Origins in the Whig Party

Conservative Party

The Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservative Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom that has a right wing ideology of conservatism and British unionism. It is the ruling party of the UK, working in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrat Party, and its party leader, David Cameron, is the country’s Prime Minister. They hold 307 seats within the House of Commons.

The Conservative Party was founded in 1834 out of the old Tory Party, and even today it is still often referred to as the Tory Party, with its members, the Conservatives, also being referred to as Tories.

It added the byname of "Unionist" to its title in the early 20th Century, to mark its opposition to the Irish Home Rule movement. Conservative governments were in power for two thirds of the 20th century, led by such notable leaders as Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

Organisation and membership

In the organisation of the Conservative Party dominate the election of party leaders and the selection of local candidates while the Conservative campaign headquarters leads financing, organisation of elections and drafting of policy. The leader of the parliamentary party forms policy in consultation with his cabinet and administration. This decentralised structure is unusual.

Membership declined through the 20th century, and, despite a boost shortly after Cameron's election as leader in December 2005, later resumed its fall in 2006 to a lower level than when he was elected. In 2006 the Conservative Party had about 290,000 members. The membership fee for the Conservative party is £25, or £5 if the member is under the age of 23.

Internationally the Conservative Party is member of the International Democratic Union, and in Europe it is a member of the European Democrat Union.

Origins in the Whig Party

The Conservative Party traces its origins to a faction, rooted in the 18th century Whig Party, that coalesced around William Pitt the Younger. Originally known as "Independent Whigs", "Friends of Mr Pitt", or "Pittites", after Pitt's death the term "Tory" came into use. This was an allusion to the Tories, a political grouping that had existed earlier, but which had no organisational continuity with the Pittite party. From about 1812 on the name "Tory" was commonly used for the newer party.

Not all members of the party were content with the "Tory" name. George Canning first used the term 'Conservative' in the 1820s and it was suggested as a title for the party by John Wilson Croker in the 1830s. It was later officially adopted under the aegis of Sir Robert Peel. Peel is acknowledged as the founder of the Conservative Party, which he created with the announcement of the Tamworth Manifesto.

Well known members

Margaret Thatcher won her party's leadership election in 1975 and led them to subsequent victory in the 1979 general election. In the years preceding her election, the UK had experienced sustained inflation, rising unemployment and the "Winter of Discontent" in which the UK was blighted by a series of strikes.

As prime minister, Thatcher focused on establishing a political ideology that became known as the "New Right" or Thatcherism, based on social and economic ideas from the United States. Thatcher believed that too much socialist orientated government policy was leading to a long term decline in the British economy. As a result, her government pursued a programme of Economic Liberalism, adopting a free-market approach to public services based on the sale of publicly-owned industries and utilities, as well as a reduction in trade union power. She held the belief that the existing trend of Unions was bringing economic progress to a standstill by enforcing "wildcat" strikes, keeping wages artificially high and forcing unprofitable industries to stay open.

Mrs Thatcher secured her third successive election victory.

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