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Progressive Conservatives will act as a voice for the proud traditions of classical liberals in the Conservative Party.  We are proud of the Conservative Party’s past in securing economic prosperity for Britain, but we also embrace the modern age with all the diversity this brings. 

Progressive Conservatives are strong supporters of the free market, but also support free societies.  We know that people are important, not government bureaucracies.  We support individual responsibility, but oppose the nanny state.  All strong Conservative traditions

I believe that the Conservative Party is Britain’s only true liberal party and progressive party.

Let’s look at two important issues for liberalism, smoking and fox hunting.  65 per cent of Conservative MP who voted on the smoking ban opposed it compared to only 6 per cent for the (not very) Liberal Democrats and 8 per cent of Labour MPs.  As least the Labour Party don’t go around calling themselves “liberal”!  On fox hunting a similar result occurs with 96 per cent of Conservative MPs opposing the hunting ban, while the illiberal Liberal Democrats overwhelmingly supported the ban with only 33 per opposed.

As for the word progressive, a term Labour appears to prefer to socialist or even social democrat, Labour is not Britain’s progressive party.  The Conservative Party has been the party of progress.  Let’s choose two important measures of progress – unemployment and equality for women.  Since 1945, Labour governments have left office with higher unemployment that they found upon succeeding the previous Conservative government.  This will be repeated next year when Gordon Brown or his successor hands over to David Cameron’s Conservatives. How can a party claim to be the party of progress when it consistently leaves so many people on the scrapheap of unemployment?  It has been the Conservative Party which has grown the economy and given people opportunity to benefit from the dignity of paid work. 

Regarding equality for women, let us not forget that in 1975 it was the Conservative Party that first chose a woman leader.  Harriet Harman might try to airbrush her out of history, but Margaret Thatcher then went on to win not just the 1979 election, but the 1983 and 1987 elections.  No affirmative action here, just choosing the best person for the job – true equality.

We want to see these liberal and progressive traditions of the Conservative Party continue.

Last changed: Oct 02 2009 at 1:53 PM

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