From “compassionate conservatism” champion to Thatcher 2.0: Storytelling, ethos building and the evolution of Tory leadership (2005-2022) - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue Observatoire de la société britannique Année : 2024

From “compassionate conservatism” champion to Thatcher 2.0: Storytelling, ethos building and the evolution of Tory leadership (2005-2022)

Résumé

When he became leader of the Conservative Party in 2005, David Cameron’s ambition was to change the negative image of his party. After years of internal disputes over Europe, immigration or gay rights, Cameron wanted to shake off the “Nasty Party” label that was hanging around the neck of his political organisation. This makeover process amounted to what some political scientists defined as the “decontamination of the Conservative brand”, and Cameron was meant to embody the new direction. In a similar vein, when she replaced Cameron, Theresa May tried to create the image of a healer who would mend the divisions caused by the Brexit referendum. Boris Johnson seems to have ignited another kind of leadership, more confrontational and aggressive, and perhaps more in tune with the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. Liz Truss, who took over from Johnson, did not seek to move away from this new – or rather traditional – path, as she repeatedly tried to emulate the heritage – and the political image – of the Iron Lady. This article proposes to study the evolution of Tory leadership, from 2005 to 2022, in order to assess whether Johnson’s mandate marks a clear break from his direct predecessors, Cameron and May, who seemed to have favoured One-Nation, compassionate conservatism, in direct opposition to the Thatcher years. To reach this objective, we will examine how recent Conservative leaders (Cameron, May, Johnson and Truss) used storytelling to build their ethos and reinforce their leadership, in their annual Conference keynote speeches.
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Dates et versions

hal-04699071 , version 1 (16-09-2024)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04699071 , version 1

Citer

Alma-Pierre Bonnet. From “compassionate conservatism” champion to Thatcher 2.0: Storytelling, ethos building and the evolution of Tory leadership (2005-2022). Observatoire de la société britannique, 2024, 31, pp.33-53. ⟨hal-04699071⟩
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