Topic 6: Conservatives (1997-2007) Flashcards

1
Q

6

Describe the 1997 Conservative leadership contest

A
  • 1997 party was half size of 1992 party and more eurosceptic
  • frontrunner Portillo had lost seat
  • Heseltine declined to contest leadership citing health concerns (supported Clarke)
  • Clarke faced considerable hostility from right - ‘anyone but Clarke’ campaign
  • Thatcher’s preffered candidate, eurosceptic Hague, won despite only securing 25% of votes on first ballot
  • Hague won as had fewest enemies
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2
Q

6

Describe the policies of the Conservatives under Hague

A
  • Criticism of further European legislation did not resonate with public
  • 2000, opposed Blair’s plans to repeal Section 28 - failed to judge public mood
  • 2000, accussed of crude populism after support of Norfolk farmer Tony Martin who shot intruder
  • 2000, Portillo (CX) promised to strengthen BoE independence and not repeal minimum wage - centrist consensus
  • Promoted ‘Tebbit Trinity’ of europe, immigration and tax cuts at 2001 election
  • Labour attacked Conservatives on source of tax cuts, alleging they would reduce public spending
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3
Q

5

Describe the image of Hague

A
  • 36 year-old - youthfulness and inexperience led to no power base
  • Demonstrated in limited political intution (Section 28, Tony Martin)
  • Assiduous at PMQs but lacked political gravitas of Blair
  • Mocked for wearing baseball cap, appearing at Notting Hill Carnival in 1997 and for teenage boasting of drinking 14 pints
  • Heseltine criticised Hague’s ‘foreign land’ speech at 2001 Tory Party Conference
  • 2001 Daily Telegraph poll found that 66% of voters thought he was a ‘wally’ and 70% felt he would say anything to win votes
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4
Q

6

Describe the Conservative campaign under Hague

A
  • 1999, spent £250k on ‘listening to Britian’ campaign to put Conservatives back in touch with public
  • 1999 EP elections - critical of further European integration but muted on ‘euro’ stance to appease pro-europeans
  • Held brief lead in 2000 polls due to public organisation during fuel strikes
  • by 2001, retreated to traditional Conservative pre-occupations of Europe (‘the fight to save the pound’), a hard line on immigration and law and order
  • Disaligned with electorate’s priorities of health, education and transport
  • Hague backed Jeffrey Archer to run for London mayor in 2000, who was soon convicted for perjury for 1987 libel trial
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5
Q

3

Describe internal opposition to Hague

A
  • Portillo won Kensington and Chelsea by-election in 1999
  • Portillo had embodied social liberal ideas upon return including admitting past homosexuality
  • Made Shadow CX in 2000 as Hague felt threatened
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6
Q

3

Describe the electoral performance of Hague’s conservatives

A
  • 1999 European Elections - won 36 MEP seats compared to Labour’s 29
  • 2000 London Mayoral Election - overshadowed by Archer affair as independent Livingstone won
  • 2001 - increased seat total by only one
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7
Q

2

Describe the electoral base of the Conservatives by 2001

A
  • Right-wing positions had prevented some Conservative voters drifitng to UKIP or BNP
  • Did little to appeal to middle ground
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8
Q

6

Describe the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election

A
  • Rules changed to allow members to vote on final 2 candidates
  • Eurosceptic IDS won 1/3 of PLP support
  • Con membership vote: IDS (61%) vs Clarke (39%)
  • IDS won support of Thatcher for right-wing eurosceptic views
  • IDS had democratic legitimacy no previous leader had held, though lacked confidence of PLP who could oust him in no-confidence vote
  • Negative campaigning against Clarke, Portillo
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9
Q

6

Describe the image of IDS and his Conservativres

A
  • Seen as unknown, uncharismatic, unelected and ineffective in PMQs
  • Proclaimed himself the ‘quiet man’ in 2002
  • Prompted Labour backbenchers to raise fingers to lips and ‘shush’ IDS during PMQs
  • Mocked for 2002 visit to deprived Easterhouse estate in Glasgow
  • Even Conservative Party Chair, Theresa May, admitted the tories were the ‘nasty party’ in 2002
  • Oct 2003, investigated by Parliamentary Watchdog for having wife on payroll despite doing no work
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10
Q

5

Describe the policies of IDS

A
  • Hard eurosceptic and social conservative
  • Aimed for social justice to tackle poverty and family breakdown
  • Imposed 3-line whip on supporting amendment to Adoption and Children Act 2002 to disqualify gay couples from adopting
  • 2003, voted against repeal of Section 28 (though allowed PLP a free vote)
  • Ardent support of Iraq War in 2003 after meeting VP Dick Cheney gave Conservatives little room to manoeuvre to position of critical opposition (LD claimed electoral success in 2005)
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11
Q

