The Future of Green Policies Under the Conservative Party UK
Introduction
In today’s news, there’s an important scoop about the future direction of green policies under the Conservatives. However, my focus will be on discussing “The Case for the Centre Right,” a book edited by David Gauke, the former justice secretary and lord chancellor. This collection of essays presents the perspectives of moderate Tories, raising questions about the party’s internal dynamics and their ability to regain control. Let’s dive into the analysis.
The Paradox of Tory Liberals
Over the past 13 years, the Conservative party owes its return to office to the support of its liberal wing. Without David Cameron’s modernization of the Tory party, they would never have regained power. However, since their return, the Tory liberals have faced significant setbacks. The UK has left the EU, taxes are at an all-time high, and the environmental agenda has taken a backseat. This raises the question of what went wrong for the moderate faction within the party.
The Conservative Party’s Evolution
Under Cameron’s leadership, the Conservative party made efforts to appeal to a broader electorate, including targeting affluent ethnic minority voters. This strategy seemed successful at the time, but now, the party has transformed into the party of retired, predominantly white British voters. How did this transformation occur, and why did the moderate faction lose its dominance within the party?
David Gauke’s “The Case for the Centre Right”
David Gauke, known for his effectiveness in administrative roles, has edited a book titled “The Case for the Centre Right.” The collection of essays involves notable moderate Tories, such as Danny Finkelstein, Amber Rudd, Rory Stewart, Andrew Cooper, and Anne Milton. While the essays are thoughtful and thought-provoking, there’s a missing piece in the narrative – an explanation for the decline of the liberal centre right within the Conservative party.
Understanding Internal Defeats
For Conservative moderates to reclaim control of the party, they need to have an honest analysis of why they have been defeated. Blaming their opponents’ wickedness alone cannot provide a complete explanation. It is crucial for them to address the central question of why the liberal centre right lost its influential position under Rishi Sunak’s leadership. Without a theory to explain their internal defeats, they are unlikely to reverse their situation in the near future.
Insights from Tony Blair
As Tony Blair once said, a crucial rule for opposition is to start with an honest analysis of why they are in opposition. This sentiment applies to the Tory moderates as well. They must deeply introspect and gain a genuine understanding of their defeats before formulating an effective strategy to regain control. Without this clarity, their struggle to reclaim the Conservative party will likely continue.
Expanding the Discussion: Oppenheimer and Barbie
Shifting our focus, let’s discuss the films “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.” While “Oppenheimer” stands out as a brilliant movie, “Barbie” provokes more interesting conversations. The former film excels in its storytelling, leaving little room for criticism. On the other hand, “Barbie” presents an opportunity for analysis and review, offering unique perspectives on a complex subject.
Janan Ganesh’s Insightful Column
In an unexpected turn of events, Janan Ganesh has managed to write an interesting and wholly correct column about the film “Oppenheimer.” His analysis sheds light on the various aspects of the movie and adds depth to the conversation around it. For a comprehensive understanding of the film and its significance, Ganesh’s column is worth exploring.
Key Stories of the Day
1. NatWest CEO Resigns Amid Farage Row: The CEO of NatWest, Alison Rose, has stepped down after admitting to providing inaccurate briefing on the closure of Nigel Farage’s bank account to a BBC journalist.
2. London Mayor’s Call for More Funding: Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, has requested additional funding from the Conservative central government to finance a more generous scrappage scheme for owners of older cars. This proposal is a part of his plans to expand the clean air zone across the whole of the UK capital.
3. UK Government’s Approach to Wagner Paramilitary Group Under Scrutiny: A cross-party group of MPs has criticized the UK government for its approach to Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group over the past decade. The MPs argue that their unrealistic approach may have allowed the group to continue benefitting from London’s financial markets despite international sanctions.
4. Rise in Homelessness: Government data reveals that the number of people living in temporary accommodation in England has reached a 25-year high. This highlights the urgent need for effective strategies to address the issue of homelessness.
5. Lawsuits Against Universities Over Covid-19 Disruption: Around 120,000 recent graduates and current students across the UK have signed up to sue their universities over the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The outcome of these lawsuits could have significant financial implications for the higher education sector.
