Philip Hensher

What’s really behind the Tories’ present woes?

Geoffrey Wheatcroft identifies two root causes: the disastrous revision of the leadership election procedure, and David Cameron’s turn to the referendum as a device to govern

David Cameron in Blackpool, 2007. His fondness for referendums is seen as a root cause of the Conservatives’ present problems. [Getty Images] 
issue 25 May 2024

The problem is, we really need a Tory party. Whether we have one at the moment is another question. Political debate requires a significant and trustworthy proponent of personal freedom, of the limits of government, of personal responsibility, of strict limitations of government expenditure, of independent enterprise which may succeed through a lack of intrusive state control or may fail without hope of public rescue.

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