12 days of Fabian Christmas: Last of the one nation tories
As part of our 'one nation' series Professor Tim Bale explores the contested space of one nation politics and the tories who are ready to fight for it. "Contemporary parties are made up not just of what political scientists like to...
“Contemporary parties are made up not just of what political scientists like to call the party on the ground, the party in central office and the party in public office – the grassroots, the professionals, and the MPs, MEPs and local councillors. A fourth and equally vital component is ‘the party in the media’ – the columnists (and now the bloggers, too) whose words can count just as much with the leadership as the pressure coming from the constituency associations, from CCHQ and from the parliamentary party.”
