Tory Nation: How One Party Conquered Britain

4 May 2023/29 February 2024
Simon & Schuster
Hardback/Paperback

The Conservative Party has presided over countless corruption scandals, blundered its way through a pandemic and into a cost of living crisis that is set to plunge millions more into poverty. But in spite of their track record the party remains in power. Why?

Tory Nation tells the story of how the Conservatives came to dominate Britain, and how this dominance is eroding our democracy, pushing us closer to a one-party state. It combines a fascinating history of the Conservative party, extending as far back as the 17th century and the establishment of the Tory party, with a study of how conservatism has shaped not only British politics, but its culture and identity too. With dazzling clarity and insight, Samuel Earle explores the reasons for the party’s success, including its disproportionate influence on the British press, its exploitation of Labour’s failings, and the use of ‘culture wars’ to divide and conquer.

This is the story of the making of Britain through one party’s astonishing rise to power. Earle reveals that it’s only by reaching into our history that we can understand how we got here – andhow we can change our politics for the better.