the people I am talking to declare themselves “true conservatives” and “centre right”
✅ Maintaining status quo; monarchy, military, environment, service, institutions generally, etc.
✅ family unity, marriage and children
✅ Upholding rule of law, rather than making more laws
✅ Financial prudence / stability
✅ A "balance" of regulation and free market (ymmv)
✅ Helping the poor via wealth generation and charity
✅ The Laffer Curve
✅ Stiff upper lip
✅ Manners
❌ Fucking everything up because we need a change, and for the lolz
❌ Worrying about bathrooms
❌ Breaking the law for your own ends
❌ Risky financial decisions and ignoring established institutions
❌ Zero regulations
❌ The Hunger Games
❌ Zero tax
❌ Wetting the bed when you don't get your way/people disagree
❌ Rudeness
I think Ken Clarke is a pretty solid e.g. of a true centre right small and big-C conservative. Tbh I think a "would Ken smile politely while thinking you're a cunt" test is pretty solid.
I have just posted your list verbatim, as a response to a chap who is lionising Ben Habib’s statement that we should allow asylum seekers to drown whilst we watch as being “True, Centre-Right Conservatism”. I’ll report back.
✅ Maintaining status quo; monarchy, military, environment, service, institutions generally, etc.
✅ family unity, marriage and children
✅ Upholding rule of law, rather than making more laws
✅ Financial prudence / stability
✅ A "balance" of regulation and free market (ymmv)
✅ Helping the poor via wealth generation and charity
✅ The Laffer Curve
✅ Stiff upper lip
✅ Manners
❌ Fucking everything up because we need a change, and for the lolz
❌ Worrying about bathrooms
❌ Breaking the law for your own ends
❌ Risky financial decisions and ignoring established institutions
❌ Zero regulations
❌ The Hunger Games
❌ Zero tax
❌ Wetting the bed when you don't get your way/people disagree
❌ Rudeness
I think Ken Clarke is a pretty solid e.g. of a true centre right small and big-C conservative. Tbh I think a "would Ken smile politely while thinking you're a cunt" test is pretty solid.