The Conservative Party Flashcards
When did the conservative party emerge from the Tory party?
1830s. Many date its birth to Robert Peel’s Tamworth Manifesto in 1834
What began to grow with industrialisation and international markets?
The capitalist middle classes which challenged the authority of the aristocracy and the landed gentry. Middle classes were largely represented by whigs and landed gentry by tories.
why were the tories described as conservatives?
They resisted new political structures that were growing up and wished to ‘conserve’ the dominant position of the upper class.
Who formed the conservative party and what were the party’s main objectives?
Sir Robert Peel (PM 1834-35 and 1841-46) and Benjamin Disraeli (PM 1868 and 1874-80). Main objectives were to prevent the country falling too far into inequality, to preserve unity of the kingdom, to preserve order in society.
Explain how Thomas Hobbes views on human nature reflect traditional conservative views of human nature
The views were reflected in his text ‘Leviathan’ (1651). He lived through the civil war. He had a negative view of human nature and said if there was not a strong government to control its citizens and resist dangerous innovation then the anarchy would ensue, ensuring that property would not be safe and violence would be endemic. Conservatives see humankind as liable to fall into disorder.
Explain how Edmund Burke’s conservative respect of tradition is connected to the conservative desire for public order
He was a whig MP (1729-97) who wrote ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). He said ‘No generation should consider itself superior to its predecessors’ The safest way for change is to approach problems pragmatically, respecting order and tradition. ‘Good order is the foundation of all good things’. Conservatives are always suspicious of new ideas which threaten the existing order.
Why did Burke praise traditions
He believed they were able to provide continuity between the past and the present. ‘Partnership between those who are living, those who are dead and those who are born’
By the 19th century what were the key characteristics of the tory party?
Property, pragmatism, authoritarianism, tradition and stability.
What were Benjamin Disraeli’s key ideas.
In his ‘Young England’ novels especially ‘Sybil’ (1845) he argued conservatism must unite the nation. He saw society as an organic body in which stability and prosperity is achieved through all classes and individuals appreciating their debt towards each other. He warned against Britain becoming two nations - the rich and the poor. Started one nation conservatism.
Explain ‘One nation’
The nation must be united. People should not put their selfish needs above the wellbeing of others. An inclusive society. We need to prevent Britain from becoming two nations or the rich and the poor as there is a divide.
Explain ‘paternalism’
The practice of governing individuals, businesses and the nation in an outwardly benevolent but often condescending way. The state should care for the needy and extensive social reforms which reduce inequality should be supported.
Explain ‘organic society’
Society is interdependent. Those who are well off should care for the poor in society. It leads to a belief that politics should not seek to change society artificially, it should be allowed to develop naturally.
Show that traditional conservatives are above all pragmatists.
Micheal Oakeshott (1901-90), a leading conservative philosopher said politics should be ‘a conservation, not an argument’. It shouldnt result in conflict over a political dogma theory but a gentle relationship between the government and the governed.
What is pragmatism?
A non-dogmatic approach where political action should never cause conflict. Its to preserve a stable society where order and security should be maintained and disorder should be avoided.
Whos interests do conservatives defend?
Home owners and the owners of land and businesses. Property ownership is a fundamental aspect of individualism. The right to own property reflects a civilised existence, property owners are seen to have a greater vested interest in order.
Who are some PMs which associated themselves with the one nation principles?
Stanley Baldwin (1923-24, 1924-30 and 1935-37), Harold Macmillan (1957-63) and Edward Heath (1970-74). They wanted to create a prosperous, inclusive society.
What is the New Right a combination of?
Neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. Most of the time they lean towards one.
What did Thatcherism mark?
The death of the postwar consensus and the rise of more adversarial politics. Thatcher referred to old one nation tories as ‘wets’. Thatcherites favoured the importance of the individual rather than the needs of society.
Thatcherism offered a radical agenda including policies such as:
-deregulation in the field of business
-privatisation of publicly owned industries
-statutory limits on the power of trade unions
-a smaller state (‘rolling back the frontiers of the state’) and more limited state intervention in the economy
-a greater emphasis on national sovereignty
-more limited state welfare provision
Whats the New Right associated with?
A reaction against socialist ideas becoming influential in Europe, Asia and South America. Traditional conservative values were seen as too weak to deal with contemporary economic and social policies. It was associated in the US with Ronald Regan (president 1983-91) and in the UK with Thatcher (PM 1979-90)
Explain neo-liberalism
-Reducing direct taxes, privatising industries that had been taken over by the state (like transport and energy), reducing welfare benefits to decrease ‘dependency culture’ so they are only a ‘safety net’ for those who have no means of supporting themselves and curbing the powers of trade unions.
-allowing the economy to find its own natural level, even during recessions, rather than the state actively trying to control economic activity
What is neo-conservatism
-it promotes traditional ’national’ values and sees order as a key value to be maintained by the state
-seeks to impose a single national culture on society and does not tolerate different lifestyles
-law and order are crucial and the state should be authoritarian in nature.
