Mass Conservatism

Book excerpt: The Conservatives have been the most successful party in British politics since the arrival of a mass electorate following the Reform Acts of 1885 and 1918. Although identified with the elite, the Conservatives have consistently been able to mobilize a mass popular support. This has involved more than just a narrow defence of privilege and property, or negative anti-socialism. The essays in this volume explore the relationship between the Conservative Party and the mass of the British people from the 1880s to the Thatcher and Major era. Several focus on the party's sources of support and the ways in which it has sought to broaden these through shifts in policies, presentation and organization. A second theme of the book is the response the Conservatives have found amongst the masses. Studies in this area consider the Tory appeal to particular groups in British society, both regionally and socially. Whereas histories of the Conservative Party have dealt with these issues in general terms, the essays in this volume draw upon fresh research of primary sources, and break new ground in an area that has been neglected for many years.