Future Conservative electoral prospects: time for Tory socialism?

At the 2019 UK general election, under Boris Johnson’s leadership, the Conservatives won a landslide victory with 43.6 per cent of the vote. But what are the Conservative Party’s electoral prospects after the Brexit deal and 2019 general election? Research and polling have demonstrated that the British public are conservative on social and cultural issues, but lean to the left on economic issues. Prima facie a successful electoral strategy would be to implement the ideological narrative of ‘Tory socialism’. This article states the factors that may hinder the party pursuing such an ideology, such as MPs’ commitment to economic and social liberalism. The article concludes that the Conservatives are unlikely to adopt a wholesale version of Tory socialism, as it is likely to increase tensions around three important cleavages. Nevertheless, any electoral narrative will have to balance the tensions and cleavages within the party and its potential voter base. This balancing act may prove a difficult task, and may yet define the premiership of Boris Johnson.