contributor” rule
EX: Tough stances echo Thatcher’s belief in strong borders and national sovereignty
L: New Right themes of law, order and control remain dominant
Low-tax, small-state rhetoric
E: Truss’s 2022 mini-budget and NI cuts in 2024 manifesto
EX: Despite backtracking, party rhetoric still idolises tax-cutting and deregulation
L: Thatcherite economic ideals remain influential, even if poorly executed
Cultural conservatism and ‘anti-woke’ agenda
E: Sunak’s stance on gender identity, exclusion of trans conversion therapy
EX: Badenoch’s rhetoric on ‘traditional values’ mirrors Thatcher’s moral conservatism
L: Social conservatism is alive and well in today’s party
🧾 Mini Conclusion (No side): Core themes of Thatcherism — from immigration to moral authority — still shape Conservative identity, particularly in its post-2019 rightward shift.
Can the modern Conservative Party be called a one-nation party?
✅ Yes, there are clear one-nation elements
Cameron’s liberal-conservative reform
E: Legalised same-sex marriage (2013), ‘greenest government ever’
EX: Cameron promoted social unity, minority rights, and balanced economics
L: Embodied the One Nation spirit of inclusion and pragmatism
Levelling Up agenda under Johnson
E: Investment in Red Wall constituencies post-2019
EX: Spending on transport and infrastructure to reduce regional inequalities
L: Echoes Disraeli’s desire to unify the nation socially and economically
Welfare support and NHS funding
E: Pledged NLW rise to £13/hour, small NHS funding increases
EX: Some efforts to preserve public services reflect social duty
L: Shows limited but present commitment to national cohesion
🧾 Mini Conclusion (Yes side): Although not dominant, one-nation themes still influence some policies aimed at unity, fairness, and pragmatism.
❌ No, the party has abandoned one-nation ideals
Shift to the authoritarian right
E: Public Order Act (2023), Rwanda deportations
EX: Rights restricted for vulnerable and dissenting groups
L: Contradicts the inclusive, compassionate values of one-nation conservatism
Austerity and economic inequality
E: 2010–16 spending cuts; disability benefit clampdown in 2024
EX: Harsh welfare measures harm social cohesion
L: Party prioritised economic orthodoxy over social balance
Internal purges of moderates
E: 21 One Nation MPs removed under Johnson (2019)
EX: Centralisation around hardline views marginalises pragmatists
L: Current direction is divisive, not unifying
🧾 Mini Conclusion (No side): Though echoes remain, the modern party has largely abandoned the consensus and compassion that defined One Nation Conservatism.
Are Labour and Conservative policies more similar than different?
Yes, there’s growing convergence
Support for a mixed economy
E: Both support the NHS and oppose mass nationalisation
EX: Conservatives kept Universal Credit; Labour didn’t pledge to reverse privatisations
L: Consensus exists around public-private balance
Strong foreign policy consensus
E: Both back Ukraine, NATO, and strong global alliances
EX: Sunak and Starmer aligned on UK’s role in world affairs
L: Few ideological splits in foreign policy
Shared positions on law and order
E: Labour supports tougher sentencing; Conservatives back ASB crackdown
EX: Both parties advocate police funding and justice reform
L: Tough-on-crime agenda dominates across party lines
🧾 Mini Conclusion (Yes side): In many policy areas, especially the economy and security, the parties have converged — reducing clear-cut ideological division.
❌ No, they remain ideologically distinct
Economic approach is still different
E: Labour supports higher public spending and worker rights
EX: Conservative manifesto promised NI cuts, benefit crackdowns
L: Fiscal priorities and ideological underpinnings remain separate
Social policy divisions
E: Conservatives limited trans rights; Labour supports inclusive reform
EX: Gender recognition, conversion therapy, and identity politics divide them
L: Labour is socially liberal; Conservatives are culturally conservative
Stances on immigration
E: Labour opposed the Rwanda policy and cap on visas
EX: Conservatives back deterrence and deportation
L: Immigration reveals a significant philosophical divide
🧾 Mini Conclusion (No side): Despite overlap in some areas, the parties hold opposing values on identity, welfare, and immigration — keeping ideological divides alive.
