Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T17:22:22.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND DREAMS OF BRITAIN'S POST-WAR FUTURE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2018

KIT KOWOL
KIT KOWOL*
Affiliation:
Christ Church, University of Oxford
*
Christ Church, Oxford, ox1 2dpkit.kowol@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The British general election of 1945 and the return of the nation's first ever majority Labour government was a profound turning point in Britain's political history. The scale of Labour's victory, and the belief in its inevitability, has, however, obscured important developments in British Conservatism. Historians have subsequently characterized the Conservative party as either unwilling to develop their own distinct plans for the post-war future, or divided between those who were willing to embrace the policies of social democracy and those with a neo-liberal approach to political economy. This article challenges this depiction by examining the thoughts and actions of those within what it terms the wartime ‘Conservative movement’: the constellation of fringe and pressure groups that orbited around the Conservative party during the period. In examining this movement, it identifies three major traditions of Conservative political thinking, and three sets of activists and parliamentarians all committed to developing radical Conservative plans for post-war Britain. The article demonstrates how these different traditions built upon but also radicalized pre-existing currents of Conservative thought, how the language of social democracy was co-opted and reinterpreted by those within the Conservative movement, and how the war changed Conservative perception of the British people.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 62 , Issue 2 , June 2019 , pp. 473 - 493
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This article greatly benefited from presentation to the Modern British Studies Conference in Birmingham and the S. R. Gardiner Society at Christ Church in 2015. For invaluable comments and suggestions, I am grateful to the audiences on these occasions as well as Stuart Ball, Clarisse Bethèrzene, Lawrence Black, Nigel Copsey, Steve Fielding, Anne Levitsky, Ross McKibbin, Sam Wetherell, Camilla Schofield, Marc Stears, Melissa Turoff, James Vernon, and Robert Watt as well as the two anonymous Historical Journal reviewers.

References

1 Marwick, Arthur, ‘Middle opinion in the thirties: planning, progress and political “agreement”’, English Historical Review, 79 (1964), pp. 285–98CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Addison, Paul, The road to 1945: British politics and the Second World War (London, 1977)Google Scholar.

2 For the most comprehensive treatment of these issues, see Thorpe, Andrew, Parties at war: political organization in Second World War Britain (Oxford, 2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

3 For contrasting perspectives, see Fielding, Steven, ‘What did “the people” want?: the meaning of the 1945 general election’, Historical Journal, 35 (1992), pp. 623–39CrossRefGoogle Scholar; McKibbin, Ross, Parties and people: England, 1914–1951 (Oxford, 2010), ch. 4CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

4 Vernon, James, ‘The local, the imperial and the global: repositioning twentieth-century Britain and the brief life of its social democracy’, Twentieth Century British History, 21 (2010), pp. 404–18Google Scholar.

5 Charmley, John, A history of Conservative politics since 1830 (2nd edn, Basingstoke, 2008), pp. 119–20CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

6 Blake, Robert, The Conservative party from Peel to Thatcher (London, 1985), p. 254Google Scholar.

7 See, for example, Kandiah, M. D., ‘The Conservative party and the 1945 general election’, Contemporary British History, 9 (1995), p. 29Google Scholar; Cockett, Richard, Thinking the unthinkable: think-tanks and the economic counter-revolution, 1931–1983 (London, 1995), p. 67Google Scholar; Harriet Overton Jones, ‘The Conservative party and the welfare state, 1942–1955’ (Ph.D. thesis, London, 1992), p. 71.

8 Ramsden, John, The age of Churchill and Eden, 1940–1957 (London, 1995), pp. 44–5Google Scholar; Green, E. H. H., Ideologies of Conservatism: Conservative political ideas in the twentieth century (Oxford, 2002), pp. 218–20CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

9 On the American Conservative movement, see Nash, George H., The Conservative intellectual movement in America, since 1945 (New York, NY, 1976)Google Scholar; Skocpol, Theda and Williamson, Vanessa, The Tea Party and the remaking of Republican Conservatism (New York, NY, 2012)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

10 Thackeray, David, Conservatism for the democratic age: Conservative culture and the challenge of mass politics in early twentieth-century England (Manchester, 2013), ch. 4CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

11 Cowling, Maurice, The impact of Labour, 1920–1924: the beginning of modern British politics (Cambridge, 1971), pp. 57–9Google Scholar.

