Remember the scene? The then Tory chairwoman, Theresa May, striding on to the party's conference platform in Bournemouth in October 2002 in her leopard-skin kitten heels. Those memorable words: "There's a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us - the Nasty Party." The Nasty Party, indeed.
Recall the record: two recessions in the space of 18 years. Three million unemployed. Five hundred thousand home repossessions. Fifteen per cent interest rates. Poll tax riots. The toxic legacy of the Thatcher era consigned the Conservatives to 13 years in opposition and three consecutive general election defeats.
Read Full Article »