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There have been times when party chiefs have sounded reasonably coherent on the surface – and different periods where they have sounded completely unhinged, yet were still adored by party loyalists. We are not in either of those times. Kemi Badenoch left the crowd unmoved when she addressed her conference, even as she threw out the provocative rhetoric of migrant-baiting she thought they wanted.

The issue wasn't that they’d all woken up with a renewed sense of humanity; rather they lacked faith she’d ever be equipped to follow through. It was, fake vegan meat. Conservatives despise that. One senior Conservative apparently called it a “jazz funeral”: noisy, vigorous, but ultimately a farewell.

Coming Developments for the Group Having Strong Arguments to Make for Itself as the Most Historically Successful Democratic Party in History?

Some are having a fresh look at a particular MP, who was a firm rejection at the start of the night – but with proceedings winding down, and rivals has departed. Others are creating a interest around a newer MP, a young parliamentarian of the latest cohort, who presents as a traditional Conservative while wallpapering her online profiles with anti-migrant content.

Could she be the figurehead to beat back Reform, now surpassing the Tories by 20 points? Does a term exist for overcoming competitors by adopting their policies? And, assuming no phrase fits, perhaps we might use an expression from combat sports?

When Finding Satisfaction In Any of This, in a Schadenfreude Way, in a Just-Deserts Way, That Is Understandable – But Totally Misguided

It isn't necessary to consider overseas examples to grasp this point, or consult Daniel Ziblatt’s groundbreaking study, Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy: your entire mental framework is screaming it. The mainstream right is the crucial barrier against the extremist factions.

Ziblatt’s thesis is that democracies survive by keeping the “propertied and powerful” happy. Personally, I question this as an guiding tenet. One gets the impression as though we’ve been keeping the propertied and powerful for ages, at the detriment of the broader population, and they rarely appear quite happy enough to stop wanting to make cuts out of disability benefits.

Yet his research is not speculation, it’s an thorough historical examination into the pre-Nazi German National People’s Party during the pre-war period (combined with the UK Tories circa 1906). When the mainstream right loses its confidence, if it commences to chase the buzzwords and superficial stances of the radical wing, it hands them the steering wheel.

There Were Examples Similar Patterns During the Brexit Years

The former Prime Minister associating with Steve Bannon was a notable instance – but radical alignment has become so evident now as to overshadow all remaining Conservative messages. Where are the old-school Conservatives, who treasure predictability, tradition, governing principles, the pride of Britain on the international platform?

Why have we lost the modernisers, who defined the United Kingdom in terms of economic engines, not powder kegs? Don’t get me wrong, I didn't particularly support either faction either, but it's remarkably noticeable how these ideologies – the one nation Tory, the reformist element – have been erased, replaced by constant vilification: of newcomers, Muslims, benefit claimants and demonstrators.

Appear at Podiums to Melodies Evoking the Opening Credits to the Popular Series

Emphasizing positions they oppose. They characterize demonstrations by older demonstrators as “displays of hostility” and use flags – British flags, patriotic icons, all objects bearing a splash of matadorial colour – as an open challenge to individuals doubting that total cultural alignment is the ultimate achievement a individual might attain.

There appears to be no any inherent moderation, that prompts reflection with fundamental beliefs, their own hinterland, their stated objectives. Whatever provocation the political figure offers them, they pursue. So, no, there's no pleasure to observe their collapse. They are pulling democratic norms down with them.