Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party (or the Tories), fully titled the Conservative and Unionist Party, is one of the two to seven (depending on who you ask) major political parties in the United Kingdom, and like most political parties it has distinct factions which gain and lose internal power over time. Their only unifying principle is to defend the profit structure of capitalism against any real or perceived threats to their privileged status.

A money tree, planted with the remains of the poor, gay, disabled and elderly.
Ravishing guide to
U.K. Politics
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“”This is what you get with one party politics: the country's future reduced to uni chums arguing with each other.
—Nick Clegg on Twitter

They are currently the ruling party, with 365 MPs in the House of Commons (following the 2019 general election) and 242 Lords in the House of Lords opposite the Labour Party.[1][2] It helps that almost every newspaper is in bed with them.

History
“”A Cameron government would be more aristocratic and even narrowly Etonian… Sharply contrasting especially with striving and classless perspective of the grocer’s daughter, Margaret Thatcher.
—Sidney Blumenthal[3]

The Conservative Party under that name dates back to the 1830s. In the 19th century they were the party of aristocracy and landed gentry, in opposition to the Liberal Party which represented new businessmen and industrialists; the Conservatives stood for the old order, military might, the Church of England, tariffs, protectionism, and opposition to Irish Home Rule.[4] In the early 20th century the party was in crisis over issues such as tariffs, with the Liberals and later the Labour Party ascendant; extension of the franchise to all men made it look like they were doomed. But Stanley Baldwin pulled it together and faced down the unions in the 1926 General Strike, letting Labour take most of the flak for the Great Depression, and moving in and out of Downing Street until 1937.[5]

After World War II, the party looked doomed again following Churchill's loss to Attlee's Labour Party in 1945, but the Conservatives embraced consensus and the welfare state, while continuing to emphasise tradition, free enterprise, military might, and patriotism. They returned to power in 1951, and despite the mess of the Suez Crisis and Macmillan accepting the end of the British Empire in his 1960 "Winds of Change" speech, the post-war economic boom ensured they stayed in power until 1964 when everybody was so rich that they voted Labour. After ousting Harold Wilson's Labour government in 1970, Edward Heath vacillated between his Tory predecessors' centre-right approach and a more extreme economic liberalism promoted by Keith Joseph and later Margaret Thatcher; Heath's biggest achievement, the UK entering the Common Market (later to become the European Union), proved a cause of division for decades to come.

In the late 70s, Thatcher changed what it meant to be "conservative" in the UK. She took a firm stance against government roles in public life. At the same time, she tackled the power of entrenched private interests, such as unions … while reinforcing other entrenched interests, like big business, and creating an economy based on services as opposed to industry (deeming the latter to be an anachronism). By the time Thatcher left office, the size of the state relative to the economy was at its smallest since before the Second World War. There was some social tension due to the bullheaded nature of this economic transition, particularly in the north of England and Scotland, where anti-Thatcherism remains to this day.[6]

The Conservative Party became slightly more moderate in later years to survive the backlash against Thatcher. Similarly, Labour was forced to lean to the right, turning the UK general elections into a bland and boring battle for the "centre" ground. That said, the Conservatives have their share of old-school gibbering right-wing nutters (whom the shadow cabinet refer to as "backwoodsmen")[7] just as Labour have their share of diehard Trotskyites.

Under Cameron/May, despite claims of good old-fashioned One-Nation Toryism, the Tories are as extreme as they were under Thatcher but have a more pleasant manner when signing disastrous policies. The modernising wing of the Tories has been frozen out,[8] and the opposition is led by an increasingly emboldened and popular Jeremy Corbyn. Lib Dems are currently polling around the same as the dead UKIP which has already achieved its purpose.

Tories are notoriously unsentimental when it comes to knifing leaders who cease to be useful. Since the New Labour landslide of 1997, the Conservatives have gone through more than their fair share of changes: going from John Major to William Hague to Iain Duncan Smith to Michael Howard. However, most of the party still harps on about the good old days of Margaret Thatcher, who is the most reviled/revered UK politician of modern times.

