The conclusions from Who is right? my new book on Conservatism. (Amazon, Bite sized books)
What is Conservatism?
Conservatives believe in freedom. We believe in free speech, free elections, and free enterprise. We value the talents of individuals, the benefits of the small battalions and free institutions, and the power of the family. We understand the importance of traditions and learning passed down the generations. We wish to see a prosperous country with wealth and ownership widely spread, a well defended country safe from war and threats, and a civil society with sufficient common bonds and culture.
Conservatives do wish to see limits placed on freedoms for the greater good. We expect a strong rule of law. Free enterprise does not extend to theft and fraud. Freedom to do things should not stretch to harming your neighbour or advancing by violence.
Conservatives do not want to blindly follow the past, welcoming positive change from the ideas and actions of enterprising individuals and institutions. Traditions and the past should be respected and drawn upon but not become restrictive bonds preventing something better. Conservatives wish to be the “dwarves on the shoulders of the giants”, seeing further because we inherit past wisdom and knowledge.
Conservatives love the countryside and wish to conserve the best of our natural and built environments. We value clean water and fresh air. We believe in being kind to animals, accepting their needs as they live alongside us.
Conservatives welcome strong families and see them as their own welfare societies, transferring wealth and skills between generations and accepting most of the responsibility for bringing up children and caring for the elderly. The state has a welfare role when families break down or when the demands are too great on family members.
Conservatives understand that whilst most individuals have plenty of capacity to do good and to advance themselves and those close to them, there is in some a criminal tendency to harm and evil which needs controlling by clear laws and punishments.
Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity, offering a hand up in preference to a hand out. We want to help people on their individual journeys, and accept that those who achieve more and contribute more may earn more and save more. We believe in lower tax rates to protect incentives. We tax the rich who have the money by setting rates that they will stay to pay.
Conservatives oppose most revolutions for their violence and extremism. Conservatives believe in evolutionary change. There is no perfect state or utopian society that can be created because mankind has criminals as well as saints. Imposing too many solutions from government leads to the abuse of power and to the distress of freedom loving citizens. One of the least perfectible of human institutions is government itself, which needs to be watched, checked and controlled to avoid tyranny.
Conservatives believe in democratic government with choice between parties and philosophies at elections. We believe that Opposition is an important part of democratic government, to prevent a tyranny of the majority and to represent the views of legitimate minorities.
Conservatives believe in their countries, seeing the nation state as the means to create a voluntary common culture, shared experiences and team loyalty in friendly competition with other states. Conservatives are sceptical about drives to international and global government and to rule by an elite or bureaucratic class. There is no global democracy so global government is unaccountable.
Conservatives oppose extremism. We see National Socialism and Communism as two evil creeds of the last century that resulted in mass murders, dreadful wars and the suppression of freedoms which we should strive to prevent in the future.
Conservatives are of many religions and of none. We see religious organisations as part of a free society, alloowed to conduct their rituals and to follow their beliefs within the confines of the demcratic law. The UK comes from a Christian culture and has an Established Church, but it is no theocracy and is tolerant of varied religions and of none. The Christian Church still plays a role in state ceremonies and our culture, crowning the King as Head of the Church and accepting a pattern of holidays from the Christian callendar.
June 9, 2026
Does small government figure as a direct aspiration too, or is it assumed to be a consequence of the wishlist?
June 9, 2026
Good point.
A case of a political party hijacking a set of social mores for self interest I’d say.
June 9, 2026
@Wanderer – rule by decree is still the order of the day. NetZero, unproven, uncosted but because of media hype at the time a convenient mantra to get elected on. Leading to deindustrialisation and the expelling of the means to fund a future.
The belief in democracy? yet refuse to manage, supporting rule by a foreign unelected unaccountable committee.
There is to much hypocrisy in this UK Parliament and those that wish to enter that place, they are run by what the hype on Social Media says they should do. Forgetting that most people that ‘work’ don’t see the messages. Contradiction they all(the majority of MPs) want to use the Internet and the all want to control it, killing its valuable use. More irony one faction want the 16 year old’s to get the vote, but want to ban them using the internet, drinking, driving.
