The Case for the Centre Right

In recent years, the once familiar landscape of British politics has fundamentally changed. The Conservative Party in particular has undergone a profound transformation. Centre-right values that steered British politics for decades – internationalism, respect for the rule of law, fiscal responsibility, belief in our institutions – were cast aside in the wake of the Brexit referendum to the detriment of UK prosperity, electoral trust and the long-term fortunes of the Conservative Party.  But this radical rightwards shift can and must be reversed. In this bold intervention, David Gauke and other leading figures on the centre right – including Michael Heseltine, Rory Stewart, Amber Rudd, Gavin Barwell and Daniel Finkelstein - explore how the Conservative Party morphed into a populist movement and why this approach is doomed to fail. Together they make the case for a return to the liberal centre right, arguing with passion and conviction that the values that once defined the best of British conservatism remain essential both to the party and to the UK’s political future.

Introduction / David Gauke 1 The Realignment of British Politics / Andrew Cooper 2 Populism’s Price / Rory Stewart 3 Restoring the Rule of Law /  Dominic Grieve 4 Fixing a Bad Brexit Deal / Gavin Barwell 5 A Renewed Agenda for Conservative Economics / Tim Pitt 6 Tackling the Health Crisis / Anne Milton 7 Winning the Global Race for Science and Technology / Sam Gyimah 8 The Future of Climate and Energy Policy / Amber Rudd 9 A pro-European and pro-Devolution Agenda / Michael Heseltine 10 What Divides the Centre Right from the Centre Left (and what doesn’t) / Daniel Finkelstein Notes