Political Atlas

How Power Is Arranged
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Institution

Conservative Party (United Kingdom)

Political Parties and Party Coalitions

The Conservative Party traces its organized origins to the 1830s, emerging from the older Tory tradition and given a modern programmatic form in Robert Peel's 1834 Tamworth Manifesto. It has stood, with the Labour Party, as one of the two dominant parties in British politics, generally favoring free markets, private property and a more limited state role in the economy, and has produced a majority of Britain's prime ministers since the nineteenth century, including Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill.

Facts
Disputed
Founded Date
1834-12-18 1
1834 marks Robert Peel's Tamworth Manifesto, generally credited with founding the modern Conservative Party's identity out of the older Tory party; the party's central organization, Conservative Central Office, was not established until 1870, so historians differ on which date should count as the founding.
Founded Year
1834 1
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom 1
Classification
Institution Type
Political Party Organization 1
Connections

Governing Party Of

Source Rishi Sunak (Wikipedia)

Led By

Margaret Thatcher, Political Figures

Thatcher was elected leader of the Conservative Party in February 1975, defeating the incumbent Edward Heath, and led the party until November 1990, winning three general elections as prime minister in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

Source Margaret Thatcher (Britannica)
Winston Churchill, Political Figures

Churchill led the Conservative Party as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.

Source Winston Churchill (UK Government)

Supports

NATO Membership, Policies

Conservative Party Manifesto 2024, Defence chapter: committed to raising UK defence spending to NATO's 2.5%-of-GDP standard by 2030 and to campaigning for every NATO ally to meet the same baseline.

Source Clear Plan. Bold Action. Secure Future.: The Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2024 (Conservatives.com)
Sanctions on Russia, Policies

2024 manifesto cites the post-Brexit independent UK sanctions regime used against Russia as a record achievement, alongside a pledge to sustain Ukraine support "for as long as they are required."

Source Conservative Party Manifesto 2024, foreign-policy commitments (Council for Arab-British Understanding summary, quoting the manifesto)
Sources
1. Conservative Party (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • Institution type, description
    The Conservative Party traces its organized origins to the 1830s, emerging from the older Tory tradition and given a modern programmatic form in Robert Peel's 1834 Tamworth Manifesto.
  • Part Of: Parliamentary Democracy, Party overview
  • Part Of: Constitutional Monarchy, Party overview
View the Source
Clear Plan. Bold Action. Secure Future.: The Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2024 (Conservatives.com)
The Conservative and Unionist PartyPosition On: NATO Membership, Defence chapter, "Clear Plan. Bold Action. Secure Future." (2024 manifesto)
Quote, Position On: NATO Membership, Defence chapter, "Clear Plan. Bold Action. Secure Future." (2024 manifesto)
It will protect our security, cement our UK leadership in NATO and create more jobs in the UK.
View the Source
Conservative Party Manifesto 2024, foreign-policy commitments (Council for Arab-British Understanding summary, quoting the manifesto)
Council for Arab-British Understanding, quoting the Conservative Party 2024 general election manifestoPosition On: Sanctions on Russia, 2024 Conservative Party general election manifesto, foreign policy section, as quoted by CAABU
Quote, Position On: Sanctions on Russia, 2024 Conservative Party general election manifesto, foreign policy section, as quoted by CAABU
we have introduced a new independent sanctions regime that we have used to stand up for human rights around the world in countries such as Russia, Belarus and Iran.
View the Source
CIA World Factbook archive: United Kingdom (CIA World Factbook archive)
CIA World Factbook archiveIn Group: Parties of Parliamentary Systems and Constitutional Monarchies, Government: government type
Quote, In Group: Parties of Parliamentary Systems and Constitutional Monarchies, Government: government type
Government.Government type.text: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
View the Source
Winston Churchill (UK Government)
UK Government (gov.uk)Led By: Winston Churchill, Official biographyView the Source

Take a Related Quiz

Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.