David Cameron 2005-2016 Flashcards
What did Cameron aim to do with the Conservative Party?
He set about detoxifying, or modernising, the Conservative Party.
What was essential for Cameron?
To reach out beyond the narrow ‘core’ support for the Conservatives to make the party more tolerant and inclusive, no longer hostile to all kinds of social groups including ethnic minorities, gay people, single mothers, and young people.
How did he highlight policy areas and positions which were not traditional Conservative ones?
He promised that a Conservative government would take seriously the issue of climate change; he visited the Arctic himself and cycled to Westminster.
How was else was Cameron modernising the party?
He was in favour of gay rights and wanted to increase overseas aid. He praised the way the NHS had cared for his disabled son and promised that a future Conservative government would protect it.
What did George Osbourne promise?
To maintain Labour levels of spending on public services, effectively ruling out tax cuts.
Was there still opposition in the Conservative Party?
Yes. Many on the right wing of the Conservative Party remained sceptical of this shift and some such as Norman Tebbit were openly critical of what they perceived as a rejection of Thatcherism.
However, what did Cameron’s Party reflect?
A party more united than it had been for over a decade. Perhaps this was because many Conservatives hoped for victory at the 2010 election against an increasingly unpopular Labour government and realised that only a united party could achieve this.