Not to condemn one faction above the others as they are all at it, say what needs to be said to win ‘power’. We the voter can only reflect on record and actions, based on that alone any one that has served in Government/Parliament this century should think again your record says you are a hypocrite.
The missing element is MPs wishing to serve their electorate and the Nation, by working ‘with them’
June 9, 2026
Small government to me is below about 20% of GDP. The Tories have never recently reduced spending not even Thatcher did so.
Despite Thatcher’s government’s ideological commitment to rolling back the state, Margaret Thatcher did not reduce overall public spending in real terms, it actually grew by an average of just over 1% per year during her premiership.
However, because of strong economic growth, public spending as a share of GDP fell from 44% to 38%. With Starmer we have increasing spending, doom loop growth and the spending is appallingly inefficient and hugely misdirected too.
June 9, 2026
Agree, the list should include ‘little tax’ and ‘little government’
June 9, 2026
Well the King sees himself as protector of all faiths this can be rather a problem as some people of some faiths seem to be rather keen on eliminating the other faiths.
JR does not address the issue of schools, especially state funded schools divided by religion, this policy did not work very well in Northern Ireland increasing large and often violent cleavages in society.
Do Conservative’s believe in free speech, free markets, limiting immigration, deterring crime and low skilled immigration… it seems not for the past 40+ years. The markets in energy, education, transport, healthcare are hugely rigged by taxes and subsidies and red tape. Making us all poorer and giving us worse services.
Sir Keith Joseph’s famous moment of clarity following the Conservative election defeat in 1974. After years as a big-spending, state-interventionist minister, he famously stated: “It was only in April 1974 that I was converted to Conservatism. (I had thought I was a Conservative, but I now see that I was not really one at all.) Almost all the Conservative MP should be asking this. Cameron, May, Boris, Sunak did virtually nothing to undo the appalling vandalism on Blair and Brown they just build on it. Blair did more harm than two world wars as David Starkey put it. But the Cameron etc. Tories just build on it and mad it even worse with even higher taxes, more rigged markets, more net zero, more low skilled immigration, higher taxes and their appalling Covid disasters.
June 9, 2026
I don’t recognise that on offer from anyone.
I have been re-reading “Why Nations Fail” and we are definitely moving from “inclusive” (very good) institutions to “extractive” (very bad) institutions.
Not surprising when the political life, for the “wrong” type, is the route to becoming a millionaire.
June 9, 2026
Agree, once you remove your own history, culture and industry ….you lose your nation
June 9, 2026
“Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity” this is of course impossible to achieve some are born bright and attractive others ugly and stupid many are born with horrible diseases, blind, deaf, crippled… many are born to drug addicts and vile criminals other to delightful parents.
Labour even wants equality of outcome a truly vile agenda this even in the criminal justice system so mad are they. Perhaps they should extend this to the two genders. Men make up approximately 96% of the UK prison population so quite some “discrimination” there is seems by the mad logic of Two Tier Labour, the police and the criminal justice system it seem.
June 10, 2026
In ‘Equality of Outcome’ nobody needs to try. Why needlessly handicap the able?
June 9, 2026
Good morning.
Conservatism is keeping the best of everything British and allowing the new and better to naturally replace the old. Not selling your country out to foreigners.
June 9, 2026
The Conservative Party is the oldest political party in the United Kingdom and has been a dominant force since that time.
Established in the 1830s, officially adopting the name in the 1840s. The party’s policies included:
Support for private property and enterprise; Maintenance of a strong military; Preservation of traditional cultural values and institutions; Reform of the electoral system to increase representation for the middle class.
Simpler times – perhaps, but it was well into the 20th century before the party became infected by socialist ideas and it came to resemble the other parties. This was reinforced when Harold Wilson, then in power, orchestrated a meeting to ensure that major political parties held the same view on the EU. The concept of the uniparty was created, only disrupted while Thatcher was in power, with Britain blooming.
After that came the age of the quango and globalism, from which we still suffer. It is still hard to see the difference between the last Tory government and this labour one, except that labour are more extreme in their socialism.
If the Conservatives are to survive then they need to get back to their roots, dismiss socialism from their ranks and live up to their definition defined by our host.
