to what extent have conservatives supported one nation principles?

Rebecca Marlow

To what extent have Conservatives supported ‘one-nation’ principles?

The belief that governments should be committed to reforms that make people feel part of the nation is a defining feature of one nation conservatism. The various factions of the ideology consist of differing degrees of one nation principles; in one nation Conservatism, this is the defining principle, in traditional Conservatism it is a minor consideration, whilst the New Right holds views that are against this belief.

Perhaps most obviously, one nation principles are at the centre of one nation conservatism. The idea of Britain being viewed as a nation is of great importance to one-nation thinkers and this is why they are committed to reforms that make people feel part of the nation. This brings in ideas of social responsibility and the belief that social reform is essential in order to preserve a fragile society; in terms of strengthening existing bonds, reducing resentment and making people feel part of the nation. However, a pragmatism that places great importance on maintaining the balance between social reform and a lack of interference in the economy is also at the centre of the ideology. This is characterised by a belief that those with wealth should be allowed to keep it but should also be prepared to help those less fortunate of their own accord. An example of the accommodation that one-nation Conservatives reach with Capitalism can be seen in Disraeli’s factory reform acts that limited the hours of women and children but not those of men. Here, he was carrying out social reform that would not compromise industry and the economy.

Also, many within the ideology see one-nation conservatism as being a crossover between the feudal obligations of the nobility and industrial philanthropy. This idea of governing pragmatically was put forward by Oakshott when he compared the state to a ship afloat on the sea with no origin and no destination. However, whilst this is the case, there is a strong sense of a need for social reform in order to preserve society within one-nation conservatism that is not necessarily present in other forms of the ideology.

In contrast to one-nation principles of social reform and a need ...

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In contrast to one-nation principles of social reform and a need for Britain to be defined as a nation, traditional Conservatives interpret the organic nature of society to mean that dramatic reforms will lead to an unstable society. This faction of the ideology holds the view that any reforms should be to maintain existing structures of historic institutions and not to better the lives of the people; the government has no role in social reform. Whilst one-nation principles vindicate social reform in order to maintain stability and order, traditional conservatives see the maintenance of hierarchy and ensuring that everyone knows their place as being important for stability. The idea that a fragile and organic society must be governed by the ruling classes and that normal people must know their place is put forward by Burke in his best known work, ‘Reflections on the Revolution in France’, in which he likens the state to a parent and subjects to its children. Here, he illustrates his belief that people have an obligation to obey the state as long as it provides them with order. Traditional Conservatives would therefore only support reform if it prevented civil unrest such as that which contributed to the French Revolution; this reform focuses more on stability and maintenance of hierarchy than it does the good of the people.

In many ways, Neo Conservative beliefs are in opposition to one-nation principles; their belief in individual responsibility and economic liberalism leads to free market principles and ideas of minimal government intervention that could be seen as being contrary to one-nation ideas of social reform. However, Leo Strauss’ belief that unity will be achieved if the USA unites around a common cause could be likened to the one-nation idea that stability comes when people are made to feel part of the nation.

Ideas of the liberal new right are perhaps most in conflict with one-nation principles, seeing as the defining features of this ideology are those of economic liberalism and free market principles. These ideas were a reaction against what many saw as a dependency culture caused by the welfare state and too much government intervention. This idea was put forward by Joseph, who described a

‘cycle of deprivation’ that was caused by too much state intervention. This led him to advocate a dedication to free market principles and a rejection of state management. Whereas one-nation principles reach an accommodation between social reform and minimal government intervention, liberal new right thinkers believed in individual responsibility; people must solve their problems themselves rather than waiting for the state to do so for them. Ideas of social reform are rejected because of the belief that there will always be an ‘undeserving poor’, an underclass of people who could look after themselves but choose not to. It could be argued, therefore that liberal new right thinkers are in direct conflict with one-nation Conservatism.

The main beliefs of different factions within conservatism vary in terms of the degree to which they are comprised of one-nation principles. One-nation conservatism is defined by these principles, traditional conservatism sees maintenance of the status quo rather than social reform as being key to stability, Neo Conservatives oppose one-nation principles in their belief in minimal government intervention but share the need for unity of the nation and liberal new right Conservatives reach no accommodation with one-nation principles. In conclusion, with the obvious exception of one-nation conservatism, the ideology is not really influenced by one-nation principles.

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20th of Apr 2012

Quality of writing

Quality of Writing Overall the candidate's quality of written communication is very good, and their writing style is fluent and reads well. There are no spelling mistakes, but political ideologies are not proper nouns and thus should not be capitalised (i.e. "conservatism" and not "Conservatism", and "conservatives" should only be capitalised when referring to the Conservative Party). This is a very minor error, but it at A Level candidates should have an excellent grasp of spelling and grammar, particularly with regards to subject-specific vocabulary.

Level of analysis

Level of Analysis The level of analysis in this essay is excellent. The frequent references to and use of quotations by politicians and political thinkers (Disraeli, Burke, Oakeshott, Joseph) demonstrates a strong candidate and is an important skill in order to gain a good grade in A Level Politics, as it shows the examiner the candidate has a good knowledge of the topic, and that they can apply their knowledge to new situations under timed conditions. The inclusion of the two other major branches of conservatism (traditional and New Right) in order to evaluate whether the ideology has been influenced as a whole by One Nation ideas is a good technique, and is a key aspect of this essay, as it provides the counterargument to the assumption put forward in the question. The candidate has also acknowledged the tensions between some of the core ideas of conservatism and the desire for social reform as advocated by One Nation principles shows an example of this, as they contrast traditional and One Nation conservatism.

Response to question

Response to Question This question requires candidates to consider the evidence that conservatives have supported One Nation principles (such as the British Conservative Party from Disraeli's ministry to the beginning of Thatcher's leadership), and, importantly, to use the evidence of conservatives opposing One Nation ideas as an argument against the idea that conservatives have supported One Nation principles. With a "To what extent..." question, candidates should make a judgement at the end based on the two sides of the debate that they have weighed up, and this candidate is an excellent example of an effective concluding paragraph.

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