Conservative Party

significance of the Great Reform Act 1832

established whigs and tories into liberal and conservative party

key features of thatcherism

-increased privatisation e.g. electricity and rail

-reduced union power

-Minimal state intervention

-monetarism

-tough law and order

-traditional family values

-Neo-Liberal and neo-conservative

-internal market in NHS

one-nation conservatism

-Centrist

-Favours EU

-prioritising national unity by attending to poorer classes

-state intervention

-high taxation

-patriotic

-paternalism

David Cameron (2010-2016)

-interest in environmental issues

-reducing the national debt via austerity cutting government spending

-socially liberal - Marriage (same sex couples) Act 2013

-economic Thatcherism

-big society - decentralise government

Boris Johnson (2019-2022)

One Nation

-Boost NHS, education

-furlough scheme

-Net Zero by 2050 subsidies for electric vehicles

-’Levelling up’ disadvantaged areas

-Windfall Tax

Thatcherite

-Eurosceptic - oversaw Brexit deal

-Cut immigration - approved Priti Patels plan to send asylum seekers who entered the country illegally

-foreign aid cuts 0.7% to 0.5%

Boris Johnson’s One Nation approach to Covid

£70 billion furlough scheme paying 80% of wages of workers

-increased welfare payments by £20 per week

-collaborated with Marcus Rashford on the free school meals campaign

Liz Truss (2022)

-radical Thatcherism

-alongside Kwasi Kwarteng cut top rate of income tax from 45% to 40%

-pledged to reduce regulations on fracking

-actively rejected information from the OBR and her cabinet which led to mass in fighting

Rishi Sunak (2022-2024)

Thatcherite

-Tough law and order - Public Order Act 2023

-Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 remove asylum seekers who arrived illegally

-Blocked Scottish Parliament’s Gender Recognition Bill due to conflict with the Equality Act

1922 Committee

Group of Conservative backbench MPs which oversees election of new leader and confidence votes

Conservative party membership

131,000 in 2025

decreased from 200,000 in 2021