Conservative party - Established Political Parties (2.2) - Political Parties - UK Politics

Question 1

Origins of the Conservative Party

Answer 1

Tory party of late 17th Century. Aristocratic group that first came together in defence of the historic privileges of the Crown and the Church of England as powerful landowning institutions.

Question 2

Sir Robert Peel & the Conservative party

Answer 2

PM 1834-5 & 1841-46. The party evolved into a party dedicated to the defence of property & traditional authority against the threat of revolution.

Question 3

One nation

Answer 3

A paternalistic approach adopted by Conservatives under the leadership of Benjamin Disraeli in the 19th century and continued by David Cameron and Theresa May in the 21st century, that the rich have an obligation to help the poor.

Question 4

Benjamin Disraeli

Answer 4

PM 1868 & 1874-1880. Associated with One-nation.

Question 5

Benjamin Disraeli & one-nation conservatism

Answer 5

Mentioned in his book Sybil. Philosophy that sought to bridge the gap between the classes (created by industrial capitalism) through a paternalistic social policy (rich would help poor in return for the right to rule).

Question 6

Post-war conservative (WWII)

Answer 6

Party accepted Labour reforms of a mixed economy, welfare state, government action to maintain high level of employment. (one-nation). Pragmatic, non-ideological approach.

Question 7

noblesse oblige

Answer 7

the duty of upper classes to take responsibility for the welfare of the lower classes

Question 8

New right

Answer 8

An approach that combined the thinking of neo-conservatives who wanted the state to take a more authoritarian approach to morality and law and order and the thinking of neo-liberals who endorsed the free market and the rolling back of the state in people’s lives and businesses

Question 9

Thatcherism linked intellectually with

Answer 9

the rise of a school of thought called New right

Question 10

Thatcherism vs one nation

Answer 10

Thatcherism rejected the instinct of one-ntion conservatives to seek compromise

Question 11

Thatcherism (x7)

Answer 11

Preference for individual over state

Rolling back of state and doing less in social terms

Preference for free-market & open competition - e.g. privatisation in order to promote improvement and wider consumer choice due to competition & control of public spending, combined with tax cuts to provide incentives for business leaders & to stimulate economic growth

Preference for strong law & order - e.g. criminal justice acts increasing sentences for offences & increased police & judicial powers

Anti-trade union - e.g. statutes restricting trade union power

Opposed to integration of EU & having strong nationalistic character - e.g. where Thatcher warned against the United States of Europe in a Bruges speech

Assertion of British interests abroad, in relation to the challenges posed by the Soviet Union (and other threats)

Question 12

What did William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith & Michael Howard all fail to do

Answer 12

Distance themselves sufficiently from Thatcherism which was now identified with a discredited past.

Question 13

When did David Cameron become leader of Conservative party

Answer 13

2005

Question 14

Cameron identified as a

Answer 14

liberal conservative

Question 15

Cameron’s positive portrayal examples

Answer 15

Showed an interest in the environment, demonstrated that he valued public services such as the NHS, stood on the side of the ordinary not just the well-off elite.

Question 16

Big Society

Answer 16

David Cameron’s platform that envisions a society that is energised by grassroots volunteers and private organisations, no longer harassed by “big governments”. Co-operation between the state and the voluntary sector

Question 17

Tensions in the coalition 2010

Answer 17

Reform of the voting system

Upgrading of Britain’s nuclear weapons

Question 18

Cameron’s economic policy

Answer 18

Aimed to reduce budget deficit inherited from Labour
Introduced a programme of public spending cuts (‘austerity’) to maintain the confidence of the financial markets and prevent Britain’s borrowing cost from rising
Whitehall department budgets cut by up to 25% (not health, schools or international aid)

Question 19

austerity measures

Answer 19

When a government severely cuts spending to try and get its finances under control

Question 20

Cameron’s welfare policy

Answer 20

Coalition wanted to cut costs and encourage those receiving benefits to be more self-reliant.
Osborne distinguished between hard-working strivers and underserving shirkers.
Universal credit system merges a number of ‘in-work’ benefits in one payment intended to simplify the welfare system and encourage low-income people to take up employment
Coalition implicated a radical overhaul of the NHS allowing the private sector to compete with state hospitals.

Question 21

Osborne distinguished between (welfare policy under Cameron)

Answer 21

hard-working strivers and underserving shirkers.

Question 22

Universal Credit system (welfare policy under Cameron)

Answer 22

merges a number of ‘in-work’ benefits in one payment intended to simplify the welfare system and encourage low-income people to take up employment

Question 23

Coalition’s overhaul of the NHS (welfare policy under Cameron)

Answer 23

allowed the private sector to compete with state hospitals.

Question 24

What did the coalition government 2010 want to do with those on benefits (welfare policy under Cameron)

Answer 24

Make them more self-reliant by cutting costs

Question 25

Cameron’s law & order policies

Answer 25

Liberal attitude in opposition
Tough sentencing for certain crimes (especially post London riots 2011)
Promoted rehabilitation revolution to reduce reoffending
Payment by results scheme
Resembled Blair’s insistence that government must be ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’

Question 26

Cameron’s attitude to law & order when in opposition

Answer 26

Liberal. Called for more understanding if young offenders - ‘hug a hoodie’ speech

Question 27

What encouraged Cameron’s want for tough punishment for certain crimes (law and order under Cameron)

Answer 27

August 2011 London Riots

Question 28

Rehabilitation revolution intended to (law and order under Cameron)

Answer 28

reduce reoffending & prepare prisoners for real life

Question 29

Payment by results scheme (law and order under Cameron)

Answer 29

Coalition government rewarded private firms and charities that helped criminals in their rehabilitation

Question 30

Tony Blair’s quote on crime that Cameron’s policies followed (law and order under Cameron)

Answer 30

Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime

Question 31

Cameron’s foreign policies

Answer 31

Consistent with Thatcherism in most respects

Question 32

Ways in which Cameron’s foreign policies were similar to those of Thatcher’s

Answer 32

Strong links with USA
Support for air strikes against Islamic terrorist groups in Syria & Iraq
Pragmatic eurosceptism
Was pro-EU (campaigned for the remain side in Brexit)

Question 33

Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism

Answer 33

ejected Thatcherite individualism -

Compassionate view of society to create social inclusion - relaxing attitudes to those less fortunate in society

Move towards one-nation stressing the duty of the haves to help the have-nots

More understanding & tolerative view of alternative lifestyles

Willingness to accept constitutional change and make further change

Thatcherite policies reduced as a product of the compromise of coalition government and sharing power with the Lib Dems

Question 34

Example of rejected Thatcherite individualism (ways in which Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism)

Answer 34

Drive for more inclusive society - rejects ideas such as ‘there is no such thing as society’

Question 35

Example of more compassionate view of society (ways in which Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism)

Answer 35

‘Hug a hoodie’

Question 36

Example of more understanding & tolerative view of alternative lifestyles (ways in which Conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism)

Answer 36

Accepting same sex unions & support for minorities

Question 37

Conservative party has NOT abandoned Thatcherism

Answer 37

Firm belief in free-market solutions to solve economic problems

Anti trade-union & favouring business community

Lack of moral concern or compassion as government cuts back on public services & certain benefits

Willingness to tax better off lightly as possible