June 9, 2026
An excellent thinking framework for Kemi and team.
June 9, 2026
In his early days as an influential backbencher, Jacob Rees-Mogg memorably observed: “Politics should not be about making people’s lives difficult.” A possible consistent addition to the above might have been: “Conservatives do not believe in making people’s lives difficult. Passing laws to compel people to act or to refrain from acting in any particular way, or to enable local government and regulatory authorities to do so, is a last resort. British common law rightly treats all human activity as permitted: there must be good reasons to step in and curtail it.”
June 9, 2026
Governments social-engineering (taxing for behaviour etc) is a true evil and the end of democracy
June 10, 2026
Laws based on ‘Don’t’ are shorter, simpler and sensible. The alternative is to compose laws detailing everything that people are allowed and required to do. Citizens should be free to do as they please with some specific restrictions to avoid harm and negative outcomes; not have an immensely long code book ruling every detailed aspect of life.
Which bozos allowed the tax code to develop into over TEN MILLION WORDS of instructions?
June 9, 2026
Shame the conservative Party leaders for the past 3 decades did not act or govern in the way you describe John, the Party may still be in power if they had and certainly the Country and its population would be in a better financial situation than at present.
June 9, 2026
Well done, John. Keep the message flowing.
The only downside is that based on personal record the individuals that want to carry the party banner of conservatism have demonstrated they are non-believers. They run with what ever the media hype suggests to sound on message as such are not defenders of conservatism, democracy or freedoms. In other words like most of the tribe of the political class they spout whatever the media is trending with to get elected.
June 9, 2026
From your definition of conservatism, Lord John, how do Conservative policies on immigration and Net Zero form?
June 9, 2026
“We believe that Opposition is an important part of democratic government, to prevent a tyranny of the majority and to represent the views of legitimate minorities.”
There is a view that as a result of the HRA and other similar legislation we now have the tyranny of the minorities because this legislation has undermined democracy as Parliaments, the Civil Service, the judiciary and our institutions are giving special rights to minorities and no longer enacting the wishes of the majority.
June 9, 2026
A good article.
Unfortunately I can’t see one of these beliefs that the last set of conservative governments did not trample into the dirt. Even worse, I do not believe that the current Conservative opposition display anything other than lip service to most of them.
If they believed in them, and their actions displayed that belief, then they could turn things around. Currently, it appears that they stand for very little and, consequently, the prognosis is electoral oblivion.
June 9, 2026
Bank of England bond sales cost taxpayers £36bn
Discounted selling of government gilts risks inflating the national debt, warn analysts
In the Telegraph Today – they are catching on JR.
“Conservatives believe in democratic government with choice between parties and philosophies at elections.”
Well Heath took us into the anti-democratic EU and the Conservatives under Major and Cameron refused to give voters and say in this until finally Cameron was finally forced into it. Even then he, Osborne and Carney tried to ensure a remain vote with government lies. He also failed even to prepare for a quite likely leave outcome. Generals have been shot for rather less negligence than this! The democratic system need honest manifesto’s read that last few Tory and Labour Manifestos – not much honest about any of them. They did not even tried to deliver these I suspect they had no intention of even trying to deliver.
June 9, 2026
Much as I dislike the current governments use of “the past 14 years of Conservative rule” as a convenient catch phrase to excuse their own ineptitude – there is still much truth to it. Whatever your definition of ‘conservatism’ is Lord John, the last Conservative government was hardly conservative in much of what it actually did.
However depressing the state of our country is under this government, we didn’t get here overnight. We again read this week the dreadful state of disrepair the Royal Navy has been allowed to fall into. The “best” attack subs in the world and all of them in dock and effectively useless. That didn’t happen just in the last two years, although these current clowns are doing nothing to repair the damage – quite the opposite.
Frankly, I like Kemi Badenoch but I don’t have any great faith in the Party she leads. However, I look at the alternatives and don’t see any solid solutions there either. In the meanwhile the evidence that we are in big finacial trouble is all around us. “Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man” but I don’t see him (or her) yet and I’d dearly love to.
June 9, 2026
The Bank of England’s controversial decision to sell off UK debt has cost taxpayers £36bn in just four years, according to new figures.