Policy examples of neo-liberalism
-in 2012, the chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne cut the top rate of taxation from 50p to 45p. In 2017 they pledged not to increase VAT and aimed by 2020 to cut corporation tax to 17%, making the UK one of the most competitive countries in the world to do business.
-in 2017 they further demonstrated their commitment to reducing the burden of taxation by pledging to increase the threshold at which the top rate of taxation is paid to £50,000 as well as increasing the personal tax allowance to £12,500
Policy examples of neo-conservatism
-in 2017 manifesto they committed to cutting immigration to under 100,00 a year, demonstrating an emphasis known as the importance if maintaining the nation state as a shared community. More recently, the Home Secretary, Priti Patel created a policy for illegal immigrants to be deported to Rwanda
-they value constitutional traditions and so oppose further reform of the HoL. The emphasis on the central importance of the nation state has meant that Euroceptism became increasingly influential - during the 2016 referendum, 138 Conservative MPs signalled that they would vote to leave the EU compared to only 10 Labour MPs.
-Teresa May committed her government to a strong national security policy. The Trident nuclear deterrent remains the cornerstone of Conservative defence policy.
Why does the conservative party have so many factions?
The party is a product of two different conservative traditions and conservatism has always been a broad organisation / broad church welcoming varied opinions.
The cornerstone faction
Moto:”Faith, Flag, Family”.
Wished to restore traditional values to the conservative moment. Supports idea of UK being a Christian country. Intensely nationalist and wishes to retain ‘family values’ - reactionary attitude to social reforms such as gay marriage and legal abortion. Opposes attempts to trabsfer power : devolution and membership of the EU.
Leading members: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel, Savid Javid, Kwasi Kwarteng, Steve Baker.
European Research Group faction
Influential Brexit research group made up of conservative Eurosceptics formed in 1992. Leading up to the EU referendum, ten members of the ERG acted in an official capacity to Vote Leave including: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Micheal Gove, Suella Braverma and Priti Patel. Influence shaping May’s Brexit negotiations (Sep 11 2018 met at westminister to discuss plans to oust May as PM). Largely quiet now.
Conservative Way Forward faction
Looks back in era of Thatcher and is a largely neo-liberal movement. Believe Thatcher’s legacy has beeb diluted. Support the retention of free markets and support free enterprise through low taxation and deregulation of industry. Oppose trade unuion power and excessive welfare provision. More recently opposed mandatory vaccinations and the face mask mandate. Leading members: Steve Baker and Liam Fox.
Common Sense Group faction
Post-liberal group. Partly based around culture war issues and what its chair, the Tory backbencher John Hayes, terms a struggle against ‘subversives’ such as Black lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion. Have an agenda to undermine the 2010 equality act, repeal hate speech laws, break up the BBC. Want to end the beed for impartiality in news reporting. Ten members are new Tory MPs elected in 2019 from traditional Red Wall seats.
Tory Reform Group faction
Often seen as left leaning in the CP. Promotes social cohesion and therefore opposes policies that might divide the nation. Members are sometimes described as one-nation tories. Its promoted compassionate conservative ideas founded in realistic economic policy, generous and open minded social policy and internationalist foreign policy. In particular, they believe too much economic inequality is divisive and support policies reduce inequality in society. Want to establish and retain equal rights. Former chancellor Kenneth Clark (part of Thatchers cabinet) is a key member.
Who was David Cameron associated with and why?
he was widely referred to as ‘the heir to Blair’. He wanted to lead the conservatives away from areas of policy over which the partly was deeply divided (e.g. Europe). He recognised that the party was unelectable or regarded to as the ‘nasty party’ (Teresa May in 2002) and wanted to ‘detoxify’ the conservative brand.
what did David Cameron pledge to do?
in the CP 2010 general election he pledged to ‘fix broken Britain’ and govern as a party of one nation. he emphasised a ‘Big Society’ and he introduced the NCS to acknowledge the importance of our shared membership of society. He wanted to bring compassion back to the party.
Why did the party have austerity policies in 2010?
it was faced with an economic crisis, the main aspects of which was a growing budget deficit. National debt was huge as previous governments overspent, bailed out banks after the global economic crisis of 2008.
What did Cameron’s policies reflect and why was it difficult to carry them out?
the policies reflected ideology. They wanted to pursue the Thatcherite agenda of ‘rolling back the frontiers of the state’. However they needed to keep the Liberal Democrat coalition partners engaged which made it difficult to deliver on the few explicit promises they had made in the run up to the 2010 election.
what three possible early judgements did Richard Kelly make on Cameron’s conservatism?
a)that it represented a ‘flagrant capitulation to New Labour’
b) that is should be seen as a ‘subtle continuation of Thatcherism’
c) that it amounted to little more than ‘shameless opportunism’
It was the last that defined him.
