Conservative party leadership strategy and the legacy of Thatcherite conservatism, 1997-2005

This research is a detailed analysis of the Conservative Party leadership's strategy between
1997 and 2005. Through an application of the strategic-relational approach to political
analysis, it examines how the party responded to defeat, and seeks to explain why it
struggled to return to a position from which it could effectively challenge for power. The
particular focus is on how key figures in the leadership elite interpreted and understood the
context they faced, how they sought to orientate their strategies towards it, and how
ideology shaped their perspective.
Three dilemmas for contemporary conservatism are highlighted and considered in depth:
European integration; national identity and the 'English question'; and social liberalism
versus social authoritarianism. These were chosen as each presents a significant
ideological challenge for contemporary conservatism. The thesis explores how the
leadership handled each of these, and how they related to the party's efforts to develop a
strategy for electoral revival.
The research exposes the inconsistent and uncertain nature of Conservative Party electoral
strategy in this period. The strategic-relational analysis suggests that this stemmed not
merely from the failure of key actors in the leadership, but from the need to address
competing and sometimes contradictory contextual demands, and from difficulties inherent
in dealing with the legacy of Thatcherism. The thesis argues that an appreciation of the
1997 -2005 period is essential for an understanding of the trajectory of contemporary
conservatism under Cameron.