Theresa May was leader from 2016 to 2019 before giving up over Brexit. Her replacement and the current leader and Prime Minister is Boris Johnson, ushering in a new age of prosperity and happiness for all.

Policies

Tories behave like the fact that Britain is no longer an Empire hasn't registered in their psyche. They know they're not, but their mannerisms and condescending attitude towards their European neighbor states (and their citizens) makes them come across as gentry fallen on rough times, with a pinch of Victorian-style contempt for the lower class scum. They hold power mostly due to the fact that they have successfully marketed this suspicion of everything "foreign" or low-class to the people, with the help of a mass media that has long since traded all notion of journalistic ethics for profits.

What everyone forgot, or many were too young to understand[9] is that the Tories don't give a flying coitus about anyone but the richest in society. It's a party of self-preservation. (A lot of the things they complain about reveal how their own minds work, since the people they most disapprove of are: lazy,[10] workshy,[11] greedy,[12][13][14] dishonest,[15][16][17][18] morally corrupt[19]....)

Austerity
“”Happily, however, there are significant economic gains to be had from Brexit [...] in a word, to finish the job that Margaret Thatcher started.
—Nigel Lawson[20]

Labour gets blamed for wrecking the economy because they borrowed too much, which only makes sense if you borrow so much the market is no longer prepared to lend to you cheaply, which was not the case. Tories lost their AAA rating.

Conservative policies currently consist largely of cutting the top rate of income tax from 50% to 45%, campaigning against proportional representation in the referendum that the Liberal Democrats demanded as their price for entering the coalition government of 2010-15, support for a referendum on UK departure from the European Union, moderate social policies to counter their image as the "Nasty Party" against LGBT rights, women and ethnic minorities (including immigrants), and using austerity measures to chip away at what's left of the welfare state which attacks the poor's income and social protections, sick, disabled, social welfare recipients (again the poor). Look no further than George Osborne for such a policy.

Experience from the UK coalition government of 2010-2015 shows that publicising select cases of benefit fraud is very effective at convincing people that most dole claimants are crooks.[21] It seems like every month, Channel 4 & 5 air a new Saints and Scroungers or Nightmare Neighbors. Thatcher did the same thing in the 80's: She used the press to make everyone believe that benefit fraud was rife and immigration was out of control.[22][23] What resulted was a rise in the far-right and the poor blaming the poor for their poverty.

After Iain Duncan Smith resigned, he was interviewed and admitted the government singles out disabled people for cuts, because they're an easy target and aren't traditional Tory voters.[24] By then the damage had been done: The narrative that disabled people are all cheats and scroungers, all immigrants are criminals was well-established in the public mind.

Foreign policy

To maintain the nuclear arsenal of Airstrip One the UK, NATO membership and the unquestioning 'Special RelationshipFile:Wikipedia's W.svg' with the USA which has become as substitute for British power and prestige after the breakup of the British Empire post-1945.

Science

The Tories do not support an evidence-based drugs policy. Conservative science spokesman Adam Afriyie when asked: "To what extent should drug policy be based on scientific evidence?" Replied that: "There may be times when ministers decide to take account of other considerations." What these other considerations could possibly be, has yet to be figured out.[25]

Race and immigration
Unofficial Tory poster from the 1964 election in Smethwick.File:Wikipedia's W.svg The original wording of said slogan used a lot less savoury alternative to the term "coloured", which at the time was a more politically correct term.

The Party has long had an extremist right wing which varied between virulent opposition to immigration and overt racism, but it normally tried to keep these lunatics under control. It's because Tories (unlike Republicans) have always been more interested in class than race. The first mixed race Prime Minister (1812 to 1827) was the Earl of Liverpool (Tory) who had a gujurati grandmother—no-one gave a toss, he was an Earl! Disraeli was a dark Sephardic Jew, but became a Tory Prime Minister; he was firmly upper middle class. Boris Johnson has a Turkish grandfather—but he's an Etonian!

