How Can Conservatism Be Defined?

To be conservative is to be cautious or superstitious of change. Conservatives prefer to keep things roughly as they are. They tend to have few idealistic hopes about people. Many ideas came from Edmund Burke, who opposed rapid change, arguing in support of tradition and gradual reform. The family and nation are key units and they stress the importance of the rule of law, duty and hierarchy.

There are three main strands of conservatism. Traditional conservatism stresses patriotism and authority but opposes social reform and other threats to the status quo. One-nation conservatives argue that, despite class differences, the interests uniting the British people are far greater than those dividing them. Liberal conservatism supports the greatest possible economic liberty and least possible government regulation and intervention. In the 1980s, liberal conservatives dominated the Conservative Party. After the resignation of Margaret Thatcher as prime minister, ideological differences within the Tory party emerged.