(5) The next generation of Conservative MPs cut their political teeth during the Thatcher revolution

In about ten years’ time David Cameron will be an ex-Prime Minister, touring the US lecture circuit.  Copies of the 2010 Tory manifesto will be gathering dust on university book shelves.  One legacy of an expected Cameron victory at the next General Election will still be very potent, however, and that will be the ‘Class of 2010’ – the largest increase in the number of Conservative MPs in modern times.  These MPs will set the direction of Conservative politics for the next generation.  They will be the ministers of the future.  They may even provide the next Prime Minister.

The sheer number of new Conservative MPs isn’t the only factor that makes them such an interesting phenomenon.  Also noteworthy are their political views and their likely independence of mind.

They are Thatcherite in that they want lower taxes, are deeply Eurosceptic and believe in school choice.  They are at home in modern Britain in that they are supportive of gay rights, are civil libertarian and use the NHS.

Scroll down these pages for a full overview on the instincts of this next generation.  This post on their key views is particularly important.

Comments

[Tony Makara]

It would be a great mistake for a modern Conservative party to follow the Neoliberal philosophy. One of the fathers of our nation, Harold Macmillan, a true Conservative tried to warn us all against the ideology that came with Thatcherism. He warned us against selling the family silver, and now indeed, our family silver is foreign owned.

The Thatcher government took us down dark paths and led to the deliberate destruction of our manufacturing industry, all in an attempt to destroy the trades union power that funds the Labour party. It put party politics ahead of the best interests of the nation. This has left us with a legacy of millions on the dole, the true Thatcher generation, the scarred and lost generation, the precursor of Broken Britain.

The only area in which the Thatcher years gain credit is foreign policy, which was handled well by some very fine ministers. Perhaps, because, it was the only one area free of Neoliberal economics.

We musn't go back to the Thatcher mentality, we must dextinguish this ideology, drive it out. Get our country back to a Macmillan style one-nation Conservatism, where government sees people and not just money.

[Andrew Smith]

The conservatives are expecting too much from this coming generation of MPs. They have been filtered by Europhiles to keep out any BOO-ers.

If I am wrong and a significant number of the new intake have views similar to those usually expressed in the contributions to this site, it is not realistic to expect anything to come of it. The Conservative Party will fight the next GE with a manifesto and any attempt by the back benchers to change those policies will be firmly resisted.

Indeed, if Roon tried to go beyond the manifesto or against it, the old guard and the HoL can be expected to stop it dead. The political class is now stuffed full of fuirmly Europhile, authoritarian, statist politicians.

This is why the manifesto is so important - if policy commitments are not in there they cannot be assured of being enacted. I forecast a very unhappy Tory party in Autumn 2010.

[Jamie]

@ Tony Mankara, what an appalling load of old runbbish. Macmillan, hardly one of the fathers of our nation, presided over many of the unsustainably foolish government decisions on the economy that later had to be reversed at huge cost.

[whuh]

That first sentence appals me. It suggests massive complacency.

Let's win the election first.

[Howard A Ward]

Tony Makara: You live in fantasy land. British manufacturing industry was destroyed long before Margaret Thatcher’s government took power. Much of it had become inefficient and incompetent, produced truly dreadful products and was loosing market share to our competitors with no hope of reversal. It was propped up by tax payers which meant that the successful companies were subsidising the useless ones. The trade union bosses were intent on following their crack pot political ideology regardless of the damage it caused. Indeed destruction of the British economy was part of their agenda.

This state of affairs was not only tolerated and in some areas encouraged by the Labour Party; it was accepted by the Macmillan government! You may consider the continuing downward spiral of Britain, over which he presided to be good Conservative policy; I and all other reasonable Conservatives do not.

Only when Margaret Thatcher came to power did British productivity start to improve, did we start to catch up with our international competitors and did our economy become stronger. Given the disastrous state we are now in only similar robust and sound policies can turn things around.

Foreign Policy: Robert Mugarbe? The one area you choose to complement is perhaps the worst area and the one over which she had least influence!

[Jim]

I went to University in Newcastle during the Thatcher years and she is still hated there, as she is in many of the old industrial towns. If memory serves Sir Peter Tapsell was a critic of the recession of the early 80's, saying it was unnecessarily severe.
The Conservatives need to remember that there are many areas in the North, such as Jarrow, where the entire local economy collapsed and they were left to rot. They have no capital, few skills, bad schools, poor health.
Somehow these areas have to be rebuilt, I have thought long and hard on this subject, how could it be done? I think first that the family and then the community must be rebuilt. Perhaps starting by building a community come youth centre. Perhaps renting lathes and tools, teaching people how to make repairs to their own homes.
I know there won't be much money and that these steps are small, but things cannot be left to continue as they are. It is quite possible that in the next few years there will not be the financial resources to afford the welfare state, these people cannot just be ignored.

[Tony Makara]

Interesting to see that the discredited Thatcherites are still out in force. Labour too had a problem with an ideological clique within its party, in the days of Militant, and Labour had the good sense to kick the dogmatists, and their Marxist texts into touch.

We should do the same with those Thatcherite Neoliberals who cling so dearly to their volumes of Friedman, Hayak and other Kosher-Economists, eagerly looking for the next opportunity to quote from the orthodoxy, to espouse yet more globalism.