In 1960 moderate Conservative PM Harold Macmillan declared that the British empire would come to an end and the "winds of change" were blowing through Africa, meaning self-rule and independence. However, many members of his party opposed this progressive viewpoint, founding the Monday Club and advocating for Ian Smith's racist regime in Rhodesia and the pro-apartheid government in South Africa. Enoch Powell was famed and popular for his opposition to immigration, but sacked by Edward Heath and eventually left the party.

Theresa May was of course a huge xenophobe as Home Secretary, and has carried on with this as Prime Minister.

Wikipedia has more detailed articles on Islamophobia in the UK Conservative PartyFile:Wikipedia's W.svg, Racism in the UK Conservative PartyFile:Wikipedia's W.svg and Antisemitism in the UK Conservative PartyFile:Wikipedia's W.svg.

Prime Ministers

Recent Conservative Prime Ministers include:

Other prominent figures

Stephen Crabb
See the main article on this topic: Stephen Crabb

The MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire had links to Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), a fundamentalist organisation promoting reparative therapy for homosexuals, and opposed gay marriage.[26] Resigned from ministerial role in 2016 after sending sexually-explicit texts to a job applicant.

Philip Davies
See the main article on this topic: Philip Davies

Fringe figure noteworthy for his obnoxiousness. MP for Shipley and seemingly a supporter of homeopathy, strongly denies climate change of any kind, against all political reform whatsoever, favours repealing the minimum wage (or at least exempting disabled people from it). Opposed legislation on sexual violence and is against feminism and the forces of political correctness; has also trolled equalities bodies with questions like "Why it is so offensive to black up your face?".[27] Against relaxing law on abortion.[28]

Nadine Dorries
See the main article on this topic: Nadine Dorries

The MP for Mid Bedfordshire is a strong supporter for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is strongly against embryonic research, believing it would involve "the possibility of seeking to inseminate animals with human sperm" and the creation of human and chimpanzee hybrids "humanzee." Seriously. Dorries is also a supporter of homeopathy, doesn't consider Trident to be weapons of mass destruction, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values. How one gets a seat on Science and Technology Select Committee remains a mystery.

Michael Gove

MP for Surrey Heath, former Secretary of State for Education who managed to attract the hatred of almost every single teacher in the country,[29] despite his sterling credentials. Later Lord Chancellor aka Secretary of State for Justice where he has the unenviable task of dealing with the fallout from Grayling's awful reforms. At Education, he warred against anyone claiming to have expertise in education, and in 2016 he showed his anti-intellectualism by declaring "people in this country have had enough of experts".[30] He has been criticised for anti-Muslim attitudes, including in his 2006 book Celsius 7/7 which used dubious statistics to claim a significant proportion of British Muslims supported suicide bombing and rejected British society.[31] Moved to farming under Theresa May and subsequently Boris handed him the job (or possibly poisoned chalice as payback for knifing BoJo in the leadership contest that made May PM) of preparing the UK for a no-deal Brexit.

Chris "Failing" Grayling

MP for Epsom and Ewell and former Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons [32]. The first non-lawyer to hold the position of Lord Chancellor for 440 years—make of that what you will. He introduced wildly unpopular changes to legal aid, removing it in all but exceptional circumstances in cases of divorce, child contact, welfare benefits, employment, clinical negligence, and housing. [33] Also introduced the extremely controversial "criminal courts charge"—this is a fixed and mandatory charge on top of all the others that convicted offenders must pay, and the charge is higher if you plead not guilty.[34][35][36] Quoted as saying that Christian B&B owners should be allowed to turn away gay couples, though he did later row back from this and even supported the Same-Sex Marriage Act. But lawyers still hate him as much as he apparently hates them.[37] Grayling has also become a bit of a joke in UK politcs in that he is mind-numbingly incompetent Examples of this are giving funding to a ferry company...with no ferries in post brexit preperations and also failing to become the chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee after the entire thing was rigged.

