Democratising Conservative Leadership Selection From Grey Suits to Grass Roots

by Denham, Andrew; O'Hara, Kieron

• ISBN13: 9780719075070
• ISBN10: 0719075076
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-15
• Publisher: Manchester University Press

Summary

This book traces the effects of democracy on the British Conservative Party, specifically looking at how changes in the ways the Conservatives elect their leaders have altered their mandate to lead.The book includes an analysis of the original undemocratic 'system' whereby a leader 'emerged' from a shadowy process of consultation, and of the six elections between 1965 and 1997 where the parliamentary Conservative Party alone chose the Party leader. This historical perspective is followed by in-depth analysis of the three contests since 2001 that have taken place under the 'Hague rules,' according to which ordinary Party members have the final say. This is the most comprehensive account yet published of the operation of those rules on the Conservative Party and the legitimacy of its leadership, and of the 2005 election of David Cameron.This book will be essential reading for students, academic specialists and anyone interested in the recent history and contemporary practice of British Conservatism.

Author Biography

Andrew Denham is Reader in Government at University of Nottingham. Kieron O’Hara is Senior Research Fellow in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at University of Southampton, and a Fellow of the Web Science Research Initiative.

Table of Contents

List of tables	p. vii
Preface	p. ix
Introduction: democracy, legitimacy and Conservative leadership	p. 1
The 'magic circle' and after: from selection to election	p. 11
Hague's revenge: the Conservative leadership election of 2001	p. 48
Full circle to the magic circle	p. 70
From May to December, part 1: the phoney war	p. 105
From May to December, part 2: a tale of two speeches	p. 132
Cameron's mandate for modernisation	p. 173
Conclusion	p. 197
Appendices
Conservative Party leadership election results, 1965-2005	p. 203
The experience upon reaching office of Conservative Party leaders since the war	p. 208
Declarations of support in the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election	p. 212
Bookmakers' odds on the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election	p. 215
Select bibliography	p. 218
Index	p. 221
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