Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. It is descended from the Tory Party and its members are still commonly referred to as Tories. It is a member of the International Democrat Union worldwide, and the European Democrats on the European level. In the European Parliament, its MEPs sit in the EPP-ED group. Its current leader is Michael Howard, who as Leader of the Opposition heads the Shadow Cabinet. Although Howard has formally resigned, he remains caretaker until his successor is appointed.

Internal Factions

There are three main political factions within the modern Conservative Party:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One Nation Conservatives were the dominant faction for most of the post-war era, providing Conservative Prime Ministers such as Harold MacMillan (1957-1963) and Edward Heath (1970-1974). The name comes from a famous phrase of Benjamin Disraeli and the basis of One Nation Conservatism is a belief in social cohesion, and advocates therefore support social institutions that maintain harmony between people of different classes (and more recently, people of different races or religions). These institutions have typically included the welfare state, the BBC, and local government. One Nation Conservatives are usually seen as being socially liberal, since tolerance is viewed as an important factor in social cohesion. Many are also supporters of the European Union, perhaps stemming from an extension of the cohesion principle to the international level, though some are strongly hostile to the EU. Prominent One Nation Conservatives in the modern party include Kenneth Clarke, Malcolm Rifkind and Damian Green, and the faction is associated with the internal pressure group, the Tory Reform Group.

Related Topics:
One Nation Conservatives - Harold MacMillan - 1957 - 1963 - Edward Heath - 1970 - 1974 - Benjamin Disraeli - Welfare state - BBC - Local government - European Union - Kenneth Clarke - Malcolm Rifkind - Damian Green - Tory Reform Group

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Thatcherite wing of the party achieved dominance after the election of Margaret Thatcher as party leader in 1975. The Thatcherite political agenda is mainly concerned with reducing the role of the government in the economy, and to this end they support tax cuts, privatisation of public services and a reduction in the size of the welfare state. Though Thatcher herself was socially conservative, her supporters harbour a range of social opinions from the liberal views of Michael Portillo to the traditional conservatism of William Hague and David Davis. Thatcherites are Eurosceptic, since they view many European regulations as unwelcome interference in the market. Many take inspiration from Thatcher's famous anti-EU Bruges speech in 1988, in which she declared that "we have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at a European level". Thatcherites also tend to be atlanticist, dating back to the close friendship between Thatcher and US President Ronald Reagan.

Related Topics:
Thatcherite - Margaret Thatcher - 1975 - Privatisation - Michael Portillo - William Hague - David Davis - Eurosceptic - 1988 - Atlanticist - Ronald Reagan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The so-called Faith, Flag and Family wing are the third main element within the Conservative Party. This faction's name is drawn from its support for three British social institutions: the established Church, the unitary British state and the traditional family. To this end, they emphasise Britain's Protestant heritage, they oppose any transfer of power away from the state (either downwards to the nations and regions or upwards to the European Union), and they are highly critical of homosexuals, single parents and other non-traditional family groupings. They are strongly opposed to immigration into the UK, and some have in the past professed racist opinions. They also are known for their support for capital punishment. Prominent MPs from this wing of the party include Andrew Rosindell and Edward Leigh. It should be noted that this faction has never been particularly strong within the parliamentary party, although its strength within the rank-and-file party membership means that it wields considerable power over Conservative social policy. Gay Conservative MP Alan Duncan famously once referred to this wing as a "Taleban tendency" within the party. Historically, many Conservatives from this faction were members of the Monday Club, and more recently they have participated in the Cornerstone Group.

Related Topics:
Established Church - Unitary British state - Protestant - European Union - Andrew Rosindell - Edward Leigh - Alan Duncan - Taleban - Monday Club - Cornerstone Group

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Note that not all Conservative MPs can be easily placed within these three groupings. For example, John Major was the ostensibly "Thatcherite" candidate during the 1990 leadership election, but he consistently promoted One Nation Conservatives to the higher reaches of his cabinet during his time as Prime Minister. These included Kenneth Clarke (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Michael Heseltine (Deputy Prime Minister), two of the architects of Thatcher's downfall.

Related Topics:
John Major - 1990 leadership election - Kenneth Clarke - Michael Heseltine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~