Deutsche Bank said Threadneedle Street’s decision to actively sell government bonds, rather than letting them simply mature, meant taxpayers faced much heavier short-term losses.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/06/09/bank-of-england-bond-sales-cost-taxpayers-36bn/
the UK Parliament/Government have the power to stop this – they don’t
Secret dossier reveals foreign aid and Covid relief loans were appropriated by gangs and hostile states
More than £28bn ended up in the hands of those wishing to harm Britain
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/08/revealed-britain-paid-billions-to-terrorists-and-gangsters/
The UK Parliament/Government unlike other Countries refuse to do due diligence
Reply These are not new figures or news. I highlighted this in 2023 in the Telegraph and here from OBR official figures.
June 9, 2026
Kudos.
My favourite philosophies of Conservatism are by Edmund Burke and Samuel Johnson – both friends (and sparring partners). And both strong supporters of Christianity in politics. For Conservatism is as much about humour, charm and culture as it is about the economy. To be over-focused on the economy / GDP is boring and self-defeating (as a people and an economy destroy itself without humour, charm and culture – the economy is destroyed because people go mad/bonkers/insane without humour, charm and culture, leading to all kinds of harmful addictions – physical and psychological – stress, burnout, depression, relationship fall-outs, and low productivity and costing the tax payer billions and billions).
June 9, 2026
The Communists and the N-zis destroyed their great countries, because they were basically a humourless bunch of people who took themselves terribly, terribly seriously. Without charm (genuine charm) and culture. And all profoundly anti Christianity. The Communists in Russia really hated Christians. As did the Nazis – some more than others. Martin Boorman couldn’t tolerate Christianity at all. And if the Nazis had had their way, they would have eventually had every last believing Christian in the concentration camps. Quite different to great Christian conservatives such as Edmund Burke, Samuel Johnson (and Jane Austen – although she wasn’t political).
And notice the connection between Christianity and humour. Sarah from Old Testament laughed when as an old woman she was told she would have to sleep with her husband and have a baby. And that baby would turn out to be called ‘Isaac’ which means ‘one who laughs.’ I don’t trust priests or politicians without a (genuine) sense of humour.
June 9, 2026
It’s a pity “Call me Dave” and the rest of the Party didn’t subscribe to these views. Then there might still be a Conservative Party worth voting for…
June 9, 2026
Correct Mickc
June 9, 2026
Lastly, the likes of Bannon, Trump and Farage having almost nothing to do with British Conservatism. They undermine the values of great Conservatism that we see in the likes of Edmund Burke and Samuel Johnson. They are as much a threat to the Conservative Party and its values as are as socialists and the WOKE brigade. We need to defend and defend hard what it means to be Conservative.
June 9, 2026
Did I miss the bit about maintaining sovereignty and protecting national priorities against undemocratic foreign interference John?
June 9, 2026
I see there’s been an attempted beheading in Belfast last night. Police, nothing to see here attitude unlike when its a white perpetrator. There really is going to be a backlash from all this cultural crime.
We await listening to what the tories are going to do to a problem they are mainly responsible for.
June 9, 2026
Even though the people of terrified, the police have said its not terrorism
June 10, 2026
The pathetic statements by dire people like Starmer, Lammy, Hillary Benn, police spokespeople… going on about the far right and telling us not to “speculate” and denying that they run two tier justice when they patently do seem to be expressly designed to whip up trouble.
June 9, 2026
What about the conservation of our culture which does not treat women as slaves? Does not allow FGM or forced and arranged marriage? Allows females to be educated, gain employment and take part in all public events and activities? Allows females to wear the clothes they wish and suitable for the environment and occasion? Does not allow the forced chaperoning of females whenever they leave home? Does not allow first cousin marriages? Allows females to take their children out of the home for any activities they may enjoy? Does not allow polygamy?
