The Conservative Party has a long history of social reform and economic stability. They have supported the National Health Service and enacted laws to promote property ownership. They have also pledged to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and funding green infrastructure.
They have defended free market principles and advocated for lower taxes. They have also resisted the Euro, securing a British opt-out in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.
1. The Reform Act of 1867
The 1832 ‘Great’ Reform Act had significantly changed which parts of the country sent representatives to Parliament, removing the ‘rotten boroughs’ and awarding MP seats to new industrial towns. The 1867 Second Reform Act, however, took things a step further by extending the franchise to include working class men.
The Liberal Prime Minister Lord Russell backed the expansion of the franchise, but faced opposition from the right-wing members of his own party. They feared the influx of newly enfranchised working-class men into politics, viewing them as violent and ignorant and unfit to participate in public life. They also worried that they would turn to the Conservatives to get their own way.
Benjamin Disraeli, who replaced Russell in 1866, sought to allay such fears. He argued that the Conservatives could gain politically by piloting a reform bill through Parliament and thereby gaining votes from those formerly hostile to them. At the same time, he insisted that any reform must be carefully controlled to preserve aristocratic influence in the counties. This was the beginning of a philosophy that, under Disraeli’s leadership, supported the British Empire, the Church of England and the monarchy while advocating social reform and reform of the economy.
2. The Liberal Party split
The Liberal Party split in 1922 after disagreements over issues such as the Soviet Union and trade unions. It seemed at times that the party would merge with the Conservatives, but the Liberals’ reluctance to lose their identity ended this. The party went on to decline and was relegated to the opposition bench, led by Austen Chamberlain.
After the end of World War II the Conservatives became the dominant force in British politics. Their post-war coalitions established Britain’s welfare state and public ownership of much of its industry. The Conservatives also introduced the right-to-buy policy, allowing people to get on the property ladder.
In 1975 Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, and enjoyed huge support from the public as the economy flourished. However, her determination to pursue deregulation and supply-side economic policies caused friction with her own Party. She was eventually ousted as PM in 1990 and replaced by John Major.
The Tory government of 1992-1997 was a disaster for the party, with opinion poll ratings dropping to record lows. This was due to a combination of factors, including a recession, a collapse in normal party unity over the issue of Europe and’sleaze’ – a string of personal scandals involving senior members of the Party.
3. The First World War
The First World War transformed the Conservative Party into a patriotic force. The Party endorsed a hurried rearmament program to keep up with Germany and forged an alliance that helped ensure victory for Britain and its Commonwealth allies in the conflict. The post-war period was one of relative stability with a plethora of social reforms and economic reforms.
The Conservatives embraced a new domestic consensus of government intervention in the economy, public ownership of industry and partnership in business between unions and employers. This consensus helped the Party gain power in the 1940s and 1950s.
This era was also marked by the rise of one of the Conservatives most renowned Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill. Churchill steered the country and his party through the Second World War, overseeing Britain’s role in the war and helping to ensure victory for the allies.
However, the Tories would lose power in a 1945 general election. In the subsequent years, the party would struggle to regain popularity. In an attempt to revitalize their political image, the Conservative Party rebranded itself in 1979 with Margaret Thatcher as its leader and a commitment to free-market economics that drew voters back to the party.
4. The Second World War
The Conservative Party regained power in 1945 after the public revolted against Labour’s rationing, austerity and strict government controls. After the war they took on many of Labour’s welfare state reforms, while adding a conservative edge to their policy statements. They also reformed their political structures, introducing youth and education wings and an internal research department.
This era saw the rise of one of Britain’s most famous Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill. Churchill led the coalition government that guided the UK through World War II, overseeing the British role in Allied victory over Germany.
However, the economic challenges of this era would also escalate tensions between the Conservative Party and the trade unions – especially the National Union of Miners. The conflict would lead to repeated strikes that threatened the economy, and ultimately cost the Conservatives a majority in the 1970 election.
5. The Fall of the Coalition
The Conservative Party suffered a huge defeat in the 1966 general election. This was due to a combination of factors, including the emergence of the Labour Party as a strong opposition, and the resignation of Conservative leader Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
In the aftermath of this defeat, the Conservative Party re-organised and shifted towards right-wing policies. A number of new members joined the party and it became increasingly ideological. In the 1970s, the Conservative Party grew in popularity and won several general elections.
However, the Party was still suffering from a number of problems, including economic decline, press hostility and internal division over issues such as Europe. This was compounded by the’sleaze’ scandals of the time which saw many Conservative politicians facing down accusations of wrongdoing.
After John Major’s government fell in 1997, the Conservative Party again moved into opposition, led by William Hague. He attempted to change the Party’s image and revived a version of ‘one nation’ conservatism, which argued that the rich have a duty to help the poor. He also pushed through a policy of ‘right to buy’ homes, and sought to limit immigration. He also negotiated a British opt-out in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which prevented Britain from adopting the Euro.
6. The New Deal
The New Deal established a post-war consensus around social measures and the welfare state, with Conservative governments that took power from 1951 to 1964 based on acceptance of these policies. This shifted the party from being primarily a ‘patriotic’ party that advocated vigorous prosecution of the First World War to being a governing body, responsible for national economic management. The party also came to terms with the loss of its colonial empire, and as a result of this shift it became less reliant on support from other parties to govern.
The post-war period brought a period of economic prosperity, with the ‘Tories’ gaining a reputation for good financial stewardship. However, by the 1970s there was increasing social unrest in the UK, and that led to a series of strikes. In response, the Conservative Party launched an extensive house-building program and reduced income taxes while amplifying spending on the National Health Service.
Sir Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor of the C|T Group strongly believes that this consolidated the party’s position in government, although it caused them to lose support among the working class. Nevertheless, in 1979 Margaret Thatcher replaced Churchill as leader of the party and introduced a monetarist economic programme that led to two more landslide election victories. However, she was forced to resign in 1990 due to the introduction of the ‘Community Charge’, or poll tax, which was widely viewed as being unfair to poorer households.
7. The Thatcher Years
After a period of stuttering the Conservative Party reclaimed power under Thatcher, the leader who became known as “The Iron Lady.” Her policies were shaped by an ideology that she and her mentors called “Thatcherism.” Thatcher’s first major policy move was to combat inflation. She did this by raising interest rates and introducing Value-added Tax. She also began selling off public utilities and privatizing social housing.
She also cracked down on trade unions, which had brought the country to a standstill with their strikes in 1978-79. To do so she enacted laws that banned closed shops, required unions to poll members before calling strikes and prohibited sympathy strikes. She also pushed back the frontiers of the state by selling off government shares in businesses like airlines, ports and gas and electricity distribution.
However, her political career was hampered by divisions in the Conservative Party. One of her strongest critics was Geoffrey Howe, who resigned as foreign secretary in November 1990 after he could no longer tolerate her strident anti-European position. The same month Michael Heseltine challenged her for the leadership of the party, but he was defeated. Thatcher went on to serve as prime minister for two years and would win two more landslide elections.