Conclusion
In summary, the future direction of green policies under the Conservative Party UK is a critical issue that requires attention. While “The Case for the Centre Right” offers valuable perspectives from moderate Tories, an honest analysis of their internal defeats is necessary for the party’s revival. The films “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” have distinct qualities, with Janan Ganesh’s column providing valuable insights into the former. Additionally, the top stories of the day cover a range of issues, including the resignation of NatWest’s CEO, London’s mayor’s funding request, scrutiny of the UK government’s approach to the Wagner paramilitary group, the rise in homelessness, and lawsuits against universities due to Covid-19 disruption.
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Good morning. Staving off a complete summer lull in news, our team has unearthed an important scoop about the future direction of green policies under the Conservatives. But I don’t have all that much to add on that, other than “this is an important scoop”.
Fortunately, I have recently read The Case for the Centre Right, a series of essays edited by David Gauke, the former justice secretary and lord chancellor. Some thoughts on that below.
Inside Politics is edited by Georgina Quach. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenkb and please send gossip, thoughts and feedback to insidepolitics@ft.com
Claiming back terri-Tory
One of the fascinating paradoxes of the past 13 years is that the Conservative party only returned to office thanks to the party’s liberal wing, but since returning, Tory liberals have succumbed to nothing short of disaster.
In my view, without David Cameron’s modernisation of the Tory party, they would never have been able to return to Downing Street. But Cameron’s faction has had a catastrophic 13 years. The UK has left the EU, taxes are at an all-time high and the environmental agenda is on the backburner. Instead of targeting affluent ethnic minority voters, whom Cameron spent so much time and energy cultivating, the Conservatives are now the party of retired, largely white British voters.
Now David Gauke, one of the most effective administrators of the past 13 years, has edited a volume of essays, The Case for the Centre Right. The book is a who’s who of moderate Tories, including Danny Finkelstein, Amber Rudd, Rory Stewart, Andrew Cooper and Anne Milton.
The book has any number of strengths. The essays are thoughtful and thought-provoking, but something is missing. Reading the book, it feels as if the authors think the only reason that Conservative moderates and the Tory left have lost power is the wickedness of their opponents. I don’t think that can be the whole story. There’s no account of why the liberal centre right went from the Tory party’s dominant faction under Cameron to a subordinate one under Sunak. This is surely the central question facing Conservative moderates: if they don’t have a theory to explain their internal defeats, they surely won’t be in a position to reverse them any time soon.
One of Tony Blair’s rules for opposition is “start with an honest analysis of why you are in opposition”. I’m not sure that Tory moderates have an honest analysis of why they have been defeated. Until they do, they will surely struggle to reclaim control of the Conservative party.
Now try this
As I have mentioned a couple of times, I went to see Oppenheimer and Barbie at the weekend. My view when I left the cinema was that Oppenheimer is the better film but Barbie is the more interesting conversation starter, and that there isn’t much to say about Oppenheimer other than “well, that was a brilliant movie”. Since seeing the two films, all I have done is tell people they ought to see Oppenheimer and read reviews of Barbie. (Read Danny Leigh’s take on the latter here.)
Much to my chagrin, Janan Ganesh has proved there is, in fact, an interesting and wholly correct column to be written about the film. Read his column on Oppenheimer here and Danny Leigh’s review here.
Top stories today
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NatWest boss quits over Farage row | NatWest chief executive Alison Rose has stepped down after admitting to the inaccurate briefing of a BBC journalist about the closure of Nigel Farage’s bank account.
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Chasing cars | London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the Conservative central government to provide him with more funding to finance a more generous scrappage scheme for owners of older cars caught by his plans to expand his flagship clean air zone to cover the whole of the UK capital.
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Government ‘underplayed’ Wagner | The UK government’s “completely unrealistic” approach to Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group over the past decade has made “it possible, if not probable” that it has continued to benefit from access to London’s financial markets, despite being internationally sanctioned for alleged human rights abuses, a cross-party committee of MPs said yesterday.
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Homelessness rising sharply | The number of people living in temporary accommodation in England has hit a 25-year high, according to government data.
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Can students sue their universities? | About 120,000 recent graduates and current students across the UK have signed up to sue their universities over Covid-19 disruption. If successful, the claims could result in a combined payout for the UK higher education sector running into hundreds of millions of pounds. But several solicitors and barristers cautioned that the students could face an uphill battle to win.
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