Conservative Party (UK)

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[[Category:British politics]]
 
[[Category:British politics]]
 
[[Category:British political parties]]
 
[[Category:British political parties]]

Revision as of 05:17, 17 November 2010

The Conservative Party is one of the two or three major political parties in the UK.

Contents

Current Leadership

Since the 1997 landslide election that put Tony Blair's Labour Party into power, the party has undergone more than its fair share of leadership changes whenever they lost an election, going from William Hague to Iain Duncan Smith to Michael Howard. The current leader and Prime Minister is David Cameron, who, despite his elitist and privileged background, is trying awfully hard to come across as "one of the people". This is where most satire about Cameron comes from - in Tony! The Blair Musical he's featured rapping about it. However, most of the party still harps on about the good old days of Margaret Thatcher, who is the most revered (or, depending who you talk to, most reviled) UK politician in recent times.

Policies

Like all UK political parties the Conservatives are very careful not to expound on any clear policies in case someone pins them down to them. Basically they're in favour of being in power and against Labour being in power (so, basically like most Political Parties). Their "official" reason for not issuing policies is that they'd be too good and Labour would steal them. They're vehemently anti-Europe, except where they're pro-Europe etc. etc.

The Conservative Party has gradually become less conservative in recent years, they're certainly Lefty-liberal-whoopsies compared to Republicans at the moment. Similarly, Labour have been considered to be leaning more to the right making the last few UK general elections rather bland and boring battles for the supposed "centre" ground. That said, the Conservatives have their share of old-school gibbering right-wing nutters (who the shadow cabinet refer to as "backwoodsmen"[1]), much as Labour has its share of diehard socialists.

Science

In regards to drugs policy, the conservatives do not support an evidence based 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.[2]

Tory wingnuts

Some party members appear to be against reason-based policy making, and/or in support of pseudoscience. Try using ctrl + F and see if you can find your MP here!

MPs in parliament

  • Adam Holloway (MP for Gravesham) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • Andrew Mitchell (MP for Sutton Coldfield and Secretary of State for International Development) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • Andrew Selous (MP for South West Bedfordshire) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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. In addition to this 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 is 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".
  • Anne Main (MP for St Albans) - is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a strong supporter of homeopathy.
  • Ben Wallace (MP for Wyre and Preston North) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • 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, is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Brian Binley (MP for Northampton South) - is 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.
  • Brooks Newmark (MP for Braintree) - is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, 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.
  • 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.
  • Charles Walker (MP for Broxbourne) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • Christopher Chope (MP for Christchurch) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • Damian Green (MP for Ashford and Minister of State for Borders and Immigration) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Daniel Kawczynski (MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • David Amess (MP for Southend West) - is for the prohibition of abortion regardless of scientific and medical consensus, 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, supported now defunct blasphemy laws, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • David Burrowes (MP for Enfield Southgate) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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. 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'.
  • 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, 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.
  • David Ruffley (MP for Bury St Edmunds) - is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • 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.[3]
  • 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, is a supporter of homeopathy, 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.
  • Dominic Grieve (MP for Beaconsfield and Attorney General for England and Wales) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Douglas Carswell (MP for Clacton) - climate change denier, against evidence-based policy, and is the for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus. Carswell is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • 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. 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?".
  • 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, and is a strong supporter of homeopathy.
  • Eleanor Laing (MP for Epping Forest) - is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Gary Streeter (MP for South West Devon) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a strong supporter of homeopathy, 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'.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Greg Hands (MP for Chelsea and Fulham) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, 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.
  • James Clappison (MP for Hertsmere) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • James Duddridge (MP for Rochford and Southend East) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • James Gray (MP for North Wiltshire) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a strong supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • James Paice (MP for South East Cambridgeshire and 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, is a supporter of homeopathy 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.
  • Jeremy Hunt (MP for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport) - is a supporter of homeopathy for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is against embryological human/animal hybrid experiments.
  • 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. 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".
  • John Baron (MP for Basildon and Billericay) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • John Redwood (MP for Wokingham) - climate change denier, is the for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus. Redwood is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • John Whittingdale (MP for Maldon) - 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. 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"
  • Keith Simpson (MP for Broadland) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Laurence Robertson (MP for Tewkesbury) - is a supporter of homeopathy 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. Robertson is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • Lee Scott (MP for Ilford North) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and is also a member of the Cornerstone Group, a faction within the Conservative Party that promotes Christian values.
  • Malcolm Rifkind (MP for Kensington) - is a supporter of homeopathy and is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus.
  • 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, and supports homeopathy.
  • Mark Francois (MP for Rayleigh) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Mark Harper (MP for Forest of Dean) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, believes that power lines can cause childhood leukaemia, is wary of libel reform and is also a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Mark Lancaster (MP for Milton Keynes North) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • Mark Prisk (MP for Hertford and Stortford and Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • Michael Fallon (MP for Sevenoaks) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Mike Penning (MP for Hemel Hempstead) - is a supporter of homeopathy and is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus. Also in 2009, Penning put forward an Early Day Motion in favour of vitamin supplements in reaction to EU legislation curbing unnecessary and potentially harmful vitamin supplements from being sold in the EU.
  • Nadine Dorries (MP for Mid Bedfordshire and member of the Science and Technology Select Committee) - 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". 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.
  • Nicholas Soames (MP for Mid Sussex) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples.
  • Nigel Evans (MP for Ribble Valley) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • Patrick Mercer (MP for Newark) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • Peter Bone (MP for Wellingborough and Rushden) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • Peter Lilley (MP for Hitchin and Harpenden) - climate change denier and is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus.
  • Peter Luff (MP for Mid Worcestershire) - strong supporter of homeopathy.
  • Philip Dunne (MP for Ludlow) - supporter of homeopathy.
  • Philip Hammond (MP for Runnymede and Weybridge and Secretary of State for Transport) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Richard Bacon (MP for South Norfolk) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, and supported now defunct blasphemy laws.
  • Richard Benyon (MP for Newbury) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Richard Ottaway (MP for Croydon South) - against evidence/reason based policy, is a strong supporter of homeopathy and is strongly for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus.
  • 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.
  • Robert Goodwill (MP for Scarborough and Whitby) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, 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.
  • Robert Syms (MP for Poole) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • 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, and for the exclusion of faith-based adoption agencies from the Equality Act so that they may discriminate against homosexual couples.
  • Robert 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, 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.
  • Simon Burns (MP for Chelmsford and Minister of State for the Department of Health) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, is a supporter of homeopathy, 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.
  • Stephen Dorrell (MP for Charnwood) - is a supporter of homeopathy.
  • Stephen Hammond (MP for Wimbledon) - is for the reduction of abortion time limits against scientific and medical consensus, and is also a supporter of homeopathy.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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 (especially on Twitter and Facebook) shortly before the election.

Desperate link

  • United Kingdom - as if they were. And as if they had one. And if they did, would they let him rule them?

Quote

Conservatives: putting the "N" into cuts
—Sandy Toksvig, News Quiz, BBC R4

External links

Footnotes

  1. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/cristinaodone/100038977/tory-insider-some-hissing-from-the-backwoodsmen-but-not-one-senior-figure-is-opposing-camerons-deal/
  2. The Conservative Party answers questions about its science policy
  3. Skeptical Voter - David Tredinnick
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