The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation

by Tim Bale

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 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, some contend, is not only inherently unstable but 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 the top, Bale tells a gripping tale of a party that, in just a few short years, has gone from nervous breakdown to top of the world - and back again. 

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2023

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read on the Conservative Party and how they got in their present pickle. While some of the author’s predictions have not come to pass, the history and insights of the Tories over this time is extremely well written and flows smoothly, although a bit more of an idea of what Labour was doing at the same time would be nice.

[Mark Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read but this felt like a book that may have been published two years too soon. The Tories look likely to be annihilated at the next election and I can’t help but think that including 2023-24 would have provided a more definitive statement on the Conservative Party, post-Brexit.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I hadn't lived it this could be taken as a book of fiction. What an absolute disaster the UK has ben living these past few years with no light at the end of the tunnel

[BellaLOVESBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, lovely way to wrap up my week of non-fiction.

[Ilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lived through a lot of this and saw it up close, so while Tim Bale does a commendable job of summarising the ins and outs, it’s a less novel read than his previous history of the Conservatives, which went from Thatcher to Cameron and was a brilliant account of the Party in the wilderness. This volume’s thesis is that the Tories have transformed from a recognisably European centre right project to a more overtly populist outfit. Bale is an academic rather than a journalist, and the selling point of his narrative is less the inside story of what happened (which is gathered from existing accounts by Shipman, Seldon and others) but the number crunching of polls and votes that reveal the lay of the land in which political actors were operating in. Bale is commendably succinct, although a few of his sentences have so many clauses that they become tricky to read. Some of his acerbic asides are delightful, and the sassiest tend to be found in the endnotes.

[Andy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Bale has written an excellent account of the recent travels and travails of the Tory party. By any assessment, the past five years have seen the party stumble around like a drunk exiting a lock-down party, burning its way through four prime ministers and wrecking the UK economy in the process. Bale’s account of the defenestrations of Theresa May, Boris Johnson and the self-immolation of Liz Truss are often brutal but never less than totally readable. That the party is on the rocks electorally is beyond debate and this book highlights how this previously successful political organisation has totally lost its way. Bale is well informed, with impeccable sources, on the Tory psychodrama and its little wonder that one former cabinet minister commented “Some of the book I read through my fingers like a horror story”. The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation really is essential reading to get a handle on where the Tories are today and where they might end up tomorrow.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I’d break my streak of fiction novels with something that I wish was fiction, but is unfortunately reality.. Bale does a great job at leading us through the post-Brexit conservatives era, with an ease that makes for a fast paced read. What I found particularly interesting was the way he highlights the importance of the party in the media, opinion polls and canvassing- as well as the myriad of factions within the party. I enjoyed this read, but I wished it had given more in terms of cross-cutting analysis / perspective at the beginning. Definitely useful background to start engaging more with UK politics.

[Gareth Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tories care about one thing - power. Tim Bale’s is the best modern politics book I have read in a long time and it’s evidence that absolute power does corrupt absolutely