The Conservative Party and the Nation : Union, England and Europe

Cover; Series page; Title page; Copyright page; Contents; Prelude: Conservatives and Conservatism; 1 Conservatism and the party; 2 Conservatism and the nation; 3 Conservative nation revisited; 4 Conservatism: class and nation; 5 Conservatives and the British Question; 6 Conservatives and the English Question; 7 Conservatives and the European Question; Postscript: Conservatism confounded; References; Index.;This book is an important and timely re-assessment of the significance which the role of national identity plays in Conservative politics. It examines the challenges facing the party in its commitment to preserve the Union, in its promise to address the English Question and in its objective of using Brexit to consolidate a new Conservative nation. "This book re-examines the claim of the Conservative Party to be the 'national party' and in its politics to express the enduring 'national interest'. It explores the historical character of the Conservative Party, in particular the significance of the nation in its self-understanding. It addresses the political culture of the modern party, one which proclaims a Unionist vocation but rests mainly on English support, and considers how the Englishness of the party is reconciled with the politics of British statecraft. It considers the constitutional challenges which the Conservative Party faces in managing a changing Union, in negotiating a changing Europe and in defining a changing national interest. The book is essential reading not only for students and scholars of the Conservative Party but also for those who want to make sense of the transformations taking place in modern British politics."-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Series page 4 Title page 5 Copyright page 6 Contents 7 Prelude: Conservatives and Conservatism 9 1 Conservatism and the party 11 2 Conservatism and the nation 31 3 Conservative nation revisited 52 4 Conservatism: class and nation 73 5 Conservatives and the British Question 94 6 Conservatives and the English Question 116 7 Conservatives and the European Question 138 Postscript: Conservatism confounded 160 References 169 Index 195