The Crisis in Conservatism
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 20 July 2017
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Are Tory divisions temporary or symptomatic of deeper problems?
Parliament has broken up for the summer, and the last week has seen Conservative cabinet ministers engaging in open warfare. But are the divisions a temporary crisis, or are they symptomatic of deeper problems in the party? David Aaronovitch speaks to a range of experts and goes beyond the future leadership jostling to see what's really causing the current political climate.
He hears from a former adviser to David Cameron who says the Tories are facing an existential threat if they can't win over the under 40s. He then hears from a panel of experts on what policies are needed to lure in younger voters.
CONTRIBUTORS
Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London
Lord Andrew Cooper, former director of strategy to David Cameron
Laura Gardiner, senior research and policy analyst at the think tank The Resolution Foundation
David Skelton, director of Renewal – a campaign group to broaden the appeal of the Conservative party to working-class and ethnic minority voters
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the briefing room with me, David Oronovich. |
| 0:03.0 | This week we're looking at the Conservative Party |
| 0:05.5 | and asking if its current difficulties are temporary |
| 0:08.4 | or if the party faces a generational crisis. |
| 0:15.2 | Parliament has broken up for the summer |
| 0:17.2 | and it's been quite a final week for the Conservative Party. |
| 0:21.6 | It would be helpful if my colleagues, all of us, focused on the job in hand. |
| 0:26.6 | This government is facing a ticking clock. |
| 0:29.6 | I don't know where the briefing is coming from, but I do know it should stop. |
| 0:31.6 | Ticking clock. |
| 0:32.6 | Everyone needs to get into a cold bath or cold shower. |
| 0:35.6 | Tittle, tattle, lots of gossip. Just for once shut up, for God's sake. |
| 0:38.9 | Ticking cloth, for God's sake. |
| 0:40.1 | It's got to stop. |
| 0:41.1 | In the present situation of drift, anything could happen. |
| 0:45.1 | Would it be nice if Michael Heseltine shut up as well? |
| 0:47.5 | Trying to sack, and it will be a leading Brexiteer. |
| 0:51.6 | Where it be nice if Michael Heseltine shut up as well. |
| 0:54.2 | It's been going on for so long. |
| 0:55.9 | My colleagues should be very quiet. |
| 0:58.6 | Cabinet ministers are playing with fire. |
| 1:00.5 | Tittle-tattle, lots of gossip. |
... |
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