IDS of March: The Death of ‘Retro-Thatcherism’

Why did Iain Duncan Smith resign from the government? I’m sure that there are several reasons, ranging from his stated reason to #Brexit. Another interpretation is that it was part of the slow death of what I call ‘Retro-Thatcherism’.

The Conservative Party is, essentially, the Thatcher Party. Her impact on the thinking of most, if not all Tories cannot be overstated; for better or worse, her premiership and the ideas that drove it are the foundation on which today’s party is built. It is precisely because her legacy is so big that anyone can draw on it to justify their particular beliefs. Given that Baroness Thatcher became increasingly Europhobic after her retirement, Europhobes argue that she would have backed the Leave campaign if she were still alive. Of course, Remainers can point to her integrationist policies as Prime Minister, as well as the ‘Eurorealist’ vision she extolled in the Bruges Speech. Similarly, whereas anti-immigration Tories can point to the strict laws her government passed, pro-immigration Tories can argue that the free movement of labour is the logical next step of her economic policies. The great divide in today’s Conservative Party isn’t between ‘Wets’ and ‘Dries’, but between moderate ‘High Thatcherites’ and sharper-edged ‘Retro-Thatcherites’.

After David Cameron’s election victory last May, Retro-Thatcherism is on the wane, which is why people like Tim Montgomerie have quit the party and IDS has tried to destabilise the government. For years now, they have treated the Prime Minister and George Osborne as not being as politically astute as themselves, and have condescendingly offered him advice on how to better manage both the Conservative Party and the country. This was especially true during the Coalition, as Mr. Cameron had clearly failed to listen to them before 2010 and paid the electoral price. Now, of course, he has no reason to pay any attention to them because he has succeeded despite their advice. Ironically, these self-proclaimed heirs of the Iron Lady are in a similar position as the Wets after the 1983 election…

The longer Mr. Cameron and Mr. Osborne lead the Conservative Party, the less Retro-Thatcherite it will become. Like most dying ideologies, however, its passing will be more turbulent than when it was in its prime.