The Conservatives: Crisis and Recovery

Module code: PL3098

Arguably, the Conservative Party is one of the most successful political parties in the Western world. It has dominated UK politics since the 19th century and many of its leaders, such as Churchill, Disraeli and Thatcher, are huge figures in British political history. However, the past 30 years have seen the party racked with crisis, splits and weakness, and you'll examine those events in this module.

You'll explore the character and significance of Thatcherism; a philosophy that prompted a seismic change in the nature of British society. You'll assess the record of the Thatcher and Major governments. Plus, you'll consider the reasons for the decline and weakness of the Conservative Party in the 1990s and 2000s and their post-2005 recovery.