4

Describe the downfall of IDS

A
  • Oct 2003
  • Major Party donor Stuart Wheeler claimed there was ‘overwhelming case’ to replace IDS
  • Lost confidence vote 90-75 after refusing to resign
  • Even Osborne, PMQ aide, secretly voted against IDS
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12
Q

3

Describe the 2003 Tory leadership election

A
  • Davis and Letwin immeidately announced Howard support
  • Michael Howard won unopposed
  • Board of Conservative Party decided against ratification vote by members
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13
Q

6

Describe the image of Michael Howard

A
  • More moderate, able and experienced politician than IDS
  • claimed that as a grammar school boy he would not be lectured by privately-educated Blair
  • Had reputation for toughness on law and order having served as Home Secretary between 1993-97
  • lacked popular appeal
  • no match for Blair at PMQs
  • Ann Widdecombe suggested personal shadiness claiming there was ‘something of the night’ about him
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14
Q

4

Describe the policies of Michael Howard

A
  • Few policy initiatives
  • Feb 2004, called on Blair to resign after failing to ask ‘basic questions’ regarding WMD claims
  • Bush subsequently refused to meet Howard
  • Abandoned much of IDS’s social justice work
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15
Q

3

Describe party unity under Howard

A
  • Focussed on party unity rather than modernisation
  • February 2004, removed whip from Ann Winterton MP after she joked about 23 Chinese migrant deaths
  • whip restored a month later
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16
Q

4

Describe the 2005 conservative electoral campaign

A
  • Focussed on agenda of right-wing press: tough line on immigration, travellers and law and order
  • Combined with tax cuts and public sector spending reduction
  • Portillo dubbed it the ‘Victor Meldrew manifesto’
  • Deputy Party Chairman recorded promising that the Conservative would be more radically Thatcerite than pre-1997 further alienated electorate

Vitco Meldrew - individual who is constantly complaning

17
Q

5

Describe the 2005 Conservative leadership election

A
  • Howard pre-emptively resigned in May but delayed departure to allow preferred successor, Cameron, to consolidate support
  • Cameron won support from modernisers (Osborne, Johnson) + established figures (Hague, Letwin)
  • June 2005 poll found that only 7% of population recognised Cameron’s name
  • 2005 Tory Party conference
  • Cameron won 2nd MP’s ballot and 2/3 of member votes against liberal-eurosceptic Davis
18
Q

6

Describe the 2005 Tory Party Conference

A
  • Cameron stood at 12/1 outsider in October
  • Blackpool
  • Davis speech floundered
  • Cameron delivered impressive speech, without notes
  • Promised to make people ‘feel good about being Conservative again’
  • Ended conference as odds-on favuoite
19
Q

5

Describe David Cameron’s policies (2005-07)

A
  • Promise to detoxify Conservative party, making it more tolerant and inclusive
  • Promised to end hostility to ethnic minorities, homosexuals, youth, etc
  • Pledged ‘greenest Government ever’ - visited Arctic in 2006 and cycled to Westminster in 2006
  • Praised NHS for taking care of disabled son Ivan
  • Shadow CX Obsorne promised to maintain Labour levels of public spending
20
Q

4

How did Cameron handle internal euroscepticism (2005-07)?

A
  • Personally pro-EU
  • Though pledged in 2005 leadership contest to leave EPP who held federalist attitude towards Europe to combat Davis’ euroscepticism
  • July 2006, formed ‘Movement for European Reform’ with Czech Civic Democratic Party
  • Balanced Shadow Cabinet between sceptics (Liam Fox) and europhiles (Theresa May)
21
Q

1

Describe criticism of Cameron’s modernisation project

A
  • Tebbitt claimed Cameron was intent on creating ‘New Compassionate Green Globally Aware Party’ and compared him to Pol Pot
22
Q

4

Describe the immediate success and popularity of Cameron as Tory leader

A
  • Shone in first PMQs declaring that Blair ‘was the future once’
  • YouGov gave Conservatives lead in polls immediately following leadership elevation - one of first since 1997
  • 2005, defeated Blair with help of 29 Labour rebels - Blair’s first HoC defeat since taking office
  • May 2006 poll: Cameron (+6%), Blair (-41%)
23
Q

4

List the reasons for Conservative divisions (1997-2007)

A
  • Weak leadership
  • Idoelogical tension over modernisation (NR vs ON)
  • Europe
  • Labour successes
24
Q

4

List the reasons for Conservative electoral failure in 2001 and 2005

A
  • Weak leadership
  • Internal divisions
  • Policies and campaigns
  • Labour successes