12 Love, Gary, ‘The periodical press and the intellectual culture of Conservatism in interwar Britain’, Historical Journal, 57 (2014), pp. 1027–56CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

13 Berthèzene, Clarisse, Training minds for the war of ideas: Ashridge College, the Conservative party and the cultural politics of Britain, 1929–1954 (Manchester, 2015), p. 15CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

14 Thorpe, Parties at war, pp. 164–7.

15 For other examples of wartime ‘radical’ Conservative traditions and the breadth of figures participating in the wartime Conservative movement, see Kit Kowol, ‘The lost world of British Conservatism: the radical tory tradition, 1939–1951’ (D.Phil. thesis, Oxford, 2014).

16 For the methodology of political traditions, see Bevir, Mark and Rhodes, R. A. W., ‘Decentering tradition’, Administration & Society, 33 (2001), pp. 107–32CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

17 For discussion of this theme, see Ball, Stuart, Portrait of a party: the Conservative party in Britain, 1918–1945 (Oxford, 2013), pp. 15–16, 18, 25, 27, 49CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

18 On the TRC and Beveridge, see H. Kopsch, ‘The approach of the Conservative party to social policy during World War II’ (Ph.D., London University, 1970), pp. 112–38.

19 R. A. Butler, ‘Objects of organisation as discussed with the prime minister on January 8th’, n.d., CRD 2/28/1, Conservative Party Archive, Bodleian, Oxford (hereafter CPA).

20 On the role of intellectuals in the CCNP, see Harris, Jose, ‘Political ideas and the debate on state welfare, 1940–1945’, in Smith, Harold L., ed., War and social change: British society in the Second World War (Manchester, 1986), pp. 241–6Google Scholar.

21 ‘Notes on a discussion held on July 19th, 1940’ n.d., CRD 2/28/1, CPA.

22 ‘Dynamic democracy’, Economist, 3 Aug. 1940, p. 2.

23 Kennedy, Thomas C., ‘The next five years group and the failure of the politics of agreement in Britain’, Canadian Journal of History, 9 (1974), p. 53CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

24 Roberts, Matthew, Political movements in urban England, 1832–1914 (Basingstoke, 2009), p. 120CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

25 ‘Resolutions passed at the party conference, March 14th and 15th, 1945’, n.d., NUA 4/1/6, CPA.

26 ‘Notes on a meeting held at 28, Wynnstay Gardens, W.8, at 8.30 p.m., on August 6th, 1940’, n.d., CRD 2/28/1, CPA.

27 ‘Executive committee minutes’, 14 May 1941, NUA 4/1/6, CPA.

28 R. A. Butler, ‘Establishing a Christian civilization’, Listener, 2 Jan. 1941.

29 Orwell, George, The lion and the unicorn: socialism and the English genius (London, 1941)Google Scholar; Priestley, J. B., Postscripts (London, 1940)Google Scholar.

30 ‘Minutes of the 1922 committee’, 23 Apr. 1941, 1922/4, CPA; ‘Minutes of the 1922 committee’, 2 July 1941, 1922/4, CPA.

31 William Weir, ‘The need of the house: equality of sacrifice’, 6 June 1940, CRD 2/28/1, CPA.

32 Orwell, Lion and the unicorn, p. 35.

33 ‘Notes on a discussion held on July 19th, 1940’, p. 3.

34 ‘Executive committee minutes’, 12 Nov. 1941, NUA 4/1/6, CPA; ‘Executive committee minutes’, 8 July 1942, NUA 4/1/6, CPA; ‘Women tories’ peace plan’, Economist, 2 Sept. 1944.

35 Butler, ‘Establishing a Christian civilization’.

36 Kurlberg, Jonas, ‘Resisting totalitarianism: The Moot and a new Christendom’, Religion Compass, 7 (2013), pp. 517–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

37 Conservative sub-committee on education, A plan for youth (London, 1942)Google Scholar; Astor, William Waldorf, Our imperial future (London, 1943)Google Scholar; James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil Salisbury, Post-war Conservative policy (London, 1943)Google Scholar.

38 Edward Grigg, ‘The future of freedom’, Observer, 28 May 1939.

39 A modern Conservative, A national faith (London, 1938), pp. 16–17Google Scholar.

40 Northam, Reginald, Conservatism, the only way (London, 1939), pp. 248–9Google Scholar.

41 Williamson, Philip, Stanley Baldwin: Conservative leadership and national values (Cambridge, 1999), p. 291Google Scholar.

