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There have been times when Tory figureheads have sounded reasonably coherent superficially – and other moments where they have sounded completely unhinged, yet remained popular by their base. We are not in such a scenario. One prominent Conservative failed to inspire attendees when she addressed her conference, despite she threw out the divisive talking points of border-focused rhetoric she thought they wanted.

The issue wasn't that they’d all awakened with a fresh awareness of humanity; more that they didn’t believe she’d ever be in a position to follow through. In practice, a substitute. The party dislikes such approaches. An influential party member was said to label it a “themed procession”: noisy, animated, but ultimately a parting.

What Next for this Party Having Strong Arguments to Make for Itself as the Top-Performing Governing Force in History?

A faction is giving another squiz at a particular MP, who was a hard “no” at the start of the night – but with proceedings winding down, and everyone else has left. Others are creating a interest around Katie Lam, a 34-year-old MP of the newest members, who appears as a countryside-based politician while saturating her online profiles with immigration-critical posts.

Might she become the standard-bearer to beat back Reform, now outpolling the incumbents by 20 points? Does a term exist for defeating opponents by mirroring their stance? And, assuming no phrase fits, surely we could borrow one from fighting disciplines?

If You’re Enjoying Any of This, in a How-the-Mighty-Are-Fallen Way, in a Serves-Them-Right-for-Austerity Way, That Is Understandable – But Completely Irrational

One need not look at the US to know this, or reference Daniel Ziblatt’s seminal 2017 book, his analysis of political systems: your entire mental framework is shouting it. Centrist right-wing parties is the essential firewall preventing the extremist factions.

His research conclusion is that representative governments persist by satisfying the “elite classes” happy. I have reservations as an fundamental rule. It feels as though we’ve been keeping the propertied and powerful over generations, at the detriment of other citizens, and they never seem quite happy enough to cease desiring to reduce support out of disability benefits.

However, his study isn’t a hunch, it’s an comprehensive document review into the pre-Nazi German National People’s Party during the interwar Germany (in parallel to the UK Tories circa 1906). Once centrist parties falters in conviction, if it commences to chase the terminology and superficial stances of the extremist elements, it transfers the direction.

We Saw Some of This In the Referendum Aftermath

Boris Johnson cosying up to an influential advisor was a notable instance – but far-right flirtation has become so pronounced now as to overshadow all remaining Conservative messages. What happened to the traditional Tories, who value stability, tradition, legal frameworks, the UK reputation on the international platform?

What happened to the modernisers, who described the country in terms of powerhouses, not powder kegs? To be clear, I wasn’t wild about both groups either, but it’s absolutely striking how such perspectives – the inclusive conservative, the reformist element – have been eliminated, replaced by constant vilification: of immigrants, Muslims, welfare recipients and demonstrators.

They Walk On Stage to Melodies Evoking the Theme Tune to the Television Drama

And talk about what they cannot stand for any more. They characterize demonstrations by older demonstrators as “displays of hostility” and use flags – British flags, patriotic icons, any item featuring a splash of matadorial colour – as an open challenge to those questioning that being British through and through is the highest ideal a individual might attain.

We observe an absence of any natural braking system, encouraging reassessment with fundamental beliefs, their traditional foundations, their own plan. Whatever provocation the political figure presents to them, they follow. Therefore, definitely not, there's no pleasure to observe their collapse. They’re taking democratic norms down with them.