Portal:Conservatism/Selected article/26

The Conservative Party is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to conservatism and unionism.

The party emerged in 1834 out of the original Tory Party, which dates to 1678. The party was one of two dominant parties in the nineteenth century, along with the Liberals. It changed its name to Conservative and Unionist Party in 1912 after merging with the Liberal Unionist Party, although that name is rarely used and it is generally referred to as simply the Conservative Party.

Conservative prime ministers led governments for 57 years of the 20th century, including Winston Churchill (1940–45, 1951–1955) and Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990). Thatcher's tenure led to wide-ranging economic liberalisation, placing the Conservatives firmly as the most free market and eurosceptic of the three major parties. The party was returned to government in 2010 beginning with the more liberal leadership of David Cameron.