Ben Whisker

Research

Title of Research:

'Explaining departures from New-Right ideology in Conservative Party policy-making under Thatcher's leadership, 1975-1990: the role of institutional and electoral considerations'.

Brief overview of research topic:

Existing academic and popular interpretations rightly recognise the importance of ideological forces in shaping the policy decisions of the Conservative Party during Margaret Thatcher’s leadership. This research advances the perspective that the pre-eminence of ideology in accounts of Thatcherism should prompt us to seek explanations for policy areas where the Conservatives' approach under Thatcher diverged from the ideological agenda of the New Right. It is contended that policy-making in the areas of macroeconomic policy, health and defence varied significantly from the course one might have expected given the centrality of ideology to Thatcher’s leadership. The thesis argues that electoral and institutional constraints explain why Conservative politicians did not adhere to ideological objectives in these areas. The thesis also specifies the conditions which affected the relative significance of ideological, electoral and institutional considerations.

 Ben successfully completed his PhD in December 2020.