The Conservative Party After Brexit
Turmoil and Transformation
1. Edition March 2023
384 Pages, Hardcover
General Reading
Short Description
The Conservative Party can lay convincing claim to being the world's most successful political party, not least because it is also one of the most adaptable, often appearing to do and say pretty much whatever it takes to win. But has it now taken things too far?
Since the UK voted to leave the EU back in 2016, the Tories have arguably done more than simply re-shape themselves: rather, they seem to have transformed themselves from a mainstream centre-right party into a counter-intuitive combination of radical right-wing populism, free market fundamentalism, and fiscal constraint that is arguably not only inherently unstable but also poses a threat to many of the norms of both liberal democracy and economic common sense.
In this compelling and persuasively argued book, Tim Bale, one of the country's foremost experts on contemporary British politics, takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the Conservatives' fortunes over the last decade. From the bombshell Brexit referendum, through to the chaotic premierships of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, and all the way up to Rishi Sunak's rise to power, Bale tells the fascinating tale of a party that, in just a few short years, has gone from nervous breakdown to top of the world - and back again.
The Conservative Party can lay convincing claim to being the world's most successful political party, not least because it is also one of the most adaptable, often appearing to do and say pretty much whatever it takes to win. But has it now taken things too far?
Since the UK voted to leave the EU back in 2016, the Tories have arguably done more than simply re-shape themselves: rather, they seem to have transformed themselves from a mainstream centre-right party into a counter-intuitive combination of radical right-wing populism, free market fundamentalism, and fiscal constraint that is arguably not only inherently unstable but also poses a threat to many of the norms of both liberal democracy and economic common sense.
In this compelling and persuasively argued book, Tim Bale, one of the country's foremost experts on contemporary British politics, takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the Conservatives' fortunes over the last decade. From the bombshell Brexit referendum, through to the chaotic premierships of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss, and all the way up to Rishi Sunak's rise to power, Bale tells the fascinating tale of a party that, in just a few short years, has gone from nervous breakdown to top of the world - and back again.
1: Going with the flow
2: May in her pomp (July 2016 - April 2017)
3: Hubris to nemesis (May - June 2017)
4. A bad hand played badly (June 2017 - June 2019)
5: Over before it began (June - July 2019)
6: Brexit achieved; Boris rampant (July - December 2019)
7: Pandemonium (January - December 2020)
8: Coming up for air (January - October 2021)
9: Things fall apart (October 2021 - April 2022)
10: The end of the road? (April - September 2022)
Postscript
Notes
Chris Mason
'One of the most acute, witty, and historically informed observers of British politics.'
Rory Stewart
'Absolutely gripping - some of it I read through my fingers like a horror story, but I couldn't put it down!'
Amber Rudd
'A careful, immaculately constructed, balanced, and convincing account.'
Andrew Marr
'A dream book for those who relish a gripping narrative combined with illuminating analysis.'
Steve Richards
'Essential reading to understand where the Conservative party is today.'
Isabel Hardman
'A rare combination: gripping and erudite. A triumph of objectivity and pace.'
Gary Gibbon
'Tim Bale provides a masterly account of the twists and turns in the fortunes of the Conservative party since the Brexit Referendum. For anyone who wants to understand the desperate position in which the party now finds itself this book is an essential guide.'
Andrew Gamble, Chair in Politics, University of Sheffield
'Written by one of Britain's most respected experts on British politics, this timely book clearly explains the rapidly unfolding crises and political drama of Brexit and its impact on the Conservatives since 2016. Bale writes with wonderful flair and panache, and skilfully provides a highly absorbing and engaging account of recent momentous events.'
Peter Dorey, Cardiff University
'A rattling good read through seven years of turmoil, full of sharp observations and telling details.'
John Rentoul, The Independent
'a fast-paced analytical narrative of the Tory party since Britain voted to leave the EU'
Nick Pearce, Financial Times
'Bale's account is utterly fascinating and deeply insightful into British politics today'
Diplomatic Courier
'excellent... The author is an expert, deft and fluent guide to the story. He brings clarity of explanation to even the most tortuous twists of the tale while offering penetrating and frequently caustic commentary on the consequences, many of them never intended by their architects.'
Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer
'A robust and very well written narrative history of the Tories from 2016 until now'
Guardian Politics Live
'Bale has done us all a favour by painstakingly laying out the post-Brexit timeline and reminding us what an enormous mess the Conservative Party and the whole British political class made of things.'
David Goodhart, The Times Literary Supplement
'Bale's story is one of overweening ambition, repeated political misjudgment, serial dishonesty and often spectacular failure. It begs the question of what the contemporary Conservative party has become.'
Financial Times
'Surely destined to win the prize as the most depressing book of the year ... Read it and weep.'
Bloomberg
'Saucily written ... The book skillfully sketches out the Conservative Party's 'turmoil and transformation.''
The Irish Times
'Tim Bale's excellent 'The Conservative Party after Brexit' makes clear, there is good reason why 'psychodrama' has become another British political cliché, making his book a lot more enjoyable to read than the events it dissects were to live through.'
LSE Review of Books
'A masterly account'
Denis MacShane, The Tablet
'A thrilling, fascinating and revealing account of one of the wildest rides in British history.'
Will Podmore, Morning Star
'invaluable'
Mainly Macro
'A study in claustrophobic volatility ... Bale's Westminster is an airless cocoon, where factionalism rules.'
Will Lloyd, The New Statesman
'A lucid guide to Conservative disunity...In lively, journalistic prose, Bale allows the Conservatives' record in government to speak for itself.'
Jamie Maxwell, Foreign Policy
'Bale delivers a dependable, scholarly and broadly objective account of high politics since 2016.'
The Critic
