Conservative contradictions

摘要

Whatever Tony Blair may say, the most important thing that has recently happened to the Labour Party is that it has jettisoned the principles that once guided it. Would that the same were true of the Conservatives. When Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979 she brought new principles to the party, honed by herself, Keith Joseph and others while in opposition. Trouble is, the party never jettisoned its old principles, to make space for the new ones. And Lady Thatcher's speech on January llth, which she made in Lord Joseph's memory—her first big speech on domestic politics since she left office in 1990—showed that she has not jettisoned all the old ones, either. That would not matter, except for one thing. Some of the principles contradict one another.