#british conservatism

[blackswaneuroparedux]

The conservative cause has been polluted by the ideology of big business, by the global ambitions of the multinational companies, and by the ascendancy of economics in the thinking of modern politicians.

- Sir Roger Scruton, How To Be a Conservative

I’ve always said that the word ‘conservative’ is the most abused word in the political dictionary. For those of us who have a conservative disposition towards arts, culture, and society but don’t automatically align ourselves with the actual political Conservative party, it is a continued cause for grief.

I believe Adam Smith and Edmund Burke - both badly misunderstood and misquoted thinkers - as well as the late Sir Roger Scruton would be turning in their graves at how the poor state of current British conservatism has morphed into some cultish free market libertarian wet dream.

[tmarshconnors]

The Great British Conundrum

Ah, Britain my homeland a nation famed for its stiff upper lip, common sense, and a long-standing tradition of political pragmatism. But recently, I’ve found myself feeling a deep-seated shame in my country’s political trajectory, a feeling that's hard to shake. It’s like we've lost our compass and don’t know which direction to follow. To put it politely. We’ve had Conservatives elected to lead, yet, rather than implementing conservative policies, we saw them governing like liberals. And now, the Labour Party sweeping in on a wave of frustration seems dead set on imposing an outright socialist agenda. I can’t say I’m thrilled.

In a time when true conservative values should be the answer to the social and economic chaos around us, the Conservatives barely held onto their ideological roots. They became lost in a desperate attempt to appeal to everyone, trying to be all things to all people governing like moderates when they should have drawn firm lines. People expected robust action on immigration, crime, economic growth, and more, but instead, we got half-measures, compromises, and a heavy dose of liberal appeasement.

So, it’s no wonder that Labour found an easy path to power. People were tired of the Conservatives’ wavering, their failure to take a stand or implement anything truly conservative. Labour painted themselves as the refreshing alternative, promising solutions for those left disillusioned by years of fence sitting. But let’s be honest: Labour’s brand of 'solutions' isn’t designed to make Britain prosperous or independent; it’s aimed at pulling the country leftward at a startling speed. And it’s not a course correction; it’s an overhaul.

We are a country now faced with a government that believes in bigger state control, wealth redistribution, and policies that echo socialism. I am no fan of this trajectory. AT ALL! The Labour Party may be all about fairer society rhetoric, but the methods often involve policies that weaken individual freedoms, inhibit entrepreneurial spirit, and crush personal responsibility. It’s as if we’ve forgotten that a prosperous nation doesn’t come from more bureaucracy but from empowering individuals to rise, contribute, and thrive.

The political landscape of Britain has come to look like a parody of itself. Conservative leaders acting like liberals, liberal ideas embedded in every institution, and a left-wing government now preaching values antithetical to the very foundations of British life. This isn't the Britain I know, and it’s frustrating to watch.

But we must remember, as bleak as it feels now, the pendulum always swings back. There’s an audience in this country for true conservative values policies that uphold national sovereignty, encourage economic freedom, and foster individual responsibility. We can only hope that our next wave of leaders embodies those principles with conviction, not by pandering but by presenting a genuine vision for a prosperous, strong, and free Britain.

For now, I feel disillusioned and fed up. But I also know that there's a spark of resilience in this country, one that has carried it through challenges before. The British people deserve better, and I believe, eventually, we’ll find our way back.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

In a seismic shift in B.C. politics, Kevin Falcon is moving to suspend BC United’s campaign in the fall election. “This is the right thing to do for British Columbia,” Falcon said. He encouraged all BC United supporters to unite behind BC Conservative leader John Rustad and the “Conservative Party of BC to prevent another four years of disastrous NDP government.” “I got back into politics because I wanted to build a bright future for my two daughters and for the next generation of British Columbians,” Falcon said. “Today, I’m stepping back for the same reason. I know that the best thing for the future of our province is to defeat the NDP, but we cannot do that when the centre-right vote is split.”