Damian Green

MP for Ashford, close ally of Theresa May, and former Minister of State for Borders and Immigration:[38]He supports the reduction of abortion time limits, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.[39][40] In favour of gay rights based on his parliamentary voting record.[41] Allegedly has a good pornography collection though.[38]

Dominic Grieve

MP for Beaconsfield and former Attorney General for England and Wales. Voted for the reduction of abortion time limits to 12 weeks, and is also a supporter of homeopathic hospitals.[42][39]

Philip Hammond

MP for Runnymede and Weybridge and Theresa May's Chancellor of the Exchequer. Is for the reduction of abortion time limits and is also a supporter of homeopathy.[43][44][45][46] Mixed record as foreign secretary, supporting Saudi military action in Yemen but involved in the nuclear deal with Iran (that Trump later broke) and condemned genocide in Bosnia.[47] He opposed the legalisation of gay marriage in 2013, saying it would be like legalising incest.[48]

Jeremy Hunt

MP for South West Surrey and former Foreign Secretary and Health Secretary. NHS will be gone in five years in favour of an American-style insurance option, and you have Mr. Hunt to thank for that. Magical thinking and Brexit go together like turd and toilets: After all, we can always replace foreign doctors with British talent after Brexit.[49] (By making them work more hours for less money in poorer conditions! How would they resist!) He voted for the reduction of abortion time limits to 12 weeks. He supported homeopathy when a young MP in 2007, but later changed his mind and accepted science; he defended measles vaccination and condemned homeopathic alternatives in 2013, and the following year when David Tredinnick asked a question promoting Chinese medicine, Hunt said only if there was scientific evidence.[50] Hunt was notorious while health secretary for misrepresenting scientific data about the benefits of 7-day hospital working, incorrectly claiming higher staffing at weekends would reduce mortality, as part of his campaign to get doctors to work 7 days instead of 5.[51]

Sajid Javid

MP for Bromsgrove, former Home Secretary, now former Chancellor. Is a fan of Ayn Rand: He picked The Fountainhead for the Parliament film club, calling it “a film that was articulating what I felt”.[52] Make of that what you will.

Andrea Leadsom

MP for South Northamptonshire and former leadership candidate. Devout Christian, not keen on gay marriage (abstained in vote), anti-abortion, opposed to sex outside marriage, campaigned against veil-wearing.[53][54]

Edward Leigh

MP for Gainsborough: Is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a strong supporter of homeopathy, for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55] In addition to this Leigh is particularly scientifically illiterate even for a Conservative, he is strongly against embryonic research (not just stem cell research) claiming "There is no overwhelming, or indeed any large-scale body of scientific evidence to suggest that this research that does cross this ultimate boundary between humans and animals will actually cure anything." in regards to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Leigh went onto show some views in line with baraminology when he said "I don't believe in my soul or my brain I'm 80 per cent a mouse or 30 per cent a daffodil. But I do think that we are special and, therefore, as the human race is special it is different from the animal race and I think that we should take this very seriously." Leigh also doesn't seem to value separation of church and state all that much when remarked that: "There is also a view, is there not, that politicians should keep out of the Church and out of religion? Was it not rather depressing when the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said that he could not talk about religion when he was the Prime Minister for fear of being called a nutter? Is that view changing? The current Prime Minister mentioned the story of the good Samaritan in his speech to Congress, and Delia Smith is doing a blog on the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development website. Does my hon. Friend think that politicians should speak out and talk about their faith in a natural way, as he is doing?"

