Divided in Victory? The Conservatives and the Republicans

Although its provenance is uncertain (being variously attributed to Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill), the observation that the US and the UK are two nations divided by a common language is often – perhaps too often – repeated. When it comes to politics, however, it is easy to see why. Anyone delving into conservative commentary on the challenges posed (and the opportunities presented) by the current financial and economic crisis finds plenty of transatlantic lessons being drawn. Whether the shining examples and dire warnings to which they direct our attention would recognize themselves as such is another matter. For instance, according to one American conservative (Buchanan, 2010): Before the Tea Party philosophy is ever even tested in America, it will have succeeded, or it will have failed, in Great Britain. For in David Cameron the Brits have a prime minister who can fairly be described as a Tea Party Tory. Casting aside the guidance of Lord Keynes – government-induced deficits are the right remedy for recessions – Cameron has bet his own and his party’s future on the new austerity. He is making Maggie Thatcher look like Tip O’Neill.