42 Hinchingbrooke, Viscount, Full speed ahead! Essays in tory reform (London, 1944), p. 21Google Scholar.

43 Abel, Deryck, Ernest Benn: counsel for liberty (London, 1960), p. 53Google Scholar.

44 Ibid., ch. 3.

45 For example, see Allen, Carleton Kemp, What price the British constitution? (London, 1941)Google Scholar; Benn, Ernest J. P., The B.B.C. monopoly (London, 1941)Google Scholar; Hearnshaw, F. J. C., The socialist ‘new order’ (London, 1941)Google Scholar.

46 Maurice Petherick, ‘Party politics in war’, Times, 22 Sept. 1942.

47 ‘Report’, Individualism, 1 (1953), pp. 2–4Google Scholar.

48 David Low, ‘Sure you've got the right war, blokes?’, Evening Standard, 20 Aug. 1942.

49 Cockett, Thinking the unthinkable, pp. 70–2; Dorey, Peter, British Conservatism: the politics and philosophy of inequality (London, 2011), pp. 120–4Google Scholar; Farrant, Andrew and Nicola, Tynan, ‘Sir Waldron Smithers and the long walk to Finchley’, Economic Affairs, 32 (2012), pp. 43–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

50 Hayek, F. A., The road to serfdom (London, 1944)Google Scholar; Smithers, Waldron, Socialism offers slavery (London, 1945)Google Scholar.

51 Jackson, Ben, ‘At the origins of neo-liberalism: the free economy and the strong state, 1930–1947’, Historical Journal, 53 (2010), pp. 129–51CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

52 Jacks, L. P., Construction now (London, 1940)Google Scholar.

53 Ibid., pp. 53–4.

54 Benn, Ernest J. P., Hard times ahead? (London, 1942), p. 25Google Scholar.

55 Ibid., pp. 24–5.

56 For examples of this sentiment in resolutions to the National Union, see ‘Executive committee minutes’, 14 Jan. 1942, NUA 4/1/6, CPA; ‘Executive committee minutes’, 13 May 1942, NUA 4/1/6, CPA; ‘Executive committee minutes’, 13 Jan. 1943, NUA 4/1/6, CPA.

57 ‘Backward to freedom’, Irish Times, 22 Apr. 1943.

58 E. A. Ormerod, ‘Personal freedom’, Times, 30 Apr. 1943.

59 ‘United Kingdom Provident Institution’, Manchester Guardian, 15 Mar. 1943.

60 Smithers, Socialism, p. 21.

61 ‘The community first’, Economist, 20 June 1942.

62 For the way in which this term is used, see Cain, Peter J., ‘The Conservative party and “radical Conservatism”, 1880–1914: incubus or necessity?’, Twentieth Century British History, 7 (1996), p. 377CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

63 ‘Lord Croft’, Times, 29 Dec. 1947.

64 Hollis, Christopher, Quality or equality (London, 1944), pp. 13–15Google Scholar; Amery, L. S., The framework of the future (London, 1944), p. 103Google Scholar.

65 Amery, Framework, 126.

66 Read, G. B., ‘Imperial unity’, Ashridge Journal, 62 (1942)Google Scholar.

67 Basil Peto, ‘The Beveridge principle’, Times, 18 Mar. 1943; ‘Cost of the war’, Times, 26 May 1943; Mackenzie, Cyril, ‘Overseas settlement – Canada’, Ashridge Journal, 53 (1941)Google Scholar.

68 Amery, Framework, p. 80.

69 Carpenter, L. P., ‘Corporatism in Britain, 1930–1945’, Contemporary History, 11 (1976), p. 6Google Scholar.

70 Empire Economic Union, Agricultural policy past, present and future (London, 1939)Google Scholar.

71 Montague Barlow, ‘Post-war planning’, Times, 12 Aug. 1940; Arthur Griffith-Boscawen, ‘Transport after the war’, Times, 8 Sept. 1944.

72 ‘No monopolies for air transport’, Times, 16 July 1943; Read, ‘Imperial unity’; Col. Harold Mitchell MP, ‘War and the empire – part II’, Ashridge Journal, 72 (1943)Google Scholar.

73 Gammans, L. D., Singapore sequel (London, 1944), p. 25Google Scholar.

74 L. D. Gammans, ‘Post-war reconstruction’, Times, 15 Oct. 1942.

75 L. S. Amery, The future of parliament (n.p., 1944), p. 4.

76 Gleason, Abbott, ‘Totalitarianism’, in Krieger, Joel, ed., The Oxford companion to politics of the world (2nd edn, New York, NY, 2001), p. 840Google Scholar.