Theresa May
See the main article on this topic: Theresa May

MP for Maidenhead, formerly Prime Minister and Home Secretary. At the Home Office, she rejected expert scientific advice on drugs policy.[56] The fuckery with the CSA Inquiry has proven to be not her finest hour, either. Maybe Theresa should get off her arse and sort those out instead of trying to check our porn browsing history[57][58]

George Osborne

"Avatar of Human Despair", formerly Chancellor, and MP for Tatton. Owner of the world's most punchable face. Selon George, free market fundamentalism and democracy are one and the same. That's why a court ruling giving Uber employees minimum wage and holiday pay is considered a "threat" to democracy.[59] Osborne's stock answer to any question he does not want to address is "an independent review committee is investigating the situation"; Georgie Boy comes out with some horrific budget cuts, everyone goes woah, hold on a second mate and he rolls out something that's only half as bad as a solution. But when you look at it, it's still a terrible solution, because option B is what he wanted in the first place.

Priti Patel

MP from Essex. In favour of Brexit and bringing back the death penalty.[60] ("Deterrents<3") She's such a shady character for someone who was pro-EU until a couple of years ago. Hang on … daughter of a shopkeeper, trained as a barrister, worked for a notoriously amoral industry, blue skirt suit. As the Dead Kennedys once said, we got a bigger problem now …

John Redwood

MP for Wokingham and former Welsh Secretary—climate change denier,[61] is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus.[45] Redwood is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values. Nicknamed "the Vulcan" for his inability to display any kind of emotion.

Jacob Rees-Mogg
See the main article on this topic: Jacob Rees-Mogg

MP for NE Somerset and Downton Abbey—Straight outta Wansdyke, crazy motherfucker named Rees-Mogg. Jacob has always been the "Tory-est" of the Tories: Roman Catholic, anti-abortion, anti–gay marriage. Spoke at an event by a pro-Front National group, Traditional Britain, then apologised.[62] Intervened on the Scotland Bill, backed Brexit, and would vote for Donald Trump if he could. Can't deny he's done some good, but he's a Wodehousian caricature who only got into politics due to his bloodline.

Malcolm Rifkind

Former MP for Kensington and before that for Edinburgh Pentlands. Defence and Foreign Secretary under John Major. Has been a supporter of homeopathy and for the reduction of abortion time limits.[63][45] He supported Slobodan Milošević and refused to do anything about Serbian/Yugoslav government aggression or war crimes; when ex-PM Margaret Thatcher was critical of the West's response to Serbian war crimes in 1993, he condemned her remarks as "emotional nonsense", making him perhaps the only person to accuse Thatcher of stereotypically feminine weakness.[64][65] Stepped down from chairing the Intelligence and Security Committee because of his involvement in the "cash for access" scandal in early 2015 and announced he would not stand in the 2015 election.[66]

Tory wingnuts
Were you looking for Douglas Carswell, or the UK Independence Party?
“”Before they are too critical of the oil companies, may I suggest that the Church of England Commissioners read the Bible—Matthew :25, the parable of the oil lamps and the 10 virgins—and remember that it was the five virgins who lived happily ever after and who had a cheap and ready supply of this much-maligned fossil fuel?
—David Davies MP

