The Conservative Party · From Thatcher to Cameron by Bale, Tim -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Copyright Acknowledgements A Note on Sources 1. Solving the Puzzle: An Introduction

The puzzle Why parties don’t always do what we expect Ideas, interests and institutions – and individuals: high politics and the Conservative Party ‘The party in the media’ A route map Notes

2. Losing the Plot: Thatcher to Major, 1989–1997

Means, motive, and opportunity: setting Thatcher’s fall in context Contest and resignation Why she couldn’t hold on: ideas, interests, institutions – and individuals ‘The best we had’: John Major becomes Prime Minister Clearing up and cleaning out ‘Keep a-hold of Nurse for fear of finding something worse’: beating Labour in 1992 ‘Ashes in our mouths’ The party in the media turns on Major Central Office and the constituencies The leadership in question ‘Put up or shut up’: the 1995 leadership contest Meet the new boss, same as the old boss Going, going, gone: the long campaign for the 1997 general election Notes

3. Tactics over Strategy: William Hague, 1997–2001

Hague wins the leadership Initial complacency Institutional fixes and individual missteps Instincts not ideas Search for a strategy Up to the job? Running back to mummy Going hard on Europe Locking in the new line Common sense: populism emergent Judgement calls One step forward into modernization, two steps back into the comfort zone False dawn Trying to have it both ways Playing the race card? Trouble at the top Banging the drum: the 2001 campaign Notes

4. ‘Simply Not Up to It’: Iain Duncan Smith, 2001–2003

The 2001 leadership election I: the party in parliament The 2001 leadership election II: the party in the country On probation from the off Softer image, same old solutions Institutional tinkering ‘No cop in the Commons’, no traction in the country Helping the vulnerable . . . but not the NHS? ‘Hague all over again’? Mixed messages The nasty party ‘Unite or die’ Into the bunker The even nastier party? Out of the woods? ‘Wabbling back to the Fire’ Endgame Notes

5. Like Moths to a Flame: Michael Howard, 2003–2005

Assuming the crown Different men, similar measures Looking up Too clever Moths to a flame Right to choose ‘Doing a William’ – or an Iain? Notting Hill and beyond ‘Juices flowing’ Mixed messages Law and disorder Raising the temperature Harping on the familiar Down to earth with a bump Notes

Post-mortem Rules of the game Setting out their stalls The rules of the game – again Beneath the froth Blackpool All over bar the voting Notes

7. ‘The Politics of And’: Opposition, 2005–2010

Hitting the ground sprinting ‘Cut-through’ ‘Non-stop political pyrotechnics’ ‘Plenty more change to be made’ Pushing on, pushing through Tougher times No let-up Airborne Calibration Steel core ‘Skid-mark’ Sticky patch Gravitational pull Rebalancing Nerve Breakthrough? Cutting the complacency? Missed opportunity or historic achievement? Election 2010 Of lemons and lemonade: forming the coalition Notes

8. ‘The National Interest’: Coalition and Majority Government, 2010–2015

Hacks Conflict: foreign and domestic No pleasing some people: backbenchers, Europe, and a Budget Burning bridges with the Lib Dems: Lords reform, boundaries, health, and the environment Win some, lose some: gay marriage and immigration Building a Conservative Britain Crossing the line: referendum to election Notes

9. Getting the Message: A Conclusion

The puzzle restated Laying out the pieces Putting all the pieces together The complete package Harsh realities: the politics of power Notes

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