Conservative party factions

Another mainstream idea within the Conservative Party is the free market, or Thatcherism. Since Margaret Thatcher became leader of the party in 1975, economic liberals have gradually become the main force in the party. People of this faction generally advocate reducing direct tax rates, privatizing public services, ending state-owned industries, and diluting the color of the welfare state. As for social policies, Thatcherites did not have a clear stance; Mrs. Thatcher herself was a devout Methodist, so her stance on social policies was conservative. However, she accommodated different supporters. Among them, Portillo was a liberal, but at the same time, Xia Weilin and David Vives were traditional conservatives. In addition, a large number of Conservative Party members who support the free market are also Eurosceptics. They believe that EU regulations and restrictions affect personal freedoms, thereby interfering with the free market. Furthermore, they are also worried that the sovereignty of the United Kingdom will be compromised by the EU. challenge. Therefore, among the many Thatcherites, only a very small number are Europhiles, and among them Ryan Beeton is the representative.

Many Eurosceptics were inspired by Mrs. Thatcher’s anti-European speech in 1988 in Bruges, Belgium. Among them, she said: "(Under the European Community,) we have not succeeded in expanding Britain's territory, but can only strengthen Britain to the level of Europe." In addition, because Mrs. Thatcher also He had a close friendship with the then US President Ronald Reagan, so most Thatcherites would be considered Atlanticists. Mrs. Thatcher once said that her philosophical inspiration came from Edmund Burke and Hayek; and the factions related to Thatcherism include the non-returning party and the conservative forward wing, etc. Conservative traditionalists are the third force within the Conservative Party, and most of the people in this faction are also members of the Cornerstone Group (commonly known as Lutheran, Flag and Family). The common name of Cornerstone reflects the three pillars it supports - the Church of England, unitary Britain and the family. It can be seen that the Cornerstone faction attaches great importance to Britain's Anglican tradition, and also opposes any form of transfer of British power. Therefore, whether it is decentralization of power to local governments or integration with the European Union, the cornerstones are deeply opposed to it. On the other hand, the Cornerstone Party believes that only the "traditional" family structure can repair the current fragmented social situation in the UK. Based on this view, most Cornerstone Party members will oppose the influx of overseas immigrants into the UK, and some will They advocate the reinstatement of the death penalty, and some people have even made highly controversial remarks on racial issues. [22][23]. Famous Cornerstone Party members include Nadine Dorries, Andrew Rosindell, Ann Widdecombe and Edward Leigh, among whom the most powerful Tecumseh and Leal were Roman Catholics who supported the Church of England. In addition to the above-mentioned people, the British conservative philosopher Roger Scruton is also one of the representatives of the cornerstone group. Scruton once established a set of philosophical views based on Conservative traditionalism, but his His writings rarely touch on economics, but mainly focus on political, social, cultural and moral issues. Conservative Party traditionalism has been criticized by some people because it takes a more traditional and conservative approach to issues such as race and class. Alan Duncan, a member of the Conservative House of Commons who is gay, once criticized the Cornerstone Party. There is a tendency to become "Taliban".

The three major factions mentioned above are not in a state of complete opposition. Sometimes two of the three factions will join forces and fight against the other faction. For example, the Cornerstone faction and the National Conservatives successfully defeated Margaret Thatcher in Parliament on the issue of Sunday trade. As for Thatcherism and the Cornerstone faction, they also joined forces to oppose the European integration during Major's tenure. policy. Likewise, not all Conservative Party members fit neatly into one of the three factions above. Take Major as an example. When he was first elected as party leader, he was regarded as a candidate sent by Thatcherism. However, after he became prime minister, he invited many conservatives from the country to assume high positions. Among them, Qi Ganli, a conservative stalwart in one country, was appointed as the finance minister, while Xia Shunting, a conservative in another country, was appointed deputy prime minister.