School of Politics and International Studies

Cameron and the Conservatives: The Transition to Coalition Government

04 April 2011 | 9:00am - 5:30pm | Conference

Cameron and the Conservatives: The Transition to Coalition Government

Conference organised by the Leaders, Parties and Institutions (LPI) Research Group and the School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)

Conference Organisers: Dr David Seawright and Dr Timothy Heppell

Rationale:

The aim of this conference, which is backed by the PSA specialist group in Conservatives and Conservatism, is to examine the transition to Government of the Conservatives under the leadership of David Cameron. As the first year of the coalition ends this conference will examine:

• Why the carefully packaged Conservative modernisation strategy of 2005 to 2010 resulted in a hung Parliament and the need to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats
• How coherent the policy agenda that informs ‘liberal conservatism’ actually is – what impact will the coalition government have across of range of policy areas, such as economic, European, social / welfare and environmental? 
• What the impact of the new government is on wider perceptions of party politics – how effective is Cameron as Prime Minister; how ideologically coherent the coalition seems; and how effective Labour are in constructing a critique of the government.

Conference Programme

9.00 Arrival: Tea and Coffee

9.15 Introduction

9.30-10.45 Modernisation, Campaigning and Coalition Government

Understanding Conservative Modernisation
Dr Peter Kerr, University of Birmingham

The Conservative Election Campaign
Dr David Seawright, University of Leeds

Hung Parliament: Explanations and Implications
Dr Jane Green, University of Manchester

10.45-11.00 Tea and Coffee

11.00-12.30 Liberal Conservatism: The Coalition Agenda I

Economic Policy
Professor Andrew Gamble, University of Cambridge

Fixing Broken Britain
Richard Hayton, University of Huddersfield

Environmental Policy
Dr Ed Gouge, University of Leeds

Women and Feminisation
Sarah Childs, University of Bristol

12.30-1.30 Lunch

1.30-3.00 Liberal Conservatism: The Coalition Agenda II

Foreign Policy
Dr Victoria Honeyman, University of Leeds

European Policy
Dr Philip Lynch, University of Leicester

Immigration
Dr Tim Bale and Dr James Hampshire, University of Sussex

Territorial Politics
Dr Nick Randall, University of Newcastle and David Seawright, University of Leeds

3.00-3.15 Tea and Coffee

3.15-5.00 Leadership, Ideology and Party Politics

David Cameron as Prime Minister
Professor Kevin Theakston, University of Leeds

The Big Society: The Ideological Coherence of Liberal Conservatism
Dr Stuart McAnulla, University of Leeds

Coalition Cohesion
Professor Philip Norton, University of Hull

Labour in Opposition
Dr Timothy Heppell, University of Leeds

5.00 Closing Comments

For more information please email Dr Timothy Heppell