Synopses & Reviews
This book traces the effects of democracy on the British Conservative Party, specifically looking at how changes in the ways the Conservatives elect their leaders have altered their mandate to lead.
The book includes an analysis of the original undemocratic ‘system’ whereby a leader ‘emerged’ from a shadowy process of consultation, and of the six elections between 1965 and 1997 where the parliamentary Conservative Party alone chose the Party leader. This historical perspective is followed by in-depth analysis of the three contests since 2001 that have taken place under the ‘Hague rules,’ according to which ordinary Party members have the final say. This is the most comprehensive account yet published of the operation of those rules on the Conservative Party and the legitimacy of its leadership, and of the 2005 election of David Cameron.
This book will be essential reading for students, academic specialists and anyone interested in the recent history and contemporary practice of British Conservatism.
Synopsis
This book outlines and evaluates the political thought of the Conservative Party through a detailed examination of its principal thinkers from Harold Macmillan to the present.
Traditionally, the Conservative Party has been regarded as a vote-gathering machine rather than a vehicle for ideas. This book redresses the balance through a series of biographical essays examining the thought of those who have contributed most to the development of ideas within the party. The chapters benefit from archival research and interviews with leading Conservatives. The recent revival of Conservative fortunes makes the book particularly timely.
The book begins with an introductory chapter explaining the role of ideology in the Conservative Party. It then traces the political thought of the Conservative Party through its principal theorists since the 1930s. These are Harold Macmillan, R. A. Butler, Quintin Hogg, Enoch Powell, Angus Maude, Keith Joseph, the 'traditionalists' (Maurice Cowling, T. E. 'Peter' Utley, Peregrine Worsthorne, Shirley Letwin and Roger Scruton), Ian Gilmour, John Redwood and David Willetts. The book concludes with an overall assessment of the political thought of the Conservative Party and the relevance of past debates for contemporary Conservatism.
The book will be of considerable interest to academics and non-academics alike; for those who have a special interest in the Conservative Party but also for any student of contemporary British Politics.
About the Author
Andrew Denham is Reader in Government at University of Nottingham. Kieron O’Hara is Senior Research Fellow in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at University of Southampton, and a Fellow of the Web Science Research Initiative.
Table of Contents
Preface * Introduction: democracy, legitimacy and Conservative leadership * The ‘magic circle’ and after: from selection to election * Hague’s revenge: the Conservative leadership election of 2001 * Full circle to the magic circle * From May to December Part 1: the phoney war * From May to December Part 2: a tale of two speeches * Cameron’s mandate for modernization * Conclusion * Appendix I: Conservative Party leadership election results 1965—2005 * Appendix II: The experience upon reaching office of Conservative Party leaders since the War * Appendix III: Declarations of support in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election * Appendix IV: Bookmakers’ odds on the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election * Selected bibliography