Baldwin and a United Nation

Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Party leader from 1923 to 1937, has been credited with the first use of the term “one nation” as a tenet of Conservative politics. But it is unlikely that he intended to invent a new phrase, and he was not a source for the modern conception of “One Nation Conservati...

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Main Author: Philip Williamson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique 2023-02-01
Series:Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/10248
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author Philip Williamson
author_facet Philip Williamson
author_sort Philip Williamson
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description Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Party leader from 1923 to 1937, has been credited with the first use of the term “one nation” as a tenet of Conservative politics. But it is unlikely that he intended to invent a new phrase, and he was not a source for the modern conception of “One Nation Conservatism”. Nevertheless, during the severe difficulties of inter-war Britain and fears for the Conservative Party’s future, Baldwin did create a distinctive politics which emphasised national cohesion and Conservative classlessness. Unlike the later advocates of One Nation Conservatism, this did not turn on social and economic policies, but on political principles and moral values. It had two purposes: chiefly to help hold the political nation together, but also to shape its divisions to the advantage of the Conservative party.
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spelling doaj-art-ef152b9cfd8b4c19810d4ff11a30e6242025-08-20T02:37:39ZengCentre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation BritanniqueRevue Française de Civilisation Britannique0248-90152429-43732023-02-0128110.4000/rfcb.10248Baldwin and a United NationPhilip WilliamsonStanley Baldwin, the Conservative Party leader from 1923 to 1937, has been credited with the first use of the term “one nation” as a tenet of Conservative politics. But it is unlikely that he intended to invent a new phrase, and he was not a source for the modern conception of “One Nation Conservatism”. Nevertheless, during the severe difficulties of inter-war Britain and fears for the Conservative Party’s future, Baldwin did create a distinctive politics which emphasised national cohesion and Conservative classlessness. Unlike the later advocates of One Nation Conservatism, this did not turn on social and economic policies, but on political principles and moral values. It had two purposes: chiefly to help hold the political nation together, but also to shape its divisions to the advantage of the Conservative party.https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/10248Conservative PartyStanley BaldwinOne Nation Conservatism
spellingShingle Philip Williamson
Baldwin and a United Nation
Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
Conservative Party
Stanley Baldwin
One Nation Conservatism
title Baldwin and a United Nation
title_full Baldwin and a United Nation
title_fullStr Baldwin and a United Nation
title_full_unstemmed Baldwin and a United Nation
title_short Baldwin and a United Nation
title_sort baldwin and a united nation
topic Conservative Party
Stanley Baldwin
One Nation Conservatism
url https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/10248
work_keys_str_mv AT philipwilliamson baldwinandaunitednation