The Conservative Party has been the dominant force in twentieth-century British politics. On its own, or as the predominant partner in a coalition, it has held power for more than 60 years since 1900. Despite this, it has been the most neglected and misunderstood of all the main parties. This book attempts to survey the history and politics of the Conservative Party across the whole of the twentieth century, from the ‘Khaki’ election of 1900 to John Major's victory of 1992, and beyond. Traditional boundaries between history and political science have been ignored, with each of the team of cont ... More

The Conservative Party has been the dominant force in twentieth-century British politics. On its own, or as the predominant partner in a coalition, it has held power for more than 60 years since 1900. Despite this, it has been the most neglected and misunderstood of all the main parties. This book attempts to survey the history and politics of the Conservative Party across the whole of the twentieth century, from the ‘Khaki’ election of 1900 to John Major's victory of 1992, and beyond. Traditional boundaries between history and political science have been ignored, with each of the team of contributors pursuing a theme within three main areas: the composition and structure of the Party; its ideas, policies, and actions in government; and its public image and sources of support in the country. The essays are based upon new research, in particular in the Conservative Party archives.