|
|
Although image was vitally important to both Disraeli and the style of politics he practiced, this does not mean that he was a shallow, worthless politician. Many historians, looking at the historians implemented by Disraeli in the Conservative Party, and in government, conclude that Disraeli dressed modest, piecemeal reforms up in fancy rhetoric. In fact, Disraeli, within the constraints of party and the prevailing political climate at the time, implemented a series of reforms that together can be called ‘Disraelian Conservatism’. The first accusation levelled against Disraeli was that in all his glorious speeches of the 1870s and before, little in the way of concrete policy was actually spelt out. Walton comments “The only Disraelian apects [to social policy] were rhetorical.” Yet this view is essentially a twentieth century view of Disraeli. During the nineteenth century, leaders of parties were not expected to ‘spell out’ policy minutiae, but give the broad policy direction. In Disraeli’s case this was “Pure air, pure water, the inspection of unhealthy habitations, the adulteration of food,” an impressive list of aims for a nineteenth century politician. Whilst in opposition, it can hardly be claimed that Disraeli was ‘all image, no substance’. He had taken a shattered faction comprising mainly the landed interest, and dragged it back into the main political arena. A prolific writer, he fashioned during these years ‘One Nation’ Conservatism – the belief in modest reform to help bind the nation together. The fact that this stream of thought still continues to be a powerful influence within the Conservative party today, clearly shows that Disraeli left a powerful legacy. In 1872, he delivered a storm of speeches in the free trade hall in Manchester and at Crystal Palace, outlining his vision of Conservatism. During this period, Disraeli pursued a policy Sir Robert Peel had tried – expanding the Conservative’s base beyond the landed, rural interest, to the working classes and the cities.
|
