The Conservative Party has been a dominant force in British politics for many decades, and its political thought has undergone significant changes over time. In “Continuity and Change: The Conservative Party since 1945”, the author explores the evolution of conservatism in the Conservative Party and evaluates a framework for analyzing its continuity and change since the end of World War II.

The book begins by examining different analytical approaches to conservatism, including those of Michael Oakeshott, Jan Werner-Müller, and Michael Freeden. After a thorough evaluation, the author concludes that the morphological approach proposed by Freeden is the most appropriate for analyzing conservatism, particularly with regard to continuity and change.

The second chapter focuses on the application of the morphological approach to conservatism in a British context. The author appraises the strengths and weaknesses of this approach and addresses its weaknesses by examining the philosophical writings of contemporary conservatives such as Roger Scruton and Kieron O’Hara. By articulating Freeden’s abstract theory into a concrete reality that is understandable as ‘conservative’ in a British context, the author establishes a framework of core conservative concepts of social order, organic change, and the swivel-mirror articulation concept, combined with a naturally-occurring adjacency of the market, law and order, and the family.

The third chapter then uses this framework to analyze the political thought of the Conservative Party, focusing specifically on leaders at different moments in history. The author examines the political thought and governments of Harold Macmillan, Margaret Thatcher, and David Cameron, three Prime Ministers who have contributed to fundamental changes to the party’s political thought during periods seen as crises of conservatism. These leaders are used to assess the viability of the framework established in chapter two as a method of analyzing conservatism as a political ideology.

Overall, “Continuity and Change: The Conservative Party since 1945” is a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of conservatism in the Conservative Party. It provides a framework for understanding the continuity and change in conservative thought over time and evaluates this framework in the context of British politics. By exploring the political thought of different leaders in the Conservative Party, this book offers valuable insights into the history and future of conservatism in Britain.

Keywords:

• Conservative Party
• British politics
• Political ideology
• Continuity and change
• Michael Freeden
• Harold Macmillan
• Margaret Thatcher
• David Cameron
• Social order
• Organic change
• Swivel-mirror articulation
• Market
• Law and order
• Family
• Analyzing conservatism
• Political thought