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[thamechanist]

I don't normally get political on here, however...

HERE WE FUCKING GO!

[rotzaprachim]

the vaguely fleabag-inspired awkward jewish dramedy of my dreams au

Well, Jyn may have had a list of methods to ruin her estranged father’s second marriage, but punching her boss’s shmuck of a husband during the rehearsal dinner sure wasn’t one of them.

And neither was shagging the rabbi.

[zuzypiia]

by the way would you guys believe me if i told you I am in the process of literally rewriting the Cold War alongside with World War 1&2 and the French Revolution... for a modern royalty au of rivalsduo + dnf centered fanfic?

[suprememayobros2]

"working class conservatives"

"Privately educated"

"Working in HER FAMILIES construction buisness"

Fuck right off!

[gravalicious]

“In May 2019, Claire Fox was elected as an MEP for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.[1,2] Fox was a writer for the website Spiked Online and was the founder of the Institute of Ideas (now the Academy of Ideas). She had also been a long-time member of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) until its dissolution in 1996 and co-publisher of LM (previously Living Marxism and the journal of the RCP). In the same European Parliament elections, James Heartfield, another former RCP member and contributor to both LM and Spiked, challenged the seat of Yorkshire and the Humber for the Brexit Party, but was not elected.[3] In the British general election in December 2019, another seven Brexit Party candidates had previously been given a platform by Spiked (including former RCP member James Woudhuysen).[4] In addition to this, one of Boris Johnson’s advisors and co-author of the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, Munira Mirza, had previously contributed to Spiked and worked for Fox’s Institute of Ideas.[5] The website itself saw Brexit as a demonstration of democracy against the ruling elites and had championed both the Brexit Party and Boris Johnson for their pursuit of Britain leaving the European Union. In August 2020, Fox was elevated to the House of Lords as a non-affiliated peer, viewed by some as another extension of the Johnson government’s ‘war on woke’.[6] Journalists, academics and political activists have increasingly referred to this as the RCP/LM/Spiked network (or similar variants, such as the LM network) and explored how the RCP grew into a series of interconnected organisations, publications and individuals in the 1990s and 2000s.[7] Part of the intrigue of this network is the trajectory of the leadership of the Revolutionary Communist Party almost en masse from ultra-left Trotskyism in the 1980s to right libertarianism in the 2010s. Originally, a splinter group called the Revolutionary Communist Tendency (until 1981), the RCT/RCP was regarded by many other groups on the left as sectarian and controversialist. After the party dissolved itself in 1996, several of the party’s leading members, including the leader Frank Furedi, have managed to develop a media profile, becoming regular pundits on television, on the radio, in the mainstream press and online. In recent times, it has been revealed that the US-based Charles Koch Foundation had given Spiked!’s US arm $300,000 ‘to produce public debates in the US about free speech’.[8] While this trajectory has been explored somewhat by journalists and bloggers, the history of the RCP has yet to be explored in depth by historians of British politics and the left.”

Evan Smith - A Platform for Working Class Unity? The Revolutionary Communist Party’s The Red Front and the pre-history of Living Marxism/Spiked Online in the 1980s (2022) [Contemporary British History]

[felixwylde]

Thatcher's Legacy and '80s

Just had a spin on Heart 80s.Hear those wolves howling? They’re just trying to find their pack.The ’80s, a time when it felt like the rich were always getting the upper hand, thanks to the government.First past the post, it’s been that way since the King stirred up trouble with Parliament and came up short.Will the rich take on the government? Will the government cozy up to the wealthy?The rich…

[centreleftcomedy]

Reading About British Politicians

It's really hard to stay motivated when it comes to British politics, because almost every single politician here has a skeleton in their closet. And i can imagine some americans are like 'Well, yeah, that's just politicians'. But you fail to realise the extent of this issue. Since it is so much more common for us Brits to get ousted from office, we are faced with this corruption near every day. It's disheartening, to say the least.

