Evaluate The View That The Current Conservative Party Is A Thatcherite Party

Question 1

P1: Agree Economic Policy (LT)

Answer 1

1. Top rate of income tax was 83% when she came into power and 40% in her last budget. Corp T was reduced from 52% to 34%.
2. Spending was cut by £1B, cuts in housing, energy, education, employment, industrial subsidies, transport and foreign aid.
3. LT’s mini-budget attempted to cut taxes a lot including corporation tax, abolish top rate of income tax and cut stamp duty, funded by borrowing.

Question 2

P1: Agree Economic Policy RS

Answer 2

1. The CP under RS was supportive of privatisation and relatively low taxation and public spending.
2. In the 2024 Spring Budget, the CP announced a cut to National Insurance contributions for employees from 10% to 8%. In their 2024 manifesto, pledged to cut it to 6% by April 2027.
3. April 2024, RS speech on welfare policy, too much money spent on disability benefits, which he sees as unsustainable compared to other areas of the budget. Consistent with Thatcher’s opposition to a large welfare state, echoed by Kemi Badenoch.

Question 3

P1: Disagree They Are Not A Thatcherite Party

Answer 3

1. The CP did reverse Liz Truss’ attempted Thatcherite reforms.
2. RS’s government reversed Truss’ planned tax cuts and pledged to increase some in order to try and bring down inflation. Corp tax increased from 19% to 25% in April 2023.
3. Sunak’s economic policy was focused on trying to prioritise national finances in the context of the cost of living crisis by reducing the national debt and seeking to keep down inflation.
4. Kemi Badenoch’s economic policy isn’t yet clear, but she hasn’t indicated she supports any taxes since becoming leader.

Question 4

P2: Agree Law and Order

Answer 4

1. MT was very harsh on crime. Despite cutting the budgets of other departments she increased funding for police.
2. RS met the party’s 2019 manifesto of recruiting 20,000 more po and pledging in 2024 by recruit 8,000 more.
3. March 2023, RS announced a comprehensive anti-social behaviour action plan aimed at curbing ‘the scourge of anti-social behaviour’. Immediate justice initiatives. Offenders have to engage in community repair work within 48 hrs of sentencing.

Question 5

P2: Agree Unions

Answer 5

1. MT had a strong policy position in relation to trade unions. She called them the ‘enemy within’ and reduced their powers.
2. Introduced the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, which requires minimum services levels in key public sectors and limits the powers of strikes.
3. Public Order Act 2023, introduced new offences like ‘locking on’ and interfering with national infrastructure (including the roads around Parliament), punishable by imprisonment and unlimited fines.
4. Enacted as a response to Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.

Question 6

P2: Disagree Law and Order and Unions

Answer 6

1. Has taken a relatively strong approach to striking, but not as uncompromisingly harsh as Thatcher was.
2. They did negotiate with some of strikers and come to an agreement with nurses and teachers.

Question 7

P3: Agree Immigration and Foreign Policy

Answer 7

1. She strongly protected Britain’s interests abroad, including against the USSR and in the Falklands War.
2. Sunak strongly supported Ukraine in the war against Russia, in 2024 committed £2.5 billion in military funding to Ukraine, making the UK one of the largest providers in Europe second to Germany.
3. In Feb 2025 Kemi B supported the Labour government’s policy of increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
4. MT was Eurosceptic, Britain’s sovereignty against a growing EU. Similar to current CP, strongly opposed to the political union of the EU.

Question 8

P3: Disagree Foreign Policy and Immigration

Answer 8

1. The policies of the CP in relation to Brexit a lot more anti-free trade than MT would’ve liked. She was euroscpetic in relation to the political union of the EU, but supported their promotion of free trade and economic union.
2. CP formalised its Rwanda immigration polict by passing the Safety of Rwanda Act in April 2024. Involved an initial payment of £290M and £11,000 per asylum seeker for flights and £151,000 per person for processing and intefration over five years.
3. Unlikely, she would’ve supported something so expensive and little economic benefit.
4. In Feb 2025 KB increase citizenship from 6 to 15 years.