MPs in parliament
  • David Amess (MP for Southend West): Is for the prohibition of abortion regardless of scientific and medical consensus[67], opposed making abortion easier[28], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, voted against gay marriage, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values. Also asked Parliament to ban a recreational drug that didn't actually exist.[68]
  • Richard Bacon (MP for South Norfolk): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45][28], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws[citation needed]. On the other hand, he opposed the 2003 Iraq War.[69]
  • John Baron (MP for Basildon and Billericay): Supporter of homeopathy.[39] Brexiteer but opposed to military action in Libya and Syria.[70]
  • Richard Benyon (MP for Newbury): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Peter Bone (MP for Wellingborough and Rushden): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a strong supporter of homeopathy, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values. Opposed to laws against upskirt photography.[71]
  • Graham Brady (MP for Altrincham and Sale West): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus and is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39]. Former "Backbencher of the year".[72]
  • Rehman Chishti (MP for Rainham Central): Anti-abortion (supported Nadine Dorries and opposed decriminalisation[28]), anti–gay marriage, anti–mitochondrial donation, but supported relaxation of Pakistani blasphemy laws. Accused of taking money from the Saudi Arabian government while supporting them in parliament.[73]
  • Christopher Chope (MP for Christchurch): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values. Also a climate change skeptic, one of only 3 MPs to vote against the 2008 Climate Change Bill.[74]
  • Greg Clark (MP for Tunbridge Wells and Minister of State in the Department for Communities and Local Government): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.[45][75]
  • David Davies (MP for Monmouth): Climate change skeptic[76] and defended oil companies by pointing to the use of oil lamps in the Bible—even though Biblical lamps used renewable olive oil, not fossil fuels.[77]
  • James Duddridge (MP for Rochford and Southend East, briefly undersecretary at Foreign Office): Supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Philip Dunne (MP for Ludlow): Supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Tobias Ellwood (MP for Bournemouth East): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a strong supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Nigel Evans (MP for Ribble Valley): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws despite supporting Early Day Motion 1770 which was in support of freedom of religion and in particular that of ex-Muslims. He has also attributed global warming to sunspots.[78]
  • Michael Fallon (MP for Sevenoaks, former Defence Secretary): Wants stricter abortion laws[28][45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Mark Field (MP for Cities of London and Westminster): Climate change denier, against evidence-based policy, is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and supports homeopathy. Suspended in 2019 for assaulting a Greenpeace campaigner.[79]
  • Mark "Uncle Albert" Francois (MP for Rayleigh): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], opposed relaxation of abortion laws[28], is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws. Also talks about World War II and his stint in the Territorial Army almost every other interview.
  • Robert Goodwill (MP for Scarborough and Whitby): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a strong supporter of homeopathy, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • James Gray (MP for North Wiltshire): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws. Accused of telling a Scottish polician to "get back to Jockland".[80]
  • Stephen Hammond (MP for Wimbledon): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is also a supporter of homeopathy[39].
  • Greg Hands (MP for Chelsea and Fulham): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], in support of faith schools (particularly Christian ones), and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • Mark Harper (MP for Forest of Dean): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], believes that power lines can cause childhood leukaemia, is wary of libel reform and is also a supporter of homeopathy[39].
  • Adam Holloway (MP for Gravesham): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • David Jones (MP for Clwyd West and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • Daniel Kawczynski (MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham): Wants tighter controls on abortion[28], is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39], supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • Eleanor Laing (MP for Epping Forest): Is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a supporter of homeopathy[39].
  • Mark Lancaster (MP for Milton Keynes North): Supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Tim Loughton (MP for East Worthing and Shoreham and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Anne Main (MP for St Albans): Opposed decriminalising abortion[28], and is a strong supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Andrew Mitchell (MP for Sutton Coldfield and Secretary of State for International Development): Supporter of homeopathy.
  • Penny Mordaunt (MP for Portsmouth North): Supports homeopathy.[81] But also supports abortion rights.[28]