[thepaintexplainer]

Watch to know about political ideologies explained using pop culture references!!

[blackswaneuroparedux]

We do not merely study the past: we inherit it, and inheritance brings with it not only the rights of ownership, but the duties of trusteeship. Things fought for and died for should not be idly squandered. For they are the property of others, who are not yet born.

- Sir Roger Scruton

[tmarshconnors]

🎉🇬🇧 Happy United Kingdom Day! 🇬🇧🎉

On this historic day, May 1st, we commemorate the birth of the United Kingdom. It was on this date in 1707 that the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland merged to form Great Britain. This union marked the beginning of a remarkable journey of unity, diversity, and shared identity.

Over the years, the UK has evolved, embracing the Kingdom of Ireland in 1801, followed by the establishment of the Province of Northern Ireland in 1922. As we mark this special occasion, let us reflect on the values of unity, resilience, and inclusivity that define us as a nation. Happy birthday, United Kingdom!

[realizing-myself]

feels

I really just want to wear a skimpy dress one day. It'd really be the ultimate middle finger to all those self-conscious body feelings and this outdated construct that my mom drilled in my head that good girls don't show off skin.

and then, she asks me why i don't like shorts. but anyways.

I just really want to wear a tight skimpy dress, that requires no bra because i'm already in enough issues with the chest i've been assigned since i literally have to wear a jacket, or padded bras, or layers.

like no my n!ps are not showing thru because of anything. my body just does that sometimes as a natural reaction to friction. ugh men

[probablyasocialecologist]

In Hungary, couples are offered a one-off loan upon the birth of their first child, totaling £25,000. Its repayment is delayed if they bear a second child within six years and written off if they bear a third. In Russia, a “maternity capital” grant is made per child — around £6,000. In Poland, an ongoing benefit known as the Family 500+ allocates around £100 per child per month, after the second child. The results of these schemes have been — in demographic terms — unimpressive. Nonetheless, the Right across Europe and the world have praised them. In Italy, the government has mimicked these Eastern European initiatives in the form of the Family Act, a monthly allowance paid per child; in Greece the government has introduced a £1,000 baby bonus paid after birth.An individualized incentive to procreate has become the mainstay of right-wing pronatalist governments across Europe. In Italy and in Greece, the Right and center right have presented pronatalist policies as a response to the rapidly aging population. References to babies as the wage earners and taxpayers of the future is the acceptable face of pronatalism. It has provided a language with which Britain’s right, constrained by the generally liberal outlook of its fellow citizens, has felt comfortable associating itself. Referencing the falling tax revenue of the childless future, Cates said, “if you think things are underfunded now, just wait for what’s coming down the road.” But in Europe, pronatalism has frequently meant white supremacism. This connection has been made the most explicit in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. At a demography conference in 2020, the far-right conspiracy theory of the “great replacement” was openly referenced by the prime minister and his associates. “There are,” Orbán claimed, “political forces in Europe who want a replacement of population for ideological or other reasons.” To ensure its survival, Europe must, his families’ minister argued, cease to be “the continent of the empty crib.” Cates also, more subtly, talks about the British population falling “below replacement levels,” one of several racist dog whistles in her National Conservatism primetime speech. Pronatalist polices — whether enacted or envisaged — tend to have a quiet twin: anti-immigration lawmaking. In all of Europe’s right-wing states, populist anti-immigration policies have led to militarized borders, ever-decreasing provision for asylum seekers, and the demonization of economic migrants. Poland’s prime minister put it explicitly: “In Germany, billions of euros are spent on support for immigrants, but here these billions of złotys are spent on Polish families.” Cates does so more indirectly: it is immigrants, she claims, who are to blame for the housing crisis leaving “British families” behind. Binding electoral concerns that have tended to speak to women and younger votes — children and homes — to the xenophobic populism of the swaggering masculinity of the Brexit campaign, pronatalism may be a vote winner for the Conservatives.

16 April 2024