Clear Blue
Water
Conservatives and Conservatism
Means simply….To Conserve……
• Keeping things as they are i.e a retention of the
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Status Quo
Old Toryism and 19th Century Conservatism was
suspicious and resistant to change, an antithesis to the revolutions in France and America
Edmund Burke “Reflections on the Revolution in
France” lays the foundations for Modern
Conservatism
Burke’s Beliefs
• Attack on the values of the French
Revolution
• Reassertion of tradition
• The organic society
• Gradual, pragmatic reform
• Peel’s Tamworth Manifesto 1837, was
based on Burke’s work and is credited for
the re-birth of modern Conservatism
Arguments against Enlightenment
• Conservatives were suspicious of the ‘Age
of Reason’ – a threat to traditional
religious and secular authority
• Liberalism was the ideology of the rising
Capitalist Class (Industrial Revolution),
Conservatism reflected the interests of the
powerful landed classes
But Landed Classes are not
relevant in the 21st Century?
• Conservatism held it’s own in conflict with
the Liberals in the 19th Century and then
dominated the 20th Century as it adapted
to change.
• Accepted the principles of Keynsian
demand management, the Welfare State,
the Mixed Economy and economic
planning
Pragmatism….
• A period of slow change is needed to
avoid a massive social upheaval
• The lessons of the past therefore act as a
guideline for the future
• “We cannot know where we are, much
less where we are going until we know
where we’ve been” – Nisbet, Conservatism
Necessity of a strong State
• Authority and order rule
• People are inherently sinful and selfish
• Individuals must strive for their own
personal goal, based upon intellectual
capacities and places in the structure
• Leadership promotes a prosperous society
and divisions show each individuals place
in Society (class Structure)
Conservative ideal Society
• A community united by religion
• Pursuing their individual means to an end
in an entirely moralistic way
• In a society bewildered by rapid change
and development during the Industrial
Revolution, Conservatism flourished
Widening of the franchise
• Middle Classes, Skilled Workers and then the
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entire Adult population – Conservatives had to
redefine themselves
Protection of property became a keen feature,
partic. Under Disraeli
As the 20th century progressed the likes of
Thatcher gave workers a greater stake in
property, encouraging home ownership and
encouraging taking share options
Class System
• Conservatives believe strongly in the class
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system, although classes transcend each other
The various classes are bound together in an
organic society
Wealth carries with it obligations, an obligation
to assist those less fortunate
A paternalist structure entailing a duty of
voluntary charity or an acceptance of social
reform
A philosophy of imperfection
• Conservatives believe that individuals
possess an ‘evil streak’
• Therefore a need for authority – a strong
state and strong Government to maintain
law and order and restrain violent and
anti-social behaviour.
• For example Howard’s law and order
policies of the mid 1990’s or Peels
formation of the Metropolitan Police in
1828
One Nation Conservatism
• A complete contradiction to Traditional
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Conservatism
Work within the Welfare State to embrace social
reform and state intervention
Conciliation of Unions, the end of Empire and a
move towards European Integration
1951-1964, Traditional Conservatives were
outraged, much the same way Old Labour has
been outraged with Tony Blair’s New Labour
theories..
Thatcherism – Basic beliefs
• Free market and Competition
• Privatisation and the reining back of the
state
• Restoring authority of Government
• Defence of national sovereignty
• Cut public spending and taxation
• The rediscovery of true Conservatism
Success? – Yes!!
• Sale of Council Houses
• Privatisation of nationalised industries
• The injection of competition back into the
public sector (Monopolies and mergers
commission)
• Pragmatic “The NHS is safe in our hands”
• Rejected privatisation of the Post Office
and British Rail
Errr no….
• No real reduction in spending or overall
taxation
• The state was restructured rather than
reined back
• Dogmatically pursued policies such as the
Poll Tax
Ideology of Thatcherism – New
Right
• A blend of the free economy (neo-
Liberalism) and the strong state (neoConservatism)
• Sentiments of nationalism and patriotism
(Falklands, Gulf War, Europe)
• Strong believer of the Union and strong
family values
• Based on the theories of Smith, Hayek and
Friedrich
Modern Conservatism
• Flexible pragmatism
• Thatcher’s legacy is a genuine monkey on
the backs of the Conservatives
• Major continued some of her work –
privatising the railways, promoting
competition in schools
• Post 1992 election however, his electoral
position was weak and he was at the
mercy of Euro-Sceptics
Leadership crisis
• Hague – could not balance keeping the
blue rinse brigade and instigating fresh
policies to woo new voters
• Duncan-Smith – Dull and spent too much
time attacking Labour than suggesting
new policies
• Howard – Has managed to distance
himself away from Thatcher, but the
problems of identity remain
• Davis vs Cameron – Fresh promise
Problems of Blair
• He has essentially stolen the
Conservatives clothes – Privatisation and
tougher crime policies
• So what do the Conservatives stand for?
Well the electorate don’t really know.
• Modern Conservatism has been tarnished
by Thatcher’s legacy and the shackles are
proving very hard to shake off