The Conservative Party can lay convincing claim to being the world's most successful political
party not least because it is also one of the most adaptable often appearing to do and say
pretty much whatever it takes to win. But has it now taken things too far? Since the UK voted
to leave the EU back in 2016 the Tories have arguably done more than simply re-shape
themselves: rather they seem to have transformed themselves from a mainstream centre-right
party into a counter-intuitive combination of radical right-wing populism free market
fundamentalism and fiscal constraint that is arguably not only inherently unstable but also
poses a threat to many of the norms of both liberal democracy and economic common sense. In
this compelling and persuasively argued book Tim Bale one of the country's foremost experts
on contemporary British politics takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the Conservatives'
fortunes over the last decade. From the bombshell Brexit referendum through to the chaotic
premierships of Theresa May Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and all the way up to Rishi Sunak's
rise to power Bale tells the fascinating tale of a party that in just a few short years has
gone from nervous breakdown to top of the world - and back again.
