The Future of Scottish Conservatism Analytical Essay

An in-depth exploration to determine the Conservatives' future in the Scottish political landscape.
# 150369 | 8,505 words | 33 sources | APA | 2010 | GB
Published on Feb 05, 2012 in Political Science (Election and Campaigns) , Political Science (Parliament in Scotland)


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Description:

This paper explores the past history and present pitfalls hindering Conservative electoral success in Scotland. The paper analyzes the reasons behind the decline in the Scottish Conservatives' fortunes and looks at Scottish voters' political values and policy preferences. The paper examines the response of the Scottish Conservatives since their 1997 defeat and then discusses what the Scottish Conservatives can do to attract more votes.

Outline:
Abstract
Chapter 1 - The Current Electoral Situation
Chapter 2 - Reasons for Conservative Decline in Scotland
Chapter 3 - Scottish Voters' Political Values and Policy Preferences
Chapter 4 - The Response of the Scottish Conservatives
Chapter 5 - What Should the Scottish Conservatives do to Attract More Votes?
Chapter 6 - Conclusion

From the Paper:

"It is obvious to state that the Conservatives have experienced electoral decline in Scotland since the 1950s. There are a variety of reasons which have been put forward by way of explanation for this particular case. One such idea is that put forward by Lynch who argued that the Conservative Party's successes in the 1950s would make its results in subsequent years seem appalling (Lynch 2001 p.142). In other words that, they were by their very nature a party which would not suit Scottish voters and that early success was the exception, rather than the rule. He considered Conservative success in Scotland in the 1950s to be exceptional given the strong working class alliance with the Labour Party in Scotland and also the long standing dominance of the Liberal party (Lynch 2001 p.148).
"Lynch argues that the Conservatives benefited from the Liberals' internal battles and organisational failures. In other words, that their success was more a representation of their opposition's failures, rather than a success based on its own merits. The Conservatives had prospered in Scotland with the formation of the Liberal Unionists, and from 1912 onwards when the Conservatives and the Liberal Unionists merged to form the Scottish Unionist Party. The Conservatives managed to attract sizeable numbers of disillusioned former Liberal voters. However, the recovery of Scottish Liberalism from around 1965 meant increasing Liberal vote share came mainly at Conservative expense. Such facts support the claims made by Lynch and raise important questions about how the Conservative party can gain power in the current political climate, given the relative strength of the opposition parties."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • BBC. 'BBC Scottish Election 2007 News' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/scottish_parliment/html/region_99999.stm 19 December 2009)
  • BBC. 'BBC Scottish Election News 2007' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk_politics/2007/election_2007/default.stm 19 December 2009)
  • Brown, A. et al. (1999). The Scottish Electorate: the 1997 General Election and Beyond. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press
  • Brown A. et al. (1999). Devolution and Scottish politics. In The Scottish Electorate: the 1997 General Election and Beyond. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press
  • Election Resources on the Internet. 'Elections to the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales' (http://electionresources.org/uk/sct-wls/ 19 December 2009)

Cite this Analytical Essay:

APA Format

The Future of Scottish Conservatism (2012, February 05) Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-future-of-scottish-conservatism-150369/

MLA Format

"The Future of Scottish Conservatism" 05 February 2012. Web. 31 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/the-future-of-scottish-conservatism-150369/>

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