Tory Nation

'A witty, lucid investigation into one of the great mysteries of our time' JONATHAN COE ‘Should be read and enjoyed by readers on the left, right and centre’ David Edgerton, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ________________________________________________ Why do British politics so often play out on the Tories’ terms? What does this say about our democracy? In his revelatory book, Samuel Earle explores the roots of the current crisis and the real reasons for the Conservatives’ unsettling success, from their ruling-class origins in the eighteenth century and their disproportionate influence of the British press to their stranglehold over national identity. He sheds light on the Conservatives’ historic appeal among the working classes and why the Labour Party so often disappoints. Tory Nation describes the making of Britain through one party’s astonishing power over us. It’s only by reaching into our history, Earle argues, that we can understand how we got here – and how we can find a way out. ________________________________________________ 'Written with historical depth and literary flair' NEW STATESMAN ‘Earle has set out clearly and eloquently why our democracy is incapable of solving our political problems’ ROBERT VERKAIK, author of Posh Boys ‘Gripping and indispensable’ NESRINE MALIK, author of We Need New Stories

Why do the Tories keep winning? The Conservative Party has presided over countless corruption scandals, blundered its way through a pandemic and into a cost of living crisis that is set to plunge millions more into poverty. But in spite of their track record the party remains in power. Why? Tory Nation tells the story of how the Conservatives came to dominate Britain, and how this dominance is eroding our democracy, pushing us closer to a one-party state. It combines a fascinating history of the Conservative party, extending as far back as the 17th century and the establishment of the Tory party, with a study of how conservatism has shaped not only British politics, but its culture and identity too. With dazzling clarity and insight, Samuel Earle explores the reasons for the party's success, including its disproportionate influence on the British press, its exploitation of Labour's failings, and the use of 'culture wars' to divide and conquer. This is the story of the making of Britain through one party's astonishing rise to power. Earle reveals that it's only by reaching into our history that we can understand how we got here - and how we can change our politics for the better.

Since the 1880s, the Conservative Party has been an important political force in Britain. In this study of Conservative ideology since the end of Second World War, first published in 1974, Andrew Gamble considers the nature of Conservative party opinion, and the factors that have accounted for its success. The adaptation of the party post-1945 is discussed, as well as the ascendancy of the Right progressives in the leadership, and the challenge of the Whigs and Imperialists. Finally, the book includes a discussion of the fluctuations within the Conservative Government between 1970 and 1974, with an account of what Gamble believes to have been ultimately a failure. A rigorous and comprehensive analysis of Conservative thought and policy, this study will be of particular value to those with an interest in the history of British Conservative politics and government.

This book bestows academic light in place of disputed ideological heat emanating primarily from Conservative political polemicists on the role, influence and ideological trajectory of the One Nation Group of Conservative MPs. It contributes to the debates on policy and the role of 'think tanks' in such policy formulation over the period 1950-2005; the debate over the existence and extent of 'consensus' in post-war British politics; and to research on political parties in general and factions and tendencies in particular.

Winner of the Dafoe Book Prize Winner of the University of British Columbia Medal for Canadian Biography 1995 marked the 100th anniversary of that most charismatic and enigmatic public figure, the thirteenth prime minister of Canada, John George Diefenbaker. Beloved and reviled with equal passion, he was a politician possessed of a flamboyant, self-fabulizing nature that is the essential ingredient of spellbinding biography. After several runs at political office, Diefenbaker finally reached the Commons in 1940; sixteen years later he was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. In 1958, after a campaign that dazzled the voters, the Tories won the largest majority in the nation’s history: the Liberal party was shattered, its leader, Lester Pearson, humiliated by an electorate that had chosen to “follow John.” Diefenbaker’s victory promised a long and sunny Conservative era. It was not to be: instead Dief gave the country a decade of continuous convulsion, marked by his government’s defeat in 1963 and his own forced departure from the leadership in 1967, a very public drama that divided his party and riveted the nation. When Diefenbaker died in 1979, he was given a state funeral modeled - at his own direction - on those of Churchill and Kennedy. It culminated in a transcontinental train journey and burial on the bluffs overlooking Saskatoon, alongside the archive that houses his papers - the only presidential-style library built for a Canadian prime minister. Canadians embraced the image of Dief as a morally triumphant underdog, even as they were repelled by his outrageous excesses. He revived a moribund party and gave the country a fresh sense of purpose but he was no match for the dilemmas of the Cold War of Quebec nationalism, or the subtleties of the country’s relations with the United States. This compelling biography, illuminating both legend and man and the nation he helped shape, was among the most highly praised books of the year.

Whatever happened to middle England? Two of our funniest writers set out on a journey through conservative country – with hilarious results.

In these divided and divisive times, what is the future course for our politics? In this ground-breaking book, Nick Timothy, one of Britain’s leading conservative thinkers and commentators, explores the powerful forces driving great changes in our economy, society and democracy. Drawing on his experience at the top of government, Timothy traces the crisis of Western democracy back to both the mistaken assumptions of philosophical liberalism and the rise of ideological ultra-liberalism on left, right and centre. Sparing no sacred cows, he proposes a new kind of conservatism that respects personal freedom but also demands solidarity. He argues that only by rediscovering a unifying sense of the common good and restoring a mutual web of responsibilities between all citizens and institutions can we reject the extremes of economic and cultural liberalism, overcome our divisions, and remake one nation. He goes on to outline an ambitious practical plan for change, covering issues ranging from immigration to the regulation of Big Tech. Nick Timothy’s original, forensic and thought-provoking analysis is a must-read for anybody tired by the old dogmas of the liberal left, right and centre. It is a major contribution to the debate on the future of conservatism as it grapples with geopolitical shifts, cultural change, and economic uncertainty.