Edmund Burke is widely considered the father of modern conservatism, but who was he, and how can we interpret his ideas today?

When we talk about justice in a political context, we do not merely mean the fair administration and interpretation of the law. Political justice is about finding the best form of government to nurture society’s improvement, the safety of its citizens and the representation of its electors. I myself am increasingly coming around to the opinion that neither our state nor our politicians who govern it have any kind of justice in mind whatsoever, or that if they do, then it is a deeply misguided interpretation of justice. For a…

My initial reaction to the news that Theresa May was to hold a snap general election was too profane to publish – I can’t deny that it took me by surprise. On the face of things there seemed no need for this, but thinking about it now, whether or not Theresa May was to call an election the opportunity for a massive victory was there. A lot can change in three years, and by calling an election in two months’ time the Tories have a huge opportunity to crush their opposition and cement their power for the next five years.  …

It is no secret that the United Kingdom, or rather specifically England, has an Established Church, the Church of England, which has officially served the nation for almost 500 years along with its sister Churches, (more recently) the Church in Wales and the Church of Ireland. Today of course, there remains a sword of Damocles suspended above the head of the Church: the sword of secularism. Whilst there are legitimate arguments in favour of the separation of Church and State, it has been the preserve of conservatives since…

I am now approaching my second year as a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, a party which I joined in the hope of playing a role within one of the oldest political traditions that the United Kingdom still retains. As time goes on however, I consistently receive mixed messages about the future of the party which I do (I will admit) love. The Conservative Party, with every passing year, month, perhaps even day, appears to be losing the ideology on which the fabric of its success has been built. Jacob Rees-Mogg has…

This is part 3 in the Conservatism with Alex series. Today Alex discusses war and peace. War is a dirty word – and it rightly should be. War is terrible, and I have long argued that the sole justification of war is the defence of a nation’s sovereign territory, with peace being the most desirable state for any country. Peace allows for the normal lives that we take for granted in the modern age, the full functioning of democracy, and a world for the most part free from existential danger. But what is so inherently wrong with…

One of the greatest political mistakes of the past few centuries has been the assumption that pure ideals make for better political groundwork than experience. The British ‘constitution’ has been built up across centuries of political and human trial, turmoil and test, and not by one single event which cause the codification of a single document which we call a constitution. Our laws are made by Parliament: the symbol of regal, local and noble power, and some might say ultimately divine power over our nation, the body that…

This is part one of a series of writings on conservatism by Alex Illingworth If someone says that they are ‘a conservative’, then they are opening the door to ambiguity and assumption. If you are from the UK, you’ll probably assume they are a member or supporter of the Conservative Party. If from the United States, then they certainly ascribe to some kind of right-wing politics in general, if not the Republican Party’s policies. The truth, however, is that conservatism is more of an attitude than any kind of definable…