What was evidence of Cameron’s shameless opportunism
He promised an in/out referendum on the EU ahead of the 2015 general election. The party was internally divided on the issue and facing a challenge from UKIP in its electoral heartlands.
when was the Brexit referendum held?
it was held on the 23rd of June 2016
what happened after the Brexit referendum?
Cameron was a supporter of remain and due to leave winning the votes he resigned as PM. He was replaced by Teresa May in July 2016. This early election in 2017 limited the policies the conservative government could have achieved.
what was the economy like under the 2017 conservative government?
its attitude to taxation was partly neo-liberal and partly social democratic believing that personal and company taxation should never be excessively high, reflected in reductions in corporation tax, however the party accepted that taxation on lower incomes was too high.
Why did Teresa May resign?
she failed to achieve a way for the UK to leave the EU supported by parliament. She stated “it is now clear to me that is it in the best interests of the country for a new prime minister to lead that effort” in reference to Brexit. She knew many party members wanted a harder Brexit deal.
what was law and order like under the 2017 conservative government?
prison and stern punishments are the best deterrent against crime. The sentencing policy should be in the hands of the elected government, not unelected judges. Opposed ‘liberal’ ideas and opposed ‘community’ sentences where offenders make amends in their community instead of going to prison. In the fight against terrorism, they accepted that civil liberties may have to be sacrificed.
what was welfare like under the 2017 conservative government?
introduced a stricter system of means testing to prevent making unemployment and benefits a preferable option to work; introduced the ‘living wage’ and a cap on welfare benefits but were committed to safeguarding the NHS and the education system. Believed the private sector should be involved in the provision of services, to improve without increasing expenditure on them.
what was foreign policy like under the 2017 conservative government?
they supported NATO and the close alliance with the US. Recognised that the UK’s best national interests lie in retaining an independent foreign policy. If in the UK’s interests, they believed that the country should intervene with foreign conflicts. It retained the UK’s generous contributions to international aid.
what was social justice like under the 2017 conservative government like?
Just as Disraeli came to believe 150 years ago, the party came to understand that too much inequality breeds social conflict. It sought to reduce excessive inequality by introducing the living wage and reducing income tax for those on a low income but resisted imposing higher tax rates on the wealthy.
what did the 2017 conservative government do about the environment?
the CP led the way towards more effective emissions control. it was committed to promoting renewable energy sources, though still prefers nuclear to wind.
what was the constitution like under the 2017 conservative government?
they were reluctant to form the constitution and effectively blocked reform of both the HoL and the electoral system. Strongly unionist, it opposed policies that promote independence movements in the regions.
What did Boris Johnson do when he was elected?
he was elected in July 2019. He failed to induce parliament to approve a revised Brexit withdrawal agreement so he called for an early election for December 2019. Manifesto slogan was ‘Get Brexit Done, Unleash Britain’s Potential’ and they gained a landslide majority of 80 seats.
what happened at the 2017 general election?
The governing Conservative Party led by the prime minister Theresa May remained the largest single party in the House of Commons but lost its small overall majority, resulting in the formation of a Conservative minority government with a confidence and supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
what were the 2019 conservative governments priorities?
-fix adult social care and ensure no one should sell their home to pay for care
-proposed increased funding for child care and the NHS
-huge building programme (spent £6.3 billion on 2.2 million disadvantaged homes as a part of the ‘levelling up policy’
-continue the rollout of universal credit
-pensions rise by 2.5% per year
-restrict the power of the Supreme Court to challenge government business
-follow a tough line on immigration favouring an Australian points scheme and deter illegal immigration by deporting individuals to Rwanda
-restrict the right to peaceful protest
what were some of the main points on the fiscal statement?
-scrapping the 45% additional rate income tax for those earning more than £150,000
-basic rate income tax cut from 20% to 19% in April 2023
-banker’s bonus caps scrapped
-2023 proposed increase in corporation tax from 19% to 25% was cancelled
-legislation to tackle ‘militant trade unions’ closing down key infrastructure through strikes
what were Rishi Sunaks priorities for 2023?
-secure borders and national security: boost defence spending and removing illegal migrants to Rwanda
-secure a strong economy: another 2p off NI, protection for pensioners and 30hrs free childcare
-secure young people’s futures: introduce National Service and extend apprenticeships
-secure communities: commitment to NHS, police and more good homes while protecting countryside
why was Kwarteng accused of delivering a reckless mini-budget?
his £45billion tax-cutting package sent the pound crashing to its lowest level against the dollar in 37 years. It recieved a hostile reception from the markets, opposition politicians, economic think tanks, many tory MPs. Truss sacked him and then she resigned on October 22nd (44 days as PM)
when was Lizz Truss elected? What did the fiscal statement claim?
She was elected leader on the 6th September. Kwasi Kwarteng announced their fiscal statement on the 23rd September claiming it would provide the biggest package of tax cuts to show economic growth was the governments priority.
