Mass Conservatism
Stuart Ball, Ian Holliday (Editor), William HagueBooks.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
The essays in this volume explore the relationship between the Conservative Party and the mass of the British people from the 1880s to the Thatcher and Major era. Several focus upon the party's sources of support and the ways in which it has sought to broaden these through shifts in policies, presentation and organisation.Synopsis
The Conservatives have been the most successful party in British politics since the arrival of a mass electorate following the Reform Acts of 1885 and 1918. Although identified with the elite, the Conservatives have consistently been able to mobilize a mass popular support. This has involved more than just a narrow defence of privilege and property, or negative anti-socialism. The essays in this volume explore the relationship between the Conservative Party and the mass of the British people from the 1880s to the Thatcher and Major era. Several focus on the party's sources of support and the ways in which it has sought to broaden these through shifts in policies, presentation and organization.
A second theme of the book is the response the Conservatives have found amongst the masses. Studies in this area consider the Tory appeal to particular groups in British society, both regionally and socially. Whereas histories of the Conservative Party have dealt with these issues in general t