Ideology Matters: Party Competition, Ideological Positioning and the Case of the Conservative Party under David Cameron

Abstract

This article argues that ideology and ideological difference remain central features of modern British politics, and that ideological positioning is an important concern for political parties and is a phenomenon in need of some modelling. It engages in an analysis of ideological repositioning that parties sometimes undertake as part of the democratic competition and suggests a model that seeks to explicate the dynamics of this process. The model, codifying imperatives that need to be met by a party seeking to reposition, also highlights potential contextual considerations that affect the repositioning process. By way of illustration, the model will be employed to examine the dynamics of ideological positioning in the case of the Conservative party under the leadership of David Cameron. © 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Politics and International Relations © 2012 Political Studies Association.