Conservatives Together

Conservatives Together
Name	Conservatives Together
Type	Political coalition
Founded	2010s
Headquarters	London
Leader	Informal coalition leadership
Ideology	Conservatism
Country	United Kingdom

Conservatives Together is a British political coalition formed to coordinate conservative parties, affiliates, and supporting organizations across the United Kingdom. It brought together local associations, national parties, advocacy groups, and campaign networks to promote conservative candidates in parliamentary, devolved, and local elections. The coalition engaged with media outlets, think tanks, trade associations, and cultural institutions to shape public debate and electoral strategy.

Overview

Conservatives Together functioned as an umbrella network linking the Conservative Party (UK), Scottish Conservative Party, Welsh Conservatives, Ulster Unionist Party, Democratic Unionist Party, and allied groups such as the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, Local Government Association, Federation of Small Businesses, and Confederation of British Industry. It worked with influential think tanks including the Institute for Public Policy Research, Centre for Policy Studies, Adam Smith Institute, Demos, and Chatham House. The coalition maintained relationships with media organizations like the BBC, The Times, The Telegraph, Financial Times, and Sky News, and fostered ties to civil society organizations such as the National Trust, Royal British Legion, and British Chambers of Commerce.

History

Origins of Conservatives Together traced to post-2010 electoral realignments following the United Kingdom general election, 2010, and to responses to events including the Brexit referendum, 2016, the Scottish independence referendum, 2014, and local elections across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Early coordinating efforts involved figures from the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, campaign strategists who had worked on the David Cameron leadership campaigns, and operatives associated with the 2010 United Kingdom general election and the 2015 United Kingdom general election. The coalition expanded during the period that included the 2017 United Kingdom general election and the 2019 United Kingdom general election, interacting with devolved institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, Senedd, and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Organisation and Structure

Conservatives Together operated through a mix of formal committees, local branches, and affiliated organizations. It coordinated activity among constituency associations, the Local Government Association, and regional offices in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Leadership involved former ministers and campaign directors with backgrounds in offices like 10 Downing Street and departments such as the Home Office, Treasury, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Legal and financial arrangements referenced regulation by entities such as the Electoral Commission and engaged with lobbying regulations linked to the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.

Policy Positions and Campaigns

Policy priorities reflected mainstream conservative platforms on taxation, regulation, public services, and national sovereignty, framed by policy proposals from think tanks including the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Policy Exchange, and the Heritage Foundation (in international dialogue). Election campaigns mobilised volunteers using tactics pioneered by groups linked to the Conservative Party Research Department and digital operations influenced by organizations like Cambridge Analytica-adjacent consultants and modern campaign firms used in the 2015 and 2019 campaigns. The coalition ran coordinated messaging around issues shaped by the Brexit referendum, 2016, austerity debates post-2008 financial crisis, and legislation such as the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

Membership and Supporters

Membership included constituency associations of the Conservative Party (UK), members of the Scottish Conservative Party, Welsh Conservatives, and sympathetic politicians from the Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party. Support came from business groups like the Confederation of British Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses, philanthropic foundations with conservative affiliations, and alumni networks from universities such as Oxford University and Cambridge University. High-profile supporters included former cabinet ministers, MPs who had served in cabinets under leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair-era opponents, and later figures who served in the cabinets of David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson.

Controversies and Criticism

Conservatives Together attracted scrutiny over fundraising, coordination with third-party campaigners, and data-sharing practices, prompting inquiries from the Electoral Commission and criticism in outlets including The Guardian, The Independent, and Channel 4 News. Critics cited concerns related to transparency under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, alleged preferential access to ministers associated with 10 Downing Street and central offices, and debates linked to campaign methods resembling those used in the Brexit referendum, 2016. Opponents from parties such as the Labour Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), Green Party of England and Wales, and Scottish National Party raised issues about local impact and policy outcomes.

Impact and Legacy

The coalition influenced candidate selection, message discipline, and cross-border coordination among conservative forces during a period marked by reconfiguration of UK party politics. It affected outcomes in elections like the 2015 United Kingdom general election, 2017 United Kingdom general election, and 2019 United Kingdom general election, and shaped debates in devolved chambers including the Scottish Parliament and Senedd. Academics at institutions such as the London School of Economics, University College London, and King's College London examined its role in studies of contemporary British politics, electoral strategy, and party mobilisation. Conservatives Together left a legacy in campaign infrastructure, prompting legislative and regulatory discussions involving the Electoral Commission and parliamentary committees including the Commons Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform.

Category:Political organisations based in the United Kingdom