Difference between revisions of "Conservative Party (UK)"
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| − | Since the early 2000s, the Conservative Party leaders have softened its conservative stance on social and fiscal issues, and this has increased its popularity with the voters. Particularly since David Cameron - a self-declared "liberal conservative" (which, in British English, means "centrist conservative") - became leader of the Conservative party, their support in the country has risen dramatically. See the full text of his speech at the September 2006 Conservative Party conference <ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/speeches/story/0,,1869970,00.html</ref> and recent polls. <ref>http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/Guardian%20-%20Jan/guardian-jan-2007.asp</ref> <ref> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,2016791,00.html </ref> | + | Since the early 2000s, the Conservative Party leaders have softened its conservative stance on social and fiscal issues, and this has increased its popularity with the voters. Particularly since David Cameron - a self-declared "liberal conservative" (which, in British English, means "centrist conservative") - became leader of the Conservative party, their support in the country has risen dramatically. See the full text of his speech at the September 2006 Conservative Party conference <ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/speeches/story/0,,1869970,00.html</ref> and recent polls. <ref>http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/Guardian%20-%20Jan/guardian-jan-2007.asp</ref> <ref> http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,2016791,00.html </ref> |
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| + | Cameron tends to be seen as a rather centrist figure - something of a "RINO" in American political parlance. He has expressed strong concern about [[global warming]], praised Britain's socialized healthcare system, the [[National Health Service|NHS]], and spoken of the emotional needs of young people who commit crimes. On the other hand, the party has continued to support some traditional elements of Conservative policy, such as support for the family. | ||
==Conservative party in the USA== | ==Conservative party in the USA== | ||
Revision as of 19:53, May 6, 2007
The British Conservative Party, commonly nicknamed the Tory Party after their political ancestors, is the major right wing party of the United Kingdom. Its leader is David Cameron.
Contents
British conservatism
British conservatism has its own distinctive tradition, separate both from that of continental European conservatism and from that of American conservatism. Traditional British conservatism is rooted in pragmatism, practicality and concrete experience. Whereas in continental Europe many conservatives, such as the Frenchman Joseph de Maistre, were strongly ideological and defended causes such as absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism, the heroes of British conservatism (such as Edmund Burke in the eighteenth century, Sir Robert Peel and Benjamin Disraeli in the nineteenth, and Sir Winston Churchill in the twentieth) were moderate, pragmatic and non-ideological. While a more ideological strand of conservatism was in the ascendant during the leadership of Lady Thatcher (1975-1990), the older, pragmatic trend has reasserted itself in more recent years.
The Conservative Party in recent years
The modern British Conservative Party ran the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years, beginning with Margaret Thatcher's victory for the Party in 1979. She came into office facing a British economy that had been crippled by decades of liberal policies and militant trade unions. Thatcher turned that around, broke the iron grip of the trade unions, and restored the British economy to a free enterprise system that has thrived to this day. She was succeeded by John Major in 1990, and, to the surprise of the media, Major won the general election in 1992 and extended the Conservative Party's power until 1997.
By 1997 the Labour Party had finally embraced the more conservative direction for the country and abandoned many of it's socialist economic policies of the past. Economic difficulties, including a dispute over whether England should join the currency of the European Union, hurt the Conservative Party further. This was coupled with a perception that the party had become corrupt, with a number of high-profile members of the party being involved in financial and sexual scandals. The Labour Party won in a landslide in 1997 and has held power ever since.
The modern Party
Since the early 2000s, the Conservative Party leaders have softened its conservative stance on social and fiscal issues, and this has increased its popularity with the voters. Particularly since David Cameron - a self-declared "liberal conservative" (which, in British English, means "centrist conservative") - became leader of the Conservative party, their support in the country has risen dramatically. See the full text of his speech at the September 2006 Conservative Party conference [1] and recent polls. [2] [3]
Cameron tends to be seen as a rather centrist figure - something of a "RINO" in American political parlance. He has expressed strong concern about global warming, praised Britain's socialized healthcare system, the NHS, and spoken of the emotional needs of young people who commit crimes. On the other hand, the party has continued to support some traditional elements of Conservative policy, such as support for the family.
Conservative party in the USA
Also a party in New York State (USA) formed during the early 1960's in response to the liberal leanings of the state Republican Party (which was dominated by then Governor Nelson Rockefeller). The Conservative Party of New York State remains an influential third party in that very liberal state. Though it keeps its independence from the state Republican Party, it cross endorses the Republican Party for President consistantly. In state elections, ever since Nelson Rockefeller left the Governorship, it also has been cross-endorseing Republican candidates for governor (but not always without interparty strife with the Republicans and intra-party strife within the Conservative Party). [1]