You know, these people are really internationalists, just like the Marxists, ideological and dangerous.

[Archie Wedderspoon]

Readers, I think you take Tony Makara far too seriously. He only does it to annoy because he knows it teases.

[Andrew Smith]

Those who are debating the merits of Macmillan could do worse than re-read the relevant sections of Heffer's excellent biography of Powell. It is clear that Macmillan knew as little about economics as the public did about his wife's leisure persuits. Maybe boy George follows that tradition so far as economics are concerned.

[Ultimo Tiger]

My God, I come on here and I see people insulting both Thatcher & Macmillan.

Shame on you who think Macmillan & Thatcher are shameful!

[Areal Conservative and now ex Tory Voter]

Macmillan was a FABIAN for goodness sake.

As for your Thatcher's children montage:
You're playing with fire showing a photo with no ethnics on it. God help you you will be recruiting for the BNP next!

THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM ARE ILLEGAL ALIENS AND THE LISBON TREATY - ALL THE REST IS FAFF.

[Paul_G]

"That first sentence appals me. It suggests massive complacency."

It does. As a Labour supporter I still believe a hung parliament is possible and think 2014 is up for grabs.

[McCain for President]

I have to agree with those who feel this article shows complacency. This election could just as easily be a 1992 as it could a 1997. We ain't won nothing yet.

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

I for one am glad that the handbag showing various Tory Candidates does NOT bow the knee to tokenism and stick in an "Ethnic" just to show how all inclusive we are that would be patronising. I live in a Constituency with an "Ethic" Candidate Alok Sharma, and will be helping in one with another Shaun Bailey,in Hammersmith at election time. Both of these candidates are as British as me and are Conservatives and that is all that matters.

As to Thatcherism and its Economic Polices. This was needed at the time after the abuses of the Callaghan Government but time has moved on and it is 30 years since Maggie came to power. I personally am hoping for some more Social Conservatism but more moderate Economic Policies when David Cameron wins in 2010.

Again as one poster has said, it is as likely to be a 1992 result as a 1983 or 1987. I wonder how many of those in the hamdbag will have the letters MP after their names in May or June 2010?

[Raymond Wilson]

Thatchers children generation etc.
This means greed, exploitation and total destruction of the working classes.A greater gap between the have and the have nots.and lots of money spent on pointless warfare and less on welfare.
David cameron has made me chane my mind on voting Conservative.

[Martin Marprelate- A Man in the Street!]

It would be nice to have a key if that is possible identifying the various PPCs in the picture

[anthony]

7.

I support stephen fry and the others on this one and thank them for speaking out like this

The tory party have proven by joining an homophobic party that deep down they are still right wing and still homophobic

I am sorry I DO NOT BUY the tory claims of supporting equality NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS

Its all a con to get the gay vote from other parties It won`t work

We won`t forget section 28
We won`t forget their past track voting record on equality
We won`t forget the gross indeceny laws they refused to repeal
We won`t forget how they refused to crimialise gay bashings
We won`t forget how they refused to allow gay couples to adopt

SO LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY WE WON`T FORGET!

[Alan jony]

Henry Addington, William Pitt the Younger, Grenville will never agree to these policies which we adopted, abolishing Income Support. It will make history for Liberals to come back on-top-of-Whig. Not a bird prey, do pray Labour might win by coup d'etat next morning mornachy abolished, civil war in Great britain.

am off to prepare....

Vote R'spect

[Judi Hewitt]

Shame you lot think there's nothing wrong with your beloved 'hunter' leader bringing a barbaric sport back for his missus and his Hunt Master father in law.
He talks about freedoms, yet where's my freedom to enjoy our countryside in peace without the stomach churning hunt rampaging after some poor bloody fox. And before you spout off with well worn and tired old excuses that have already been blown out of the water - killing with dogs FOR FUN 'is' a nasty BLOOD SPORT that should never have been allowed to continue as long as it has. And just because most hunts are breaking the law, doesn't mean a law should be got rid of. If that were the case, then let's get rid of the law on thieving, since it clearly isn't working.
Plus if you're not fools, surely you can see that a man who can get pleasure from the torture of animals for his own enjoyment is not going to give a toss about the poor or any other downtrodden citizen.

[rice]

How can cameron on the one hand like many others admire BARACK Obama and all he stands for, truth honesty, a real vision, and say that he wants to be honest with the public, Then go on to try and win an election with a huge media and pr campaign that can only have the effect of a spin doctor. This cannot be denied, event the bbc seem to be giving more time to cameron than labour. (friends, in appropiate places maby?)

[emergency dental care]

Perhaps they all go to the same dentist for emergency dental care? Hopefully they get better treatment.

[denture repair]

All bark and no bite? Perhaps if they get proper denture repair they'll remember how to represent their own.

[chiropractor Leichhardt]

The media should focus more on our economic struggle rather than senseless talks from artists and the like.

[Secured Loans]

You quite rightly pointed out that said Prime Minister will be touring the US $300,000 per key-note lecture circuit et al. No one wants to serve the people any more.

[wisdom tooth removal]

"The organic layers are the weak links in the chain," Gilbert explains. "There are breaking points at predetermined locations built into the teeth.