Conservative party; 1997-2007 Flashcards
When did Major resign
1997
How many tory MPs after the 1997 election were estimated to be eurosceptics
145/165
Why did Heseltine not run in the 1997 leadership election, and if he did, would he have won
Ill health-Unlikely, as he was pro-european and was not forgiven for challenging thatcher in 1990
What attitude dominated the 1997 leadership election, why, and who won
Anyone but clarke-he was pro-europe and one of thatchers cabinet who advised her to resign.
William Hague ended up winning
Why did Hague win the ‘97 leadership election
He had fewer enemies than his rivals and was endorsed by Thatcher
How did hague largely unify the party on Europe
Ruling out a single currency
Who in 1999 delivered a speech seen to be rebuking some core elements of Thatcherism and split the party into modernisers and not, and what was Hagues response
Peter Lilley- A speech reaffirming Thatchers legacy
who, having lost his seat in the 1997 election and so could not contest the leadership, won his seat back in 1999, threatening Hague
Michael Portillo
When and why did Hague resign leadership
2001-crushing electoral defeat
Who were the two expected candidates and won the 2001 leadership contest
Ken Clarke and Michael Portillo-Ian Duncan Smith
What policy did Duncan-smith try to introduce
Compassionate Conservatism e.g. visiting a council estate and saying more needed to be done to tackle poverty
Why did Duncan smith find it difficult to demand loyalty from the backbenchers over modernising policy
He was the architect of the maastricht rebellions under Major
What controversial event did Duncan Smith fully back and why was this problematic
2003 iraq war-Anti-war tories like Ken clarke could not criticise labour for it, and Lib dems eemrged as the anti war party
Who took over the conservative party in 2003 and why
Michael Howard-Duncan smith resigned after a scandal about how much he was paying his wife to be his secretary
Despite abandoning Duncan Smiths social justice platform and being socially conservative himself, how did Howard unify the party
Promised modernisers in his cabinet, and David cameron and george osbourne achieved this after the defeat in 2005, and wished for his successor to be a moderniser
Who won the 2005 leadership election and who did he defeat
David Cameron-The right wing david-davis
What did Cameron set out to do for the tory party
Modernise and detoxify it;make it welcome to minorities and other social groups outside its traditional base
What are some examples of Camerons modern policies
Promised to take climate change seriously
Increase foreign aid
promoted gay rights
Promised to maintain labour spending on public services
Why did Labour find it more difficult to attack cameron that his predecessors
He actually looked reasonably electable and mirrored many of labours own points, somewhat of a reverese from 1997
For what reasons was William Hague mocked
His teenage speech making, boasts of drinking 14 pints a day when he was a teenager to seem relatable and wearing a baseball cap
What was Thatchers influence on the 2001 election
She turned up to support Hague and his right wing policies on immigration and saving the pound but merely alienated people and reminded them why theyd turned away from the tories
What did the deputy chairman of the conservative party admit in secret in 2005
That the party would be more thatcherite that admitted in public, confirming suspicions that despite Howards efforts, he was still right wing and not much had changed from the 80s and 90s
What was the one benefit of the conservative party shifting to the right
Prevented voters leaving to UKIP, who formed in ‘93
