Conservative ideas and policies today

Question 1

What did the conservative party face upon returning to power in 2010?

Answer 1

An economic crisis that led to a huge and growing budget deficit

Question 2

What was the national debt in March 2010?

Answer 2

£1.13 trillion

Question 3

What was the conservative response to the growing national debt in 2010 and why?

Answer 3

The party adopted a rigorous approach to economic management. Its economic policy was dominated by the aim of eliminating budget deficits and reducing the national debt. They did this believing that a balanced budget was the only way to promote economic growth

Question 4

Who relegated the position of balancing the budget to a medium term goal?

Answer 4

Theresa May, as she saw it as unattainable and inhibiting economic growth

Question 5

Why did the conservative government decide to borrow so much to fund the COVID-19 lockdowns?

Answer 5

It was a pragmatic response to save the economy and maintain societal stability in order to ensure businesses and employment could survive the shutdown, so as to not increase the number of welfare recipients and create a dependancy culture

Question 6

What type of figures supported Brexit?

Answer 6

Ardent neo-liberalism

Question 7

What does the conservative party believe their policy should always promote?

Answer 7

Free markets and free trade. It is therefore determined to curb the power of trade unions and keep labour markets free

Question 8

What is the attitude of the conservative party to taxation?

Answer 8

Partly neo-liberal and partly one-nation. Believe personal and company taxation should never be excessively high so as to inhibit enterprise and wealth creation. The party seeks to reduce corporation tax as much as feasible. The party also accepts that taxes on lower incomes are too high and risk causing poverty and dividing the nation. It therefore seeks to take more people out of taxation altogether. The tax burden has subsequently been shifted more towards middle-income groups

Question 9

What does the party think is the best deterrant against crime?

Answer 9

Stern punishments. It therefore believes sentencing policy should be in the hands of elected government rather than unelecetd judges

Question 10

What two liberal ideas are the conservatives particularly opposed to?

Answer 10

The legalisation of drugs and an excessive use of community sentencing

Question 11

What do conservatives believe is the first duty of the government, and what has this led them to do?

Answer 11

Protecting its citizens. They have suspended civil rights and liberties in the face of terrorism in order to do this

Question 12

How did the 2017 and 2019 conservative party manifestos propose the HRA should be altered?

Answer 12

To ensure it had the ability to deal with national threats like terrorism, prioritisng social stability and safety over individual rights

Question 13

How had the conservative party more recently curbed personal freedoms for the benefit of public safety?

Answer 13

During the COVID-19 lockdowns

Question 14

What does the conservative party want to ensure wefare benefits do not become?

Answer 14

A disincentive to work

Question 15

What has the conservative government done to decrease the appeal of unemployment?

Answer 15

Introduced stricter means testing

Question 16

What has the conservative government done to try and restore the balance between work and benefits?

Answer 16

• Introduce a living wage to reward work at a lower pay
• Introduce an overall cap on total welfare benefits for families to make unemployment seem like less of an attractive prospect

Question 17

What to the conservatives want to safeguard?

Answer 17

The NHS and the education system. However, it also believes they should be subject to competition and market forces, so the private sector should therefore become involved in the provision of these services aswell. They believe this will increase efficiency and allow services to improve without the need for increased government expenditure

Question 18

What military organisation do they support?

Answer 18

NATO

Question 19

Which country do they wish to preserve relations with?

Answer 19

The USA

Question 20

When do the conseervatives think Britain should intervene in foreign conflicts?

Answer 20

When it is in our best interests

Question 21

What is the conservative party committed to retaining?

Answer 21

The UK’s independednt nuclear deterrent in the form of the Trident submarine based nuclear weapons

Question 22

What did the party decide to reduce after much internal conflict?

Answer 22

Contributions to international aid

Question 23

Which groups tend to exert influence over conservative party direction and policy making?

Answer 23

Groups that represent business interests, as the conservatives have a long history of being the party of business. Most notable of the CBI and BBA

Question 24

Upon which decision did the British Bankers Association have a large ammount of influence?

Answer 24

Following the 2008 financial crisis, they pushed the conservatives to follow policies that would help the banking sector, notably not to impose fines and increased restrictions on the banks

Question 25

What shows that business interest groups do not have complete control over conservative party policy?

Answer 25

Both the CBI and BBA warned against Brexit

Question 26

How have major press barons had an influence on the conservative party?

Answer 26

Rupert Murdoch, a key supporter of Thatcher, helped shape the anti-union stance of the conservative party as he fought against the printing unions

Question 27

Describe the right tendency for economic management

Answer 27

• Support free trade
• Deregulated business
• Lowering of taxation
• All trade agreements agreed on a bi-lateral basis

Question 28

Describe the centre right tendency for economic management

Answer 28

• The economy should be managed in a way that ensures society does not become divided
• Support lower rates of taxation for the poorest

Question 29

Describe the right tendency on social justice

Answer 29

• Support for a traditional, Christian centred society based on individual value and clear hierarchy and social structures

Question 30

Describe the centre right tendency on social justice

Answer 30

• Ensure the provision of a safety net during times of crisis
• Desire to ‘level up’ society
• Like the idea of social mobility
• Support for progressive ideas

Question 31

Describe the right tendency on industry

Answer 31

• Extensive privatisation of all areas
• Decrease union protections
• LImited government intervention

Question 32

Describe the centre right tendency on industry

Answer 32

• Government investment in infrastructure to facilitate private industry
• Financial support for struggling businesses to avoid economic hardship
• Acceptance of some necessary state services that can work with the private sector

Question 33

Describe the right tendency on welfare

Answer 33

• Seeks to reduce, if not end, the provision of welfare
• Look to privatise parts of the NHS
• More stringent tests for welfare recipients

Question 34

Describe the centre right tendency on welfare

Answer 34

• Support the BHS as part of the national identity
• Welfare must be provided with the purpose of encouraging people into work in order to maintain social stability

Question 35

Describe the right tendency on law and order

Answer 35

Support strong law and order to ensure that society operates in a traditional, well-ordered way

Question 36

Describe the centre right tendency on law and order

Answer 36

• They want to achieve balance between law and order and individual rights and freedoms. They therefore do not want to see laws implemented in a draconian way

Question 37

Describe the right tendency on foreign policy

Answer 37

• Focused on British nationalism
• Opposed to membership of supranational organisations
• Support a strong and independent military capacity

Question 38

Describe the centre right tendency on foreign policy

Answer 38

• ## Favour international cooperation to facilitate free trade and to intervene in foreign disputes that may not have a direct impact on British interests

Question 39

Describe the right tendency on the environment

Answer 39

• Opposed to environmental policies that may hinder business
• At the extreme end, there could be climate change deniers

Question 40

Describe the centre right tendency on the environment

Answer 40

• Support environmental initiatives and the focus on reducing Britain’s carbon footprint

Question 41

Describe the right tendency on constitutional reform

Answer 41

• Opposed to the progressive reforms of the new labour era
• support for traditional systems and laws, like the monarchy, house of laws and the abolition of the HRA