June 9, 2026
English Conservatism as we know it is wholly England centered with English notions of grandeur and is so class based – it is against Irish unification – it is not cognisant of Scottish desire for independence and Wales hardly counts being an add on – otherwise it would not have brought UK outside of the EU to such a degree and caused so much hardship for all of its people. Another thing – It is no coincidence that Britain is probably the only country in Europe that has privatised its ‘water’ and with such diabolical consequences – only to mention a few things – UK/¹ English Conservatism is definitely old hat
June 9, 2026
What about conservatism not allowing governments to hide from the public the spending of large sums of money or the immigration of tens of thousands of people using a super-injunction?
June 9, 2026
What about conservatism ensuring that those working in the public sector/receiving tax-payer money can be sacked for laziness, negligence, incompetence, malfeasance, corruption, misbehaviour, insubordination, criminal behaviour and treachery?
June 9, 2026
All good things which I recognise from the tory party …..three decades ago
June 9, 2026
On GBNews “Britain must consider ‘unthinkable’ step of returning to coal-fired power
A new paper (Net Zero Watch), shared exclusively with GB News, argues that Britain should consider a return to coal-fired power”
Why is returning to coal unthinkable? It is far preferable to chopping down forests in North America, shipping this to the UK on diesel ships and trucks, chipping them, drying them and then burning them at Drax. This is far less environmental than just burning coal. Burning wood (young coal) is also worse for CO2 should that bother you. But local fracking and gas extraction in the UK would probably be preferable. The gas also used for heating which is far preferable to Heat Pumps.
The raw fuel cost of coal for industrial power generation is typically around 3p per KWH so coal produced electricity can easily me sold profitably for 5p per KWH. Currently domestic cost of electricity in the UK are five times this level – due to Ed Miliband’s and Bonkers Theresa May mad agenda, Net Zero, Carbon taxes and massive market rigging. You also need far less grid than you do for renewables and back up is not needed either.
June 9, 2026
I have in the past used bullet points of Conservative principles when standing as a Conservative Council candidate because many more people agree with Conservative principles than vote for the Conservative Party (mainly because the reputation of the Conservative Party is not good).
That said Lord Redwood’s list is so extensive that some of the points would not get such wide agreement especially if analysed carefully. Though I (as Conservative leaning and usually Conservative voting) don’t agree with quite a number of the points.
For a start I don’t love the countryside as it is a muddy and wet place without shelter when it rains! As for being kind to animals, I eat them for dinner!
I am equivocal about the nation state, believing certain values should override ‘nations, while also being opposed to undemocratic globalism.
I believe we should not in any way be a Christian state (believing Christianity to be based on fiction) but a secular state. I note that both interpretations of Christianity and secular culture have changed greatly since Britain was genuinely a Christian state centuries ago.
I am sorry Lord Redwood has accommodated the now fashionable notion of being against ‘extremism’. I am with Barry Goldwater, a notable Conservative, who said ‘extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice’. It is now fashionable for all sorts of totalitarian leaders to accuse anybody who disagrees with them of ‘extremism’. It is intellectual nonsense – is getting ten out of ten instead of five out of ten in a Maths test extremism? Is being very accurate or correct extremism? The term extremism as a term of abuse should have no place in political thought!
June 9, 2026
Congratulations, John, for spending time to come up with a short philosophical statement worth contemplation and of merit.
June 9, 2026
Why are our politcians asking for calm when the people are outraged ….they just don’t get us
June 10, 2026
John your definition is, we know, sincerely meant. It is an ideal one – even idealized, as you have to admit the Conservative Party since 1940, more particularly since 1992, and certainly since 2005, has shared very little of those values. To see allegedly Conservative ministers handing deliberate advantage to the EU in 2017-18, to see Tory MPs brazenly compounding with the Labour opposition to thwart the democratic referendum vote in favour of restoring Britain’s nationhood, these were events no one who witnessed them will ever forget or forgive.
As I’ve said several times, your colleagues seem unaware their every move and word, gesture and facial expression in the HoC can be witnessed by the whole world. We have seen through them, their feints, betrayals and hypocrisies. You have deserved better.
June 10, 2026
I have just purchased your new book Who’s Right The Case for Conservatism on the 9 June and listened to your podcast with Commanding the Narrative.
The discussion was interesting as it sets out the philosophical case for Conservatism, which gives me hope for the Conservative Party.
Reform are very good at tapping into the concerns and anxieties of the wider electorate.