Representing Conservative Women: An Elite/Mass Study

A previous study of Conservative party members conducted by Sarah Childs and Paul Webb finds that on left/right attitudes women are more often ‘wet and men more likely to be‘dry’. Childs and Webb argue that this gender difference gives rise to a potential sex split within the Conservative party as and when the economy comes to dominate political debate. Clearly post the 2010 general election the economy is the big issue and this paper explores the likely consequences of this for gender dynamics within the Conservative party. We also assess whether the gender gap amongst party members mirrors differences among Conservative identifiers in the general public. In 2010 and 2011 the Tories have frequently been accused of failing to act in women’s interests, because their cuts are disproportionately affecting women. The media narrative has been that this has turned women voters off the party. We attempt to establish whether there is evidence of a gender dynamic appearing among the party’s supporters. In addition, using qualitative methods, we explore whether the gender gap in attitudes of party members is apparent among parliamentary representatives. The paper assesses to what extent the ideologies underlying Conservative support reveal it to be a gendered institution. We explore how it might operate to act for women and whether the attitudes of party members, voters and MPs might act as a perceived constraint on the leadership’s ability to re-gender the party’s image and ideology along progressive lines.