Finding Amusement In the Implosion of the Conservative Party? It's Understandable – But Completely Wrong

There have been times when Tory figureheads have seemed moderately rational outwardly – and other moments where they have come across as wildly irrational, yet were still adored by party loyalists. This is not either of those times. One prominent Conservative failed to inspire attendees when she presented to her conference, even as she offered the divisive talking points of migrant-baiting she assumed they wanted.

The issue wasn't that they’d all arisen with a renewed sense of humanity; instead they didn’t believe she’d ever be in a position to deliver it. Effectively, an imitation. Conservatives despise that. A veteran Tory reportedly described it as a “jazz funeral”: noisy, energetic, but still a farewell.

Coming Developments for this Party That Can Reasonably Claim to Make for Itself as the Most Historically Successful Political Organization in Modern Times?

Some are having a fresh look at a particular MP, who was a hard “no” at the beginning – but with proceedings winding down, and rivals has left. Some are fostering a interest around a newer MP, a young parliamentarian of the latest cohort, who appears as a countryside-based politician while saturating her socials with anti-migrant content.

Is she poised as the leader to counter Reform, now outpolling the Conservatives by 20 points? Can we describe for overcoming competitors by becoming exactly like them? Furthermore, should one not exist, maybe we can adopt a term from martial arts?

If You’re Enjoying Any of This, in a Schadenfreude Way, in a Serves-Them-Right-for-Austerity Way, One Can See Why – However Completely Irrational

You don’t even have to look at the US to understand this, or reference Daniel Ziblatt’s seminal 2017 book, his analysis of political systems: every one of your synapses is screaming it. The mainstream right is the essential firewall resisting the radical elements.

His research conclusion is that representative governments persist by satisfying the “elite classes” happy. I’m not wild about it as an guiding tenet. It feels as though we’ve been keeping the affluent and connected for decades, at the detriment of other citizens, and they don't typically become quite happy enough to halt efforts to reduce support out of public assistance.

Yet his research goes beyond conjecture, it’s an thorough historical examination into the pre-Nazi German National People’s Party during the pre-war period (in parallel to the British Conservatives around the early 1900s). As moderate conservatism becomes uncertain, as it begins to chase the rhetoric and superficial stances of the radical wing, it hands them the control.

We Saw Comparable Behavior Throughout the EU Exit Process

The former Prime Minister cosying up to an influential advisor was a clear case – but radical alignment has become so pronounced now as to eliminate competing Conservative messages. What happened to the traditional Tories, who prize predictability, preservation, legal frameworks, the pride of Britain on the international platform?

What happened to the reformers, who portrayed the United Kingdom in terms of economic engines, not powder kegs? To be clear, I didn't particularly support any of them as well, but it’s absolutely striking how such perspectives – the inclusive conservative, the Cameroonian Conservative – have been marginalized, superseded by constant vilification: of newcomers, religious groups, social support users and protesters.

They Walk On Stage to Music That Sounds Like the Signature Music to Game of Thrones

Emphasizing what they cannot stand for any more. They describe protests by 75-year-old pacifists as “festivals of animosity” and display banners – national emblems, Saint George’s flags, any item featuring a splash of matadorial colour – as an open challenge to individuals doubting that total cultural alignment is the highest ideal a person could possibly be.

There doesn’t seem to be any natural braking system, encouraging reassessment with fundamental beliefs, their own hinterland, their original agenda. Each incentive the political figure offers them, they pursue. Consequently, no, it isn't enjoyable to see their disintegration. They are dragging civil society along in their decline.

Steven Sanchez
Steven Sanchez

A tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger passionate about sharing practical insights and inspiring others through her writing.