A Progressive Parliament
by Max Wind-Cowie
A fascinating article in today’s Guardian demonstrates just how pervasive progressive ideals have become amongst Conservative Parliamentarians. According to a recent poll of sitting Tory MPs, a full 50% would describe themselves as subscribing to either a Cameroon (12%) or One Nation (38%) conservative tradition. The news was even more encouraging amongst PPCs in the Tory targets where 65% described themselves as devotees of Cameron or Disraeli.
This just goes to show how far the Conservative Party has truly come. Not long ago the traditions of Tories such as Disraeli, Churchill or Macmillan could be safely ignored in favour of the neoliberalism of Thatcher. It was probably fair to say, during the last three Parliaments, that the Conservatives were still firmly rooted in the Iron Lady’s vision of politics. No longer; the same poll showed that a measly 19% (less than a fifth) of likely Tory MPs consider themselves to be Thatcherites.
Of course, this shouldn’t mean that the progressive wing of the Conservative Party can pack up its campaign tool-kits and retire knowing that their work is done. The real tests begin not in opposition but in power; Cameron and his candidates are running as progressive conservatives and it is as progressive conservatives that they must govern. I’ve pointed before to the policy agenda that Cameron could pursue in order to demonstrate a real commitment, personal and political, to progressive ideals. He must also be alive to the prospect of mischief from the rogue fifth of his party who are still infected with Thatcherite zeal; if he is forced into rejecting the progressive values on which he was elected then he can be expected, in turn, to be rejected by a disgruntled electorate.
But, all of those concerns aside, this news is an early Christmas present to progressive conservatives. If the Conservative party win the next election a real majority of their MPs will be products of the political traditions that we hold dear. What is more, over the festive season we will at last have an answer to those naysayers who decry our vision as smart marketing; as this poll shows the substance, and leaders, of the centre right are changing for the better.
Carl
I'm interested to know if progressive conservatives believe that if a Tory win means we have MPs devoted to the democratic tradition we hold dear, whether this vindicates the left all along, because to be sure the progressive agenda was not what the Tory right was preicated upon. As a non-Tory myself, I'm happy to see the Tories take up issues once the preserve of the left, but it is for this reason alone that I'm on the left, because the bulk of the left's agenda stands up. If the right have taken note, and switched sides, is this not an evident win for the left?
Bert
I'm a Tory and I wholeheartedly reject the entire 'progressive' premise. If you want to change the world Mr. Wind-Cowie then you don't want to conserve it. The clue is in the name!
Max Wind-Cowie
Thank you all for your comments.
Edward, I don't think that the issue of the Deputy Chairman's tax status is the be-all-and-end-all of the Conservative Party's political ambitions. I would prefer it if Lord Ashcroft ended the speculation over his tax status, and I believe that it is important for the very wealthy to pay their way, but it would be quite wrong to allow ourselves to become overly obsessed with one individual at the expense of discussing how the Conservative Party as a whole has changed.
Carl, absolutely agree that the left has won the argument about whether or not we need to care about progressive issues. As I've argued before, it is to Labour's credit that the Conservatives have to engage with child poverty, the waged poor and unemployment. It does not, however, mean that we agree on how we achieve progressive ends. This blog http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/max-wind-cowie/ makes the argument in greater detail.
Bert, it's a broad church! Let's hope that you're in the fifth of winnable Tory seats that have selected candidates with whom it's possible (just) you might agree.
Andy Farrell
When the Tories gained control of our local council one of the first things they did, after buying some new robes and a chain for the mayor, was to cut funding to Sure Start, the Women's Refuge and a few others who represent the most vulnerable in our community.
Crime and in particular anti-social behaviour has increased but instead of using the tools available to deal with it our Tory regime would much rather receive praise from the Office of the Surveillance Commissionaire and brag about not using it to our local media.
Mr Cameron may well have values but at grass roots his party do not live up to them.
Although a Labour supporter, I believe we will lose the next election.
My only hope is that Mr Cameron, the rest of his team and 'his values' are put under real scrutiny and not just washed over by clever media presentation and that our loss is not on the scale most of us think it will be.
Bert
Mr Wind-Cowie, the Conservative Party is not a 'broad church', I think you have us a little confused with Anglicanism. We are a collection of people who believe in a smaller state, less welfarism, free private enterprise and private property. You, it seems, choose only to believe in some of those principles. Therefore, I put it to you, you are not a Conservative at all but a Neo-Conservative who is attempting to steer my party and my country in the direction of Bush II and his gang. I, for one, can't imagine that will go down to well either amongst other Conservatives or amongst Britons in general!
derek
I understand that some Conservative candidates call themselves "progressive", but what matters is not what pepople say but what they do. The British way of doing things is has through history been one of Empiricism rather than Theoretical Conceptualism and candidates simply giving themselves a label has little meaning until they can justify their espoused ticket through policy delivery. some candidates might say they are progressive and yet they are in a party where a Tory candidates like Mark Reckless in Rochester and Strood has UKIP stand down in his favour and BNP decide not to stand. That's not at all progressive.
Edward Schofield
If David Cameron is so progressive then please explain why he hasn't yet clarified the tax status of the deputy chairman of the Conservative party?
Surely, as progressives you believe that multimillionaires should pay taxes?
Personally I hope that Cameron doesn't take any action on this issue before the next election, as this will continue to damage his credibility, and then hopefully we will not be visited with the misfortune of having to live under a conservative government for the next four years.