Concept

Conservative Party (UK)

Overview

The Conservative and Unionist Party, commonly known as the Conservative Party and colloquially as the Tories, is a political party in the United Kingdom. It sits on the centre-right to right-wing of the left–right political spectrum. Following its defeat by the Labour Party at the 2024 general election, it is currently the second-largest party by the number of votes cast and number of seats in the House of Commons; as such it has the formal parliamentary role of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. It encompasses various ideological factions including one-nation conservatives, Thatcherites and traditionalist conservatives. There have been 20 Conservative prime ministers. The party meets annually during autumn, for the Conservative Party Conference.

The Conservative Party was founded in 1834 from the Tory Party and was one of two dominant political parties in the 19th century, along with the Liberal Party. Under Benjamin Disraeli it played a preeminent role in politics at the height of the British Empire. In 1912, the Liberal Unionist Party merged with the party to form the Conservative and Unionist Party. Its rivalry with the Labour Party has shaped modern British politics for the last century. David Cameron sought to modernise the party after his election as leader in 2005, and the party governed from 2010 to 2024 under five prime ministers, latterly Rishi Sunak.

The party has generally adopted liberal economic policies favouring free markets since the 1980s, although historically it advocated protectionism. The party is British unionist, opposing a united Ireland as well as English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh independence, and has been critical of devolution. Historically the party supported the continuance and maintenance of the British Empire. The party has taken various approaches towards the European Union (EU), with Eurosceptic and, to a decreasing extent, pro-European factions within it. Historically the party took a socially conservative approach. In defence policy it supports an independent nuclear weapons programme and commitment to NATO membership.

For much of modern British political history the United Kingdom exhibited a wide urban–rural political divide; the party's voting and financial support base has historically consisted primarily of business-owners, farmers, homeowners, middle-class voters and real-estate-developers, especially in rural and suburban areas of England.

Since the EU membership referendum in 2016 the Conservatives have targeted working-class voters from traditional Labour strongholds. The party's domination of British politics throughout the 20th century made it one of the most electorally successful political parties in history, although the party’s support has declined in recent years, reaching its lowest vote share ever in the 2024 election.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

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On that bill I delivered one of my most careful speeches, in which I attempted to lay down some of the principles of the subject, in a manner calculated less to stimulate friends, than to conciliate and convince opponents. The engrossing subject of Parliamentary Reform prevented either this bill, or one of a similar character brought in by Lord Derby's Government, from being carried through. They never got beyond…
John Stuart Mill, Autobiography
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That is imperative upon her: she too will die, otherwise, and cough her last upon the streets some day;--how can she continue living? To enfranchise whatsoever of Wisdom is born in England, and set that to the sacred task of coercing and amending what of Folly is born in England: Heaven's blessing is purchasable by that; by not that, only Heaven's curse is purchasable. The reform contemplated, my liberal friends…
Thomas Carlyle, Latter-Day Pamphlets
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The latter character, even when it is not in its extreme, will execute this trust but very imperfectly; and, if deviating to the least excess, will certainly frustrate instead of forwarding the purposes of a control on government. But when the House of Commons was to be new modelled, is principle was not only to be changed but reversed.
Edmund Burke, Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
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Conservative Party (UK)

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