Brief History of the Conservative Party

The Conservative & Unionist Party can be traced back to the seventeenth Century when it was known collectively as the 'Tory Party', The name (from the Irish 'brigand') was thought to be a term used for papist outlaws sympathetic to the royal cause. It came to characterise defenders of the principles of hereditary succession to the Crown and non-resistance to the Monarch. 'Unionist' was added in 1912 after the absorption of the Liberal Unionists (formed in 1866 after breaking away from the Liberal Party over the issue of Irish home rule), After the restoration of King Charles ll in 1660, a party system slowly emerged with 'Whigs' supporting parliamentary control and 'Tories' supporting the prerogatives of the Crown. In 1783 William Pitt the Younger became Tory Prime Minister and led the Government for most of the next twenty-one years. Britain became embroiled in the French Revolution and at this time of national crisis Edmund Burke set out a manifesto of Conservative principles, many of which still hold true today.

By the 1830s the 'Whigs' had become known as Liberals. Under Robert Peel a new era of Conservative thinking was introduced. Disagreement ensued, but Benjamin Disraeli won a seat in the House of Commons in 1837 representing Maidstone. The Disraeli Government introduced a number of Acts of Parliament between 1875 and 1878 that brought about radical social reform and united the Party.

After World War 1, the party provided stability and helped influence the new Labour Party of the need to alter politics and society through Parliament and democratic election. The second Labour government collapsed in 1931 and the Conservative Party joined with Labour dissidents, led by former Socialist Ramsay MacDonald. to form a national government to cope with the economic crisis.

Economic recovery gave rise to unprecedented levels of employment and productivity by 1937 when Neville Chamberlain became Prime Minister. In the war against Germany, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister uniting the Conservative Party with the other political parties to bring about victory for the Allies.

In the immediate post war period, Anthony Eden, Harold MacMillan, Rab Butler, Reginald Maudling, Ian MacLeod, Enoch Powell and others in the party brought a restatement of Conservatism. Prosperity and advances in social welfare achieved during the 1950s helped ensure thirteen years of Conservative power from 1951 to 1964.

Disillusionment with the Labour Government enabled Conservatives to regain power in 1970 and Edward Heath proceeded to tackle Britain's serious economic problems. He took Britain into what was then called the Common Market. Difficulties arose when the Trades Unions resisted the Industrial Relations Act. From 1974, under Labour, strikes became commonplace, inflation rocketed and Britain's global standing declined.

In 1975, the Party elected Margaret Thatcher as their leader and embarked on a radical reassessment of policy in all areas. Elected to govern in 1979, the Conservatives began to transform Britain, reversing socialist polices and rebuilding Britain's position in the world. Living standards rose, industry was rejuvenated and enterprise unleashed. John Major became Prime Minister in 1990 and continued the reforms. Conservatives governed for eighteen years until 1997, Following successive leaders the Conservative Party continues in opposition to the Labour Government led by Gordon Brown.