Tory Leaders

  • A 14 year scuffle for control

    The narrative of the recent past of the Conservative party is set against a backdrop of extreme elements of the UK press that don’t assume innocence but look for guilt. It’s clear to those that follow it closely but also for those who take a position at the back.

    However, there are always flaws inherent in the plan. In isolation, each Tory Prime Minister since 2010 has faced a reckoning, and some have tried to make an apology as a result. The fact is a lot is demanded of politicians these days and disappointment is a risk.

    Take for example David Cameron, who is believed to have let down pro-independence Scottish nationalists and equally pro-European Remain voters. It was a torrid time for him to be in office, albeit he wasn’t to blame for the outcome of two referendums.

    Fast forward, and Rishi Sunak emerges as Prime Minister after just 50 days of Liz Truss in office. It didn’t lead to much happiness in the party. Sunak’s legacy is overshadowed by claims of wastefulness. His ill-fated Rwanda plan is seen as a costly error of judgment.

    The torrent of accusations against Sir Keir Starmer MP (Holborn and St Pancras/Labour) remind us that life is short in a daily news cycle. It makes sense to pundits to suggest the axe should fall. More credible observers see that substantial reasons lead to a quick exit.

    The first three Tory leaders since and including Cameron left by their own accord, finding events catching up with their ambition. The next year or so led to the demise of two Prime Minister’s and the election of a new leader. It’s a tale worthy of a rhyme to rival Henry 8.

  • Profile: Margaret Thatcher

    Margaret Thatcher began her political career in 1959 as an MP for Finchley in Barnet, London. It was twenty years later when she became Prime Minister aged 53 and served in two subsequent terms until 1990.

    In her lifetime she was lauded as the first female Prime Minister and yet her tenure took on a genderless tone as she battled foes at home and abroad.

    The key features of her time as Prime Minister included The Falklands War, the Poll Tax Riots, and miner’s strikes. These were startling times of uncertainty.

    In the politics of this era and later a notable characteristic is a high expectation that leads to a huge disappointment, and the UK went through many of these periods.

    Margaret Thatcher lead by her voice but in spite of her speeches found herself in the midst of serious disagreements with journalists and members of the public. Her press was often negative at the time and it weighed on her and broke her Premiership.

    In the event of her resignation in 1990 she felt bitter because she had to leave her party behind. Afterwards she said it felt like it was the end of a “relationship” with a party she had served for so long.

    Her mainstay was Denis Thatcher, her husband, who was a sort of companion and advisor to her personally.