Strategy Consultant offers a fresh and timely account of the long-term electoral success of the Conservative Party

‘For anyone who wants to understand the realignment in British politics, and its origins, this clear and incisive book is a must-read.’ - Lord Gavin Barwell, Former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister

Jamie Parker, an experienced strategy consultant, First Class Honours Cambridge graduate, and politics researcher writes his first book, Painting Britain Blue – Why the Conservatives keep winning and how Labour have let them.

In his book, Parker seeks to explain how the Conservative Party, which historically has been associated with the political interests of the rich and privileged, has proved so much more effective than the Labour Party, which was founded to represent working people, at winning and holding political power. While existing accounts focus heavily on Labour’s difficulties in gaining broad electoral support (especially in connecting with working-class voters in recent years), they often fall short of fully explaining why many of these voters turned to the Conservative Party and how Conservative leaders have proved so effective at reaching them. This book shines a fresh light on the contrasting electoral performance of the two main political parties in Britain.

‘This incisive book clinically analyses the shifting sands of British politics in the latter part of the 20th Century and the turbulence of the 21st. Jamie Parker rightly concludes that the flexibility and broad discipline of the Conservative party with respected leaders is the reason it has prevailed over the more rigid ideology of Labour whose leadership has frequently lacked public support and paid insufficient attention to the key aspect of National Pride. As someone who had a ringside seat at the time I saw the exception that proves the rule when Tony Blair broadened Labour’s appeal to the centre ground but as the author explains it wasn’t to last. A must read for anyone with an interest in modern politics.’ - Sir Richard Ottaway, Former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee

Parker has split the book into three parts, the first focusing on the period between 1900 and 2007, which reflects on the long-term electoral success of the Conservative Party during the 20th century and considers the impact of Tony Blair’s New Labour project, which temporarily halted Tory electoral domination. Part two, which is the main part of the book, examines the reasons for Conservative electoral success from 2007, following Blair’s resignation as Prime Minister, running up to Boris Johnson’s landslide electoral victory in late-2019. Parker finishes the book with Part three, in which he reflects on the key themes that have underpinned Conservative electoral success and concludes the book by considering the vital question of what the future might hold for British electoral politics.

‘I have tried to offer a fresh account of Conservative electoral success in the recent past, for instance by situating the decade after 2010 within a longer historical perspective. Through my research, I have aimed to write an informative book on contemporary politics that is both rigorous and accessible. I hope that my readers find it an interesting and engaging read.’

You can pre-order Painting Britain Blue here: