Conservative and Unionist Party Ideals

general information

Also Conservatives or Tories

Centre-right political party

Founded 1834

Governing party since 2010

Currently 365/650 MPs in the House of Commons (overall majority)

Leader: Boris Johnson (BOJO)

Unionist Party

Supports British Unionism

England Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland(6 Counties) should continue to be one sovereign state

Republic of Ireland became separate in 1922

logo: OAK TREE

new Logo: OAK TREE WITH UNION JACK

Harold Macmillan

former Party leader

Prime Minister 1957-1963

Born 1894 in London, Died 1986 in Sussex

Served in WW I

From 1951

Minister of Housing

Minister of Defence

Foreign Secretary

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Half American

took over from Anthony Eden after the Suez Crisis

Resigned from office in 1963, because he denied that his Secretary had an affair with a 19 year old Model

in one of his earliest speeches, he talks about Britains destiny as working closer with the Countries of Europe, the USA and the Sowjet Union

At Conservative Party Rally (1957)

"Indeed let us be frank about it, most of our people have never had it so good"

very optimistic

Challenge that Britain is facing is how to maintain this economic growth

Britains economy doing quite well because of Post war production increases (Cars & Steel)

He says to increase production, but stick to common sense

restraint & common sense

restraint in the demands we mace

common sense in how we spend our income

Britain under Macmillan

Dramatic rise in the standard of living

election victory for the Conservatives in 1959

Wage freeze and other measures to curb rising inflation

-> decline of popularity

failed attempts to join the EEC

African independence regarded as too progressive by some

Profumo standard of 1963 added to the decrease in popularity

Macmillans resignation from office in 1963 officially due to ill health

Margaret Thatcher

PM 1979-1990

"Renewal of Britain" Speech 1979

general information

Born 13 October 1925, Lincolnshire, died 8 April 2013 London

daughter of grocer

studied chemistry in Oxford

MP in 1959

Posts

Shadow Transport Minister

Secretary of State for Education and Science

Leader of the Opposition

background information

Labour government 1974-1979

1977: labour only stayed in power through deals wit the Ulster Unionist Party and the SNP

Conservatives won against Labour in 1979

poor conditions in Britain

post war low in employment(1,5 million unemployed)

disillusioned nation

economic decay: financial crisis

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forced to apply to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a very substantial loan

Quoting Tennyson's Ulysses

to be able to "move" both "earth and Heaven"

"Thatcherism"

belief in free markets and little state involvement

defence of the currency

high freedom of choice for individuals(responsibility for own lives)

government's job not to regulate peoples' lives and businesses

nation of owner-occupiers

But also

decrease of social housing

raised poverty among children and pensioners

decrease of mining industry