Conservatives

Modern Conservatives are the most successful electorate machine
Flexible, adjusts policies to fit its voters
Conservatives accept nationalisation and NHS under the post-war consensus (Butskellism)
Thatcher stopped Butskellism and brought on neo-liberalism

One-nation Conservatism

Emerged from Benjamin Disareli’s vision
- warned against splitting Britain into “two nations” of rich and poor
- emphasises social cohesion, responsibility of the wealthy towards the poor
- state intervention to prevent class conflict
Rejected by Margaret Thatcher
- prioritised economic liberalism over social cohesion
David Cameron’s “compassionate conservatism”
- Idea remains a minority in modern party

Post-WWII
Conservative party accepted greater degree of state intervention to rebuild
- Conservatives accepted the NHS (1950s)
- Nationalised coal, raliways, electricity, gas

Conservatives took Britain into Europe and took it out of Europe
- David Cameron resigned after he lost the Brexit vote

123,000 members (July 2025)
Local Conservative Associations
- Organising grassroots campaigning and selecting candidates
National HQ: Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in Westminster
- Conservative Party Board runs operational matters
- Chariman: Kevin Hollinrake MP
- Made up of representatives from sections
- Organises the convention
- 3 members elected by backbenchers
Conservative Policy Forum setup in 1998 for policy making
- Mostly leader writes manifesto
Parliamentary Party: Conservative MPs
- 119 MPs
- 285 peers
Conservative party is quite centralised