Conservative ideas and policies today Flashcards
What did the conservative party face upon returning to power in 2010?
An economic crisis that led to a huge and growing budget deficit
What was the national debt in March 2010?
£1.13 trillion
What was the conservative response to the growing national debt in 2010 and why?
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
Who relegated the position of balancing the budget to a medium term goal?
Theresa May, as she saw it as unattainable and inhibiting economic growth
Why did the conservative government decide to borrow so much to fund the COVID-19 lockdowns?
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
What type of figures supported Brexit?
Ardent neo-liberalism
What does the conservative party believe their policy should always promote?
Free markets and free trade. It is therefore determined to curb the power of trade unions and keep labour markets free
What is the attitude of the conservative party to taxation?
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
What does the party think is the best deterrant against crime?
Stern punishments. It therefore believes sentencing policy should be in the hands of elected government rather than unelecetd judges
What two liberal ideas are the conservatives particularly opposed to?
The legalisation of drugs and an excessive use of community sentencing
What do conservatives believe is the first duty of the government, and what has this led them to do?
Protecting its citizens. They have suspended civil rights and liberties in the face of terrorism in order to do this
How did the 2017 and 2019 conservative party manifestos propose the HRA should be altered?
To ensure it had the ability to deal with national threats like terrorism, prioritisng social stability and safety over individual rights
How had the conservative party more recently curbed personal freedoms for the benefit of public safety?
During the COVID-19 lockdowns
What does the conservative party want to ensure wefare benefits do not become?
A disincentive to work
What has the conservative government done to decrease the appeal of unemployment?
Introduced stricter means testing
What has the conservative government done to try and restore the balance between work and benefits?
- 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
What to the conservatives want to safeguard?
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
What military organisation do they support?
NATO
Which country do they wish to preserve relations with?
The USA
When do the conseervatives think Britain should intervene in foreign conflicts?
When it is in our best interests
What is the conservative party committed to retaining?
The UK’s independednt nuclear deterrent in the form of the Trident submarine based nuclear weapons
What did the party decide to reduce after much internal conflict?
Contributions to international aid
Which groups tend to exert influence over conservative party direction and policy making?
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
Upon which decision did the British Bankers Association have a large ammount of influence?
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
What shows that business interest groups do not have complete control over conservative party policy?
Both the CBI and BBA warned against Brexit
How have major press barons had an influence on the conservative party?
Rupert Murdoch, a key supporter of Thatcher, helped shape the anti-union stance of the conservative party as he fought against the printing unions
Describe the right tendency for economic management
- Support free trade
- Deregulated business
- Lowering of taxation
- All trade agreements agreed on a bi-lateral basis
Describe the centre right tendency for economic management
- The economy should be managed in a way that ensures society does not become divided
- Support lower rates of taxation for the poorest
Describe the right tendency on social justice
- Support for a traditional, Christian centred society based on individual value and clear hierarchy and social structures
Describe the centre right tendency on social justice
- 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
Describe the right tendency on industry
- Extensive privatisation of all areas
- Decrease union protections
- LImited government intervention
Describe the centre right tendency on industry
- 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
Describe the right tendency on welfare
- Seeks to reduce, if not end, the provision of welfare
- Look to privatise parts of the NHS
- More stringent tests for welfare recipients
Describe the centre right tendency on welfare
- 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
Describe the right tendency on law and order
Support strong law and order to ensure that society operates in a traditional, well-ordered way
Describe the centre right tendency on law and order
- 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
Describe the right tendency on foreign policy
- Focused on British nationalism
- Opposed to membership of supranational organisations
- Support a strong and independent military capacity
Describe the centre right tendency on foreign policy
- ## Favour international cooperation to facilitate free trade and to intervene in foreign disputes that may not have a direct impact on British interests
Describe the right tendency on the environment
- Opposed to environmental policies that may hinder business
- At the extreme end, there could be climate change deniers
Describe the centre right tendency on the environment
- Support environmental initiatives and the focus on reducing Britain’s carbon footprint
Describe the right tendency on constitutional reform
- 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
