Since the establishment of the Conservative Party in 1834, the party has remained united by a single core ideologically, which is to preserve tradition and to maintain law and order to ensure that tensions in society refrain from deepening. However, due to the rapid pace of change and reaction from the right to the long-term inefficiencies of aggregate demand to raise revenue, much of the Conservative Party has been divided along philosophical and economic views, with one side standing up for the perceived interests of the individual and another defending the needs of society to reflect a change in attitude to adapt to a more modern and realist environment. This essay will argue that although the Conservatives have been united by a shared goal in maintaining the strength of the status quo, their principles and methodologies to secure this crucial tenet have differed and have been shaped by the experiences of society as a whole rather than those of politicians or an authority.

Sir Robert Peel changed the name of the party from the “Tories” to the Conservative Party. This change reflected the necessary mood during the heat of the Industrial Revolution where the party could not bear to balance their respect and courage to defend the values of God and country, with appeasing the landowner class to garner political support. Instead, Disraeli wrote his classic Sybil in which he argues that a form of paternalistic conservatism must be introduced to provide the necessary protections for the vulnerable and safeguard the weakest from foreseeable harm. Disraeli also argued that because of the dangerous environment the lower-classes were predisposed to, the respected members of the upper class had an obligatory duty to defend the rest of society from harm or needless exploitation. Therefore, it can be argued that the Conservative Party remained united for the vast majority of the post-war and industrial period by a sense of shared purpose to (1) position themselves as a party that believes in both tradition and compassion (2) an entity which upholds Britain’s long-term position on the world stage by readily maintaining the functions and mission of her Empire.

The Conservative Party has also been united by a goal which is to be resistant to change and advocate for the preservation of traditional British customs and practices (termed as traditional values). This originates from the Burkean concept of a social contract between God, the living, the church, the dead and the government in response to the build-up of the French revolution. The ideological mission or covenant of the old Conservative Party was to exploit the functions of a social contract to fulfil the aim of unifying society on a trajectory to support individual responsibility, human nature and traditional values. This can further be evidenced by the attitude of the post-war consensus Tory governments where they saw the crux of British conservatism as not only the spirited defence of traditional values but also standing up for the interests of any individual in the process. Housebuilding projects in northern towns were being created under Harold Macmillan’s government once again reiterating the conservative value of aspiration by allowing and facilitating millions of people access to the housing ladder, creating more social equity between individuals and society as a whole. Therefore, it can be argued that most factions of the Tory party are united on shared goals with small caveats, formulating differences that could ultimately suggest the Tory party are united but have differing or subjective moral principles.

However, with the rapid development of technology and changes in the global environment, the Conservatives began to become divided along lines of economic determinants. For instance, after the Winter of Discontent which occurred between 1976-79, a new form of conservatism dubbed the “New Right” began as a reaction to government overreach and politicians such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher felt politically emboldened to advocate for democratic and Western values which included; limited government, an independent judiciary and the rule of law, acting as a counterbalance towards a world with an increasingly totalitarian East, conflicting with the goals of the free world. Thatcher privatised industries across the United Kingdom and deregulated most of the market to ensure that assets of the hardworking were preserved and talent was rewarded. Most famously, Thatcher’s premiership coincided with the poll tax protests that aimed to forcefully change the poll tax into a more manageable levy. This, in turn, pressured the government to change course in action, but none was to be seen due to Thatcher’s dogmatic character and determined outlook. Therefore, it can be argued that if authority tried to reduce the prominence of religion and traditional values, conservatives needed to react in order to uphold their shared interests and maintain unity under a single ideological basis.

Additionally, it can be noted that the Conservatives also attempted to restructure their social policy to make it more adaptable to the needs of the public in 21st-century Britain. David Cameron introduced a concept of “compassionate conservatism” which posited that individuals who have been left behind by big government are in need of care or support from what Cameron called the “Big Society”, in which everyone helps their local community and aid individuals that are predisposed to harm or long-term danger. The core of this ideology was to ensure the Conservatives garnered sufficient support in the face of a strong Brownite campaign, this caused division as most traditional Tories wanted Cameron to stick to principle and the origin of Conservatism rather than upholding a new form of modern liberalism. Therefore, it can be argued that the Tory party strongly believes in “change to conserve” to secure electability and law/order, albeit the division caused by such measures.

Ultimately, while the Conservatives have advocated for social unity and structure, the long-term breakdown exacerbated by modernisation has proved it difficult to remain united under one banner. The modern-day conservatives rely on a combination of one-nationism and a neo-liberal economic agenda, hindering its outreach after a 14 year stint in power.