77 Williamson, Philip, ‘Christian Conservatives and the totalitarian challenge, 1933–1940’, English Historical Review, 115 (2000), pp. 607–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

78 Society of Individualists, Proceedings of the Public Inaugural Meeting (London, 1943), p. 8Google Scholar.

79 Greenaway, J. R., ‘British Conservatism and bureaucracy’, History of Political Thought, 13 (1992), p. 143Google Scholar.

80 Cripps, Stafford, ‘Can socialism come by constitutional methods?’, in Stafford Cripps, ed., Problems of a socialist government (London, 1933), p. 37Google Scholar.

81 On this speech, see Toye, Richard, ‘Winston Churchill's “crazy broadcast”: party, nation, and the 1945 gestapo speech’, Journal of British Studies, 49 (2010), pp. 655–80CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

82 On Baldwin's public doctrine, see Williamson, Stanley Baldwin.

83 Ball, Portrait, p. 511.

84 For various examples, see Leo Amery to Henry Page Croft, 29 Jan. 1924, Henry Page Croft papers 1/2, Churchill Archives Centre; Ernest Benn, ‘The general election’, Times, 8 Jan. 1929; Crisp, Dorothy, The rebirth of Conservatism (London, 1931), pp. 47–50Google Scholar.

85 Witherell, Larry L., ‘Lord Salisbury's “Watching Committee” and the fall of Neville Chamberlain, May 1940’, English Historical Review, 116 (2001), pp. 1134–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

86 Schwarz, Bill, ‘The tide of history: the reconstruction of Conservatism, 1945–1951’, in Tiratsoo, Nick, ed., The Attlee years (London, 1991), p. 155Google Scholar.

87 Ramsden, Age of Churchill, pp. 15–20; Ramsden, John, The making of Conservative party policy: the Conservative Research Department since 1929 (London, 1980), p. 96Google Scholar.

88 Benn, Ernest J. P., This soft age, with the optimistic theory of the 30/50 man (London, 1933), pp. 14–15Google Scholar.

89 Society of Individualists, Proceedings, p. 13.

90 Ibid., pp. 7–8.

91 Calder, Angus, The myth of the blitz (London, 1991)Google Scholar.

92 Amery, Framework, p. 132.

93 Amery, L. S., In the rain and the sun: a sequel to days of fresh air (London, 1946), pp. 234–5Google Scholar.

94 ‘Need for a crusading spirit’, Times, 6 Apr. 1940.

95 Grimly, Matthew, ‘The religion of Englishness: puritanism, providentialism, and “national character”, 1918–1945’, Journal of British Studies, 46 (2005), pp. 885–6Google Scholar.

96 Thorpe, Parties at war, pp. 20–2.

97 Conservative sub-committee on education, Plan for youth; Conservative sub-committee on education, Educational aims (n.p., 1942).

98 Conservative sub-committee on industry, Work: the future of British industry (n.p., 1944).

99 R. A. Butler to Cuthbert Alport, 17 Oct. 1944, GI4, R. A. Butler papers, Trinity College, Cambridge.

100 Mr. Churchill's declaration of policy to the electors (London, 1945)Google Scholar.

101 Green, Ideologies, p. 2.

102 Swift, John, ‘Randolph Churchill and the general election in Preston, 1945: bucking the trend’, Northern History, 48 (2011), pp. 123–44CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

103 Lancelot Spicer, ‘Memorandum on lunch, December 16th, 1942, with Sir Archibald Sinclair’, MS Balfour dep. 71, Honor Balfour papers, Bodleian Library, Oxford.

104 Clement Attlee, ‘The electoral truce’, 1 Mar. 1944, MS Attlee dep. 12, Clement Attlee papers, Bodleian Library, Oxford.

105 Schofield, Camilla, Enoch Powell and the making of postcolonial Britain (Cambridge, 2013), ch. 4CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

106 For the classic ‘anti-consensus’ view, see Jefferys, Kevin, The Churchill coalition and wartime politics, 1940–1945 (Manchester, 1991)Google Scholar.

107 Brooke, Stephen, Labour's war: the Labour party during the Second World War (Oxford, 1992)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

108 Green, E. H. H., ‘Thatcherism: an historical perspective’, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 6 (1999), pp. 17–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

109 Gamble, Andrew, The free economy and the strong state: the politics of Thatcherism (Basingstoke, 1988)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

110 Love, ‘Periodical press’; Berthèzene, Training minds; Kowol, Kit, ‘An experiment in Conservative modernity: interwar Conservatism and Henry Ford's English farms’, Journal of British Studies, 55 (2016), pp. 781–805CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

111 Addison, The road to 1945, p. 188.