  • Bob Neill (MP for Bromley and Chislehurst and Deputy Chairman for Local Government): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Owen Paterson (MP for North Shropshire): Former Environment Secretary, declared dangers of climate change were "exaggerated",[82] and voted against gay marriage. Supports Christian Cornerstone group.[55]
  • Mike Penning (MP for Hemel Hempstead): Is a supporter of homeopathy[39] and is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45]. Also in 2009, Penning put forward an Early Day Motion in favour of vitamin supplements in reaction to European Union legislation curbing unnecessary and potentially harmful vitamin supplements from being sold in the EU.[citation needed]
  • Mark Prisk (MP for Hertford and Stortford and Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills): Supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Laurence Robertson (MP for Tewkesbury): Is a supporter of homeopathy[39] and is for the prohibition of abortion regardless of scientific and medical consensus, as evidenced by a bill he introduced in 2005 which failed to pass.[83]F Robertson is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • Andrew Selous (MP for South West Bedfordshire): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy, for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws. Opposed gay rights.[84] Proposed legislation hostile to Gypsies and Travellers.[85] Furthermore, Selous is a trustee of the Christian Conservative Fellowship, an organisation wishing to promote Christians in the Conservative Party and increase the parties' Christian membership. Selous sits on the "Council of Reference" for the group Prayers for Parliament, a group which asserts that "the real power to change this land rests not in 10 Downing Street or in the Palace of Westminster. It rests wherever you bow your head in prayer to the Almighty God who is sovereign over all."
  • Keith Simpson (MP for Broadland): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Nicholas Soames (MP for Mid Sussex): This man had the nerve to say that most universities should be shut down, and those remaining should raise their fees to six-digit figures so only the top 1% could get in. Is also for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples. One of the biggest arseholes in Parliament, but he keeps getting reelected because his grandfather was Churchill, guaranteeing every elderly vote in the county.
  • Gary Streeter (MP for South West Devon): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples. In addition to this, Streeter is a former trustee of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, an organisation allied with the Conservative Party that wishes to increase the number of Christians within the Conservative Party. Streeter was also one of a number of MPs who registered their employment of interns from the Christian charity group Christian Action, Research and Education (CARE), described by the Independent as a "right wing Christian group".
  • Desmond Swayne (MP for New Forest West and member of the Ecclesiastical Committee): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws. Swayne is also one of fifteen MPs appointed to the Ecclesiastical Committee, which considers measures passed by the General Synod of the Church of England.[86]
  • Robert Syms (MP for Poole): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • David Tredinnick (MP for Bosworth): Supporter of astrology, strong supporter of homeopathy, radionics, herbal medicine, and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples.[87][88][89]
  • Andrew Tyrie (MP for Chichester): One of only 3 MPs to vote against 2008 Climate Change Bill, denying that there was a scientific consensus on the issue.[90]
  • Edward Vaizey (MP for Wantage and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, with responsibilities for Architecture and Heritage): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a strong supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Charles Walker (MP for Broxbourne): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy, for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • Ben Wallace (MP for Wyre and Preston North, Secretary of State for Defence since 2019): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • John Whittingdale (MP for Maldon): Is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39], and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55] In addition to this, in March 2007 it was reported that Whittingdale, in a speech to the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, had suggested that advertisers should make the argument that a ban on advertising "junk" food during children's television could "have a damaging effect on children's broadcasting that will lead to money going out of it." He is now the Culture Secretary, in charge of negotiating the renewal of the Royal Charter that governs the BBC. That would be OK, except for the fact that he has gone on record as saying that the all-important licence fee is "worse than a poll tax."[91] Oh dear.
  • Jeremy Wright (MP for Kenilworth and Southam): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy[39]. In March 2010, Wright abstained from voting on The Conditional Fee Agreements (Amendment) Order 2010, which would have limited success fees to lawyers to 10%. In addition to this, Wright is a supporter of unnecessarily high dose vitamin supplements as evidenced by a page on his website claiming "Products such as 1 gram Vitamin C tablets that are frequently used in the cold season; and the mineral Boron, important for strong bones and teeth, are set to become illegal once European laws passed recently are fully introduced."

