Beyond the Anglo-Sphere

Perhaps the Tories can learn something from European conservatism

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

The Conservative Party has never really thought much of, or even about, its European counterparts on the centre-right. America was where the bonds were, where the money flowed from. Where the big ideas came from. The party was far more clued up about and interested in American elections than anything on the continent. European leaders would be dealt with when in power at a diplomatic level, but there has been seldom much thought of a European Conservative movement.

This is partly explained by the language barrier and the media barrier. US politics is far easier to pay attention to, and Americans are far easier to meet and discuss intricacies within our largely monolingual political class. The idea of engaging with the European right also clashed politically. There was the Euroscepticism which soured the chances, but also a general sense that they were all a bit Wet, stuck with higher taxes and social spending – and liking it – while we’d instead bed down with happy slashing Americans.

At Party conferences and similar, there might be the odd joint reception. Very keen individuals, usually with some link to the country, might foster an informal partnership with the French or German right. However, there were no significant efforts to learn from or co-operate with them. Indeed, the most formal arrangement ended in schism when (for essentially domestic image reasons) Cameron took the Tories out of the EPP grouping in the European Parliament and into the more niche ECR. These divides were, of course, further compounded by Brexit.

British Conservatism has primarily seen itself as apart from the continent and, as a result, has acted to make it so. The relationships with other European conservative parties are weak. The cross-pollination of ideas is perhaps even more so. We rarely draw on European experience when drawing up policy. Frankly, most Tories would probably struggle to name the main centre-right parties on the continent or their leaders, let alone have much of a relationship with them.[1] Now, perhaps, it is time to reconsider that.