The Conservative Party between 1997-2007

Question 1

How many Tory leaders were there during this time period?

Answer 1

4

Question 2

Who were the Tory leaders?

Answer 2

William Hague
Iain Duncan-Smith
Michael Howard
David Cameron

Question 3

What was the party split between during this time period?

Answer 3

Party split between those in favour of reform [The Mods] and those against reform [The Rockers].

Question 4

What was the key ideological difference which tore the Tories apart?

Answer 4

The issue with the EU.

Question 5

Background of William Hague?

Answer 5

He was an MP for Richmond, he was known for his Eurosceptic views and for his skills as a debater

Question 6

William Hague political ideology = ?

Answer 6

-Eurosceptic
-Tried to bring in socially inclusive policies however after 1999 he focused on the Conservative core vote.
-To the right of the Tory party

Question 7

Why was William Hague elected leader?

Answer 7

-36 year-old thus it was believed he could be a breath of fresh air.

-Thatcher stated “Vote for William Hague if you want the same type of government that I did”.

Question 8

What issues did Hague face?

Answer 8

-Divided party and he failed to unite it. Faced the 2001 election and failed to put up a fight as Labour won a big majority again.

-Party split between those in favour of reform [The Mods] and those against reform [The Rockers].

Question 9

How long did Hague last?

Answer 9

4 years.

1997 - 2001

Question 10

Iain Duncan Smith Background = ?

Answer 10

Scottish, from a socially conservative background and ideology.

Question 11

Iain Duncan Smith political ideology = ?

Answer 11

He was a social conservative, whilst he was right wing he also wished to promote socially inclusive policies such as a reformed social welfare system.

Eurosceptic and an aggressive one at that so he reopened the divisions within his own party over Europe during his leadership.

Question 12

Why was Iain Duncan Smith elected?

Answer 12

He won in the 2001 leadership election due to negative voting against Clarke and Portillo.

Question 13

What issues did Iain Duncan Smith face?

Answer 13

He supported Blair and his invasion into Iraq

He had to deal with the issue of the EU in his party and with the divisions between the mods and the rockers.

Question 14

How long did Iain Duncan smith last?

Answer 14

2 years

2001 - 2003

Question 15

Michael Howard background?

Answer 15

Experienced and able politician but had become something of a hate figure as an extremely unpopular home secretary in the 1990s.

Question 16

Michael Howard political ideology?

Answer 16

He abandoned many of the social justice work that Iain Duncan Smith had done during his tenure

Question 17

Why was Michael Howard elected as Tory leader?

Answer 17

Experienced and Able politician who was good at debating Tony Blair in the house of commons.

Seen as a unifying leader between those who were mods and those who were rockers.

Question 18

What issues did Michael Howard face?

Answer 18

The key election of 2005 when Labour were at their weakest due to the Iraq War, he still lost the election as Labour went on to win 3 elections in a row.

He promoted modernisers in his shadow cabinet. After the election defeat of 2005 he promoted David Cameron as shadow education secretary, George Osbourne shadow chancellor.

Question 19

How long did Michael Howard last?

Answer 19

2 years

2003 - 2005

Question 20

David Cameron background?

Answer 20

Former Etonian and educated at oxford university, he was a moderniser and was person that former leader Michael Howard wanted to be his successor

Question 21

David Cameron political ideology?

Answer 21

-Centre right
-Moderniser however he apparently had posters of Thatcher on his bedroom wall at Eton.
-Similar to Blair on leadership and social matters
-Pro-gay marriage.

Question 22

Why was David Cameron elected leader?

Answer 22

Michael Howard favoured him to be his successor as he was a moderniser and he was also pretty popular within the party.

Question 23

What issues did David Cameron face?

Answer 23

2008 financial crisis.

Iraq war fallout and the discovery of no weapons of mass destruction.

Blair resignation and the promotion of Gordon Brown as PM and leader of Labour.

Question 24

How long did David Cameron last?

Answer 24

11 years

2005-2016

Question 25

Divisions within the Conservative Party?

Answer 25

-The failures of leadership
-The issue of Thatcher
-Europe
-Social liberalism
-Failures to learn lessons from electoral defeats
-The resistance to reform and change for the better

Question 26

How many seats did the Tories win in 2001?

Answer 26

165

Question 27

How many seats did the Tories win in 2005?

Answer 27

198

Question 28

Percentage of vote for the Tories in 2001?

Answer 28

31.7%

Question 29

Percentage of vote for the Tories in 2005?

Answer 29

32.4%

Question 30

Why was it embarrassing that the conservatives lost the 2005 election?

Answer 30

Labour were at their weakest and incredibly unpopular over the war in Iraq and the more obvious divisions between the Blairites and the Brownites.

Question 31

Why did the electorate not think Hague had a chance in 2001?

Answer 31

Hague found it difficult to be taken serious especially his attempts to look and appear ordinary. He was mocked for wearing a baseball cap, for appearing at the Notting Hill carnival and for boasting about drinking 14 pints a day as a teenager.

Question 32

What former Tory leader back Hague?

Answer 32

Margaret Thatcher

Question 33

What was Thatcher’s involvement in The Hague campaign in 2001?

Answer 33

She appeared at an election rally, her involvement was to attract conservative activists and to sure up the Tory right wing vote.