Tory candidates
  • Philippa Stroud (unsuccessful MP candidate in 2010, but influential activist): Founded a church which (allegedly) attempts to "cure" homosexuality. This was the centre of some media controversy shortly before the election.

Former MPs
  • Brian Binley (former MP for Northampton South): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a strong supporter of homeopathy, for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • Simon Burns (MP for Chelmsford and former Minister of State for the Department of Health): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws. This is especially worrying when taking into account that Burns as of May 2010 is a Minister of State for the Department of Health.
  • David Burrowes (MP for Enfield Southgate), Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples. Burrowes is a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values and is a trustee of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, an organisation allied with the Conservative Party that wishes to increase the number of Christians within the Conservative Party. Burrowes was one of a number of MPs who registered their employment of interns from the Christian charity group Christian Action, Research and Education (CARE), described by The Independent as a "right wing Christian group".
  • James Clappison (MP for Hertsmere): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], and is a supporter of homeopathy[39].
  • Stephen Dorrell (MP for Charnwood): Is a supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Charles Hendry (MP for Wealden and Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Peter Lilley (MP for Hitchin and Harpenden): Climate change denier[citation needed] and is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus.[45]
  • Peter Luff (MP for Mid Worcestershire): Supporter of homeopathy[39].
  • Patrick Mercer (MP for Newark): Supporter of homeopathy.[39]
  • Brooks Newmark (MP for Braintree): Is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples. In 2009, Newmark introduced a Private Member Bill to lower the cervical cancer screening age to 20 based on sensationalist reporting by the Sun newspaper, against the evidence provided by the British Medical Journal showing that screening in women age 20–24 had little to no impact. Left parliament in 2015 and works for a homelessness charity.
  • Richard Ottaway (MP for Croydon South): Against evidence/reason-based policy[citation needed], is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39] and is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45].
  • James Paice (MP for South East Cambridgeshire and formerly Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus[45], is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and also appears to be ignorant and reactionary towards GM crops, which is rather unfortunate as he is after all the Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
  • David Ruffley (MP for Bury St Edmunds): Is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Lee Scott (MP for Ilford North): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy[39], and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.[55]
  • Richard Shepherd (MP for Aldridge-Brownhills): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.[45][39]
  • Andrew Turner (MP for Isle of Wight): Voted to reduce abortion time limits and against gay marriage. His dog ate a ferret.[citation needed]
  • Robert Walter (MP for North Dorset): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39], and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples. Stood down in 2015.
  • Angela Watkinson (MP for Hornchurch and Upminster): Was a former member of the Monday Club, known for its voluntary "repatriation" of non-white immigrants, and has consistently voted against gay equality rights as well as the banning of hunting foxes. Supports the Cornerstone Group.[55]
  • Robert "Rob" Wilson (MP for Reading East and member of the Science and Technology Select Committee): Is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a strong supporter of homeopathy[39], is a supporter of Chinese medicine, is wary of libel reform, and has conflicting views on evidence-based policy, which is quite promising as he is a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee.[citation needed]
  • Tim Yeo (MP for South Suffolk and Chairman of the Environmental Audit Select Committee): Supporter of homeopathy, one would hope he doesn't apply the same logic to environmental issues.

Factions

The Conservative Party includes various groups, some restricted to MPs, others with wider membership. The more extreme or crazy ones include:

Videos
gollark: Pibblepabble?
gollark: Wait, that wouldn't work.
gollark: Altitude?
gollark: Maybe gusties are... alti-something?
gollark: But yay, pygmies! And cool eggos.

References
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  4. See the Wikipedia article on History of the Conservative Party (UK).
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  7. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/cristinaodone/100038977/tory-insider-some-hissing-from-the-backwoodsmen-but-not-one-senior-figure-is-opposing-camerons-deal/
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  34. https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/about-sentencing/types-of-sentence/other-orders-made-on-sentencing/criminal-courts-charge/
  35. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34870242
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  37. And he gets described as a shit by members of his own party http://jerryhayes.co.uk/posts/2015/01/22/grayling-s-attempt-to-curtail-judicial-review-shows-he-puts-the-dick-into-tat-this-is-one-shit-that-will-have-to-be-flushed-after-the-election
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  76. , Wales Online
  77. , Episcopal Digital Network, 2016
  78. 5 Mar 2008 : Column 457WH, Hansard
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  80. See the Wikipedia article on James Gray (British politician).
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