Conservatism in the United Kingdom

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Conservatism in the United Kingdom is related to its counterparts in other Western nations, but has a distinct tradition and has encompassed a wide range of theories over the decades. The Conservative Party, which forms the mainstream centre-right party in Britain has developed many different internal factions and ideologies.

Origins[edit]

Edmund Burke[edit]

Edmund Burke

Edmund Burke is often considered the father of modern English conservatism in the English-speaking world.^[1][2][3] Burke was a member of a conservative faction of the Whig party;^{[note 1]} the modern Conservative Party however has been described as "the heir, and in some measure the continuation, of the old Tory Party" by Lord Norton of Louth,^[4] and the Conservatives are often still referred to as Tories.^[5] Australian scholar Glen Worthington has said: "For Edmund Burke and Australians of a like mind, the essence of conservatism lies not in a body of theory, but in the disposition to maintain those institutions seen as central to the beliefs and practices of society."^[6]

Tories[edit]

The old established form of English and, after the Act of Union, British conservatism, was the Tory Party. It reflected the attitudes of a rural land owning class, and championed the institutions of the monarchy, the Anglican Church, the family, property as the best defence of the social order. In the early stages of the industrial revolution, it seemed to be totally opposed to a process that seemed to undermine some of these bulwarks, and the new industrial elite were seen by many as enemies to the social order.^{[citation needed]}

History[edit]

Robert Peel was able to reconcile the new industrial class to the Tory landed class by persuading the latter to accept the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, and adopted laissez-faire economic policies from 1918 onwards.^[4] The new coalition of traditional landowners and sympathetic industrialists constituted the new Conservative Party.

Development of one-nation conservatism[edit]

Benjamin Disraeli is considered the father of one-nation conservatism.

Conservatism evolved after 1820, embracing free trade in 1846, and a commitment to democracy, especially under Disraeli. The effect was to significantly strengthen Conservatism as a grassroots political force. Conservatism no longer was the philosophical defense of the landed aristocracy but had been refreshed into redefining its commitment to the ideals of order, both secular and religious, expanding imperialism, strengthened monarchy, and a more generous vision of the welfare state as opposed to the punitive vision of the Whigs and Liberals.^[7] As early as 1835, Disraeli attacked the Whigs and utilitarians as slavishly devoted to an industrial oligarchy, while he described his fellow Tories as the only "really democratic party of England" and devoted to the interests of the whole people.^[8] Nevertheless, inside the party there was attention between the growing numbers of wealthy businessmen on the one side, and the aristocracy and rural gentry on the other.^[9] The aristocracy gained strength as businessmen discovered they could use their wealth to buy a peerage and a country estate.

Disraeli set up a Conservative Central Office, established in 1870, and the newly formed National Union (which drew together local voluntary associations), gave the party "additional unity and strength", and Disraeli's views on social reform and the wealth disparity between the richest and poorest in society allegedly "helped the party to break down class barriers", according to Conservative peer Lord Norton.^[4] As a young man, Disraeli was influenced by the romantic movement and medievalism, and developed a critique of industrialism. In his novels, he outlined an England divided into two nations, each living in perfect ignorance of each other. He foresaw, like Karl Marx, the phenomenon of an alienated industrial proletariat. His solution involved a return to an idealised view of a corporate or organic society, in which everyone had duties and responsibilities towards other people or groups.^[10]

This "one nation" conservatism is still a significant tradition in British politics, in both the Conservative Party^[11][12][13] and Labour,^{[note 2][14]} especially with the rise of the Scottish National Party during the 2015 General Election.^[15]

Although nominally a Conservative, Disraeli was sympathetic to some of the demands of the Chartists and argued for an alliance between the landed aristocracy and the working class against the increasing power of the middle class, helping to found the Young England group in 1842 to promote the view that the rich should use their power to protect the poor from exploitation by the middle class. The conversion of the Conservative Party into a modern mass organisation was accelerated by the concept of Tory Democracy attributed to Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill.^{[citation needed]}

A Liberal-Conservative coalition during World War I, coupled with the ascent of the Labour Party, hastened the collapse of the Liberals in the 1920s. After World War II, the Conservative Party made concessions to the socialist policies of the left. This compromise was a pragmatic measure to regain power, but also the result of the early successes of central planning and state ownership forming a cross-party consensus. This was known as Butskellism, after the almost identical Keynesian policies of Rab Butler on behalf of the Conservatives, and Hugh Gaitskell for Labour.^{[citation needed]}

Rise of Thatcherism[edit]

Margaret Thatcher

However, in the 1980s, under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, and the influence of Keith Joseph, there was a dramatic shift in the ideological direction of British conservatism, with a movement towards free-market economic policies and neoliberalism (known as Thatcherism).^[16] As one commentator explains, "The privatization of state owned industries, unthinkable before, became commonplace [during Thatcher's government] and has now been imitated all over the world."^[17] Thatcher was described as "a radical in a conservative party",^[17] and her ideology has been seen as confronting "established institutions" and the "accepted beliefs of the elite",^[17] both concepts incompatible with the traditional conception of conservatism as signifying support for the established order and existing social convention (status quo).^{[citation needed]}

Modern conservatism[edit]

Following a three time general election defeat, the conservative party has since selected David Cameron in 2005 and Theresa May in 2016 as party leaders (both serving as Prime Minister) who have sought to modernize and change the ideological position of British conservatism. Re-imaging the party which looks at creating a society for the many, not just the privileged few,^[18] and to do away with its narrow base and older forms of conservatism which as Theresa May put it in her 2002 party conference speech had created a 'Nasty Party', and is believed to be the reason they lost the three general elections.^[19]

In efforts to rebrand and increase appeal, both party leaders have adopted policies which align with Liberal conservatism,^[20][21] creating environmental and energy policies which are considered 'greener' and adopting some liberal social views such as acceptance of same-sex marriage, whilst maintaining a hard stance on bringing down the deficit through economic policies and austerity. Other modern policies which align with one-nation conservatism^[22] and Christian democracy^[23][24] include education reform, extending student loan applicants to postgraduate applicants, allowing those from poorer backgrounds to go further, whilst still increasing tuition fees and introducing a new cap. Also emphasis on human rights, in particular the 'European Convention on Human Rights'^[25] whilst also supporting individual initiative.

Conservative political parties in the United Kingdom[edit]

• Conservative Party
• Democratic Unionist Party
• UKIP
• Ulster Unionist Party

In British Overseas Territories[edit]

• One Bermuda Alliance
• Gibraltar Social Democrats
• Anguilla United Front
• Anguilla United Movement
• Cayman Democratic Party
• Virgin Islands Party
• People's Democratic Movement
• Progressive National Party

See also[edit]

• Conservatism in Australia
• Conservatism in Canada
• Conservatism in the United States
• Politics of the United Kingdom
• Liberalism in the United Kingdom

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

• D. Von Dehsen, Christian (1999). Philosophers and Religious Leaders. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-57356-152-5. 
• Dobson, Andrew (2009). An Introduction to the Politics and Philosophy of José Ortega Y Gasset. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-12331-0. 
• Eccleshall, Robert (1990). English Conservatism Since the Restoration: An Introduction & Anthology. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-04-445773-2. 
• Paterson, David (2001). Liberalism and Conservatism, 1846-1905. Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-43-532737-8. 
• Richmond, Charles; Smith, Paul (1998). The Self-Fashioning of Disraeli, 1818-1851. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-52-149729-9.