Clear Blue Water?: The Conservative Party and the Welfare State since 1940

In Clear Blue Water?, Robert M. Page takes an authoritative look at the policies and politics of Britain’s Conservative Party to discover if it has developed a distinctive approach to the postwar welfare state. He begins with the progressive One Nation Conservatism wing of the party, exploring how it strove to embrace the features of the welfare state that were compatible with its underlying philosophy. Page then turns to the neoliberal conservatives, who sought to undo the welfare state, before placing the spotlight on the strategy behind David Cameron’s progressive neoliberal conservative version. Weaving a broad historical thread throughout, this timely, accessible book will be a valuable resource for students in social policy, politics, and social history.