In an alternate Britain, teenagers delight in one-nation values. It would happen in Britain too, but not whilst the phrase is suffixed with conservatism. Alias; the intolerable status quo.
Why is the stable face of conservatism turning ugly? Burke would not recognise it now. Its new fashion is a compound of partygate, prorogue and Pincher — it is a doctrine of deceit.
Sajid Javid agrees. He raised concerns in his resignation speech about how future generations will view his party if it continues on its current aimless trajectory. Conservative ideology is whatever form party praxis takes.
This leads to a dangerous narrative of issue-based voting, with the delegate model slipping through its cracks. When this falls, the value of ideology as a trusty guide for decision-making spirals. Johnson’s leadership ensured that “conservatism” transformed into a commonality of mismanagement and chaos. While principles are Darwinian and malleable, this is not evolutionary — it is reductive.
All the while, Labour is absolved of similar scrutiny by Gen-Z, with no government experience in our memory. Starmer garners roaring youth support by offering the holy grail of manifestos: “I’m not in government.” And when this promise is not enough, my generation looks further left. 12-years of Conservative government will pay its reparations by digging its own grave.
Javid continued by questioning “how the next generation will see this House, and the health of our democracy.”
Like ideology, the actions of those in government define the merit of the Westminster model. Just 19 per cent of 18-24 year olds believe this system of democracy serves them well. While some say our model oozes flaws, its assets have been universally accepted to the point where they are taken for granted. Recent resignations and law breaking will plunge my generation’s faith in democracy deep into the danger zone, with secure democracy not readily guaranteed. No longer the star democratic pupil, we are egotistically disruptive.
Loyalty to Johnson was worthy enough to drag conservative ideology through the mud for so long. Now stagnant – I ask, what next? How do you make it a challenger again?
Breaking the knot that ties government action, ideological and democratic support tight together is the struggle. Ideology has lost to the personalisation of politics.
This mess hopes to be untangled by the Conservative leadership contest. It has the potential to reinstate faith – its outcome determines the health of Westminster and perhaps a fatal blow to the weed that is the personalisation of politics.
But in light of their proximity to Johnson, Sunak and Truss will struggle to reinstate the backbone of conservatism. The former chancellor is too busy dreaming of cutting national debt to remember to remove the original stain that Cameron’s austerity cast to conservatism all those years ago. Only by adopting the free-market principles of Truss can the new party hope to carve out a new identity for itself.
As Javid put it, “a team is only as good as its captain” – the next moments will determine the future of all party politics in Britain, not just the fate of the Conservative party.
