The Conservative Years: Governing in an Age of Turmoil

This module will explore the politics and personalities that influenced the direction and actions of successive Conservative administrations since 2010. It will explore the inner workings of the Coalition government, the changing relationship between the Prime Minister and their party across the period, and the rise and fall of at least five Conservative leaders. It will pay particular attention to the government-dominating issues of Austerity, Brexit and the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also explore the inner workings of the Conservative Party itself, and how it evolved over the period.

The ultra-contemporary focus of this module will give you the opportunity to have your thinking evolve continually, as new primary and secondary source material emerges, and guest speakers offer original contributions to our understanding of these tumultuous years. It will make great use of speeches, government documents (where publicly available) and memoirs, alongside quality reporting, to build a framework for understanding the inner workings of central government since 2010.

Guest speakers from within government will be invited to join seminars, allowing you to interrogate their sources directly and in person.

This module will provide you with:

• a detailed knowledge and understanding of the inner workings and key decisions of the successive Conservative-led governments from 2010 to the present day
• the ability to analyse and evaluate not only the policies and processes that have driven key decisions in central government during the ‘Conservative Years’, but also the role that key personalities and ideas have played in events
• the context for deeper comprehension of, and the ability to critically evaluate, contemporary issues and policy choices faced by UK government today
• an opportunity to discuss and debate the above issues, both with your peers and with current and former practitioners
• a specialism in the historical context of a particular event or decision.

At the end of the module, you will have:

• a detailed understanding of how successive Conservative administrations governed from 2010
• a deep and informed understanding of the interaction between different key personalities, policies, politics and processes that explain how government really works and has worked in the UK context
• acquired a deep and evolving understanding of the constantly updating literature and ultra-contemporary historiography of these years
• gained experience of using primary and secondary sources as a means of analysing the history of the machinery of government
• had the opportunity to interact directly with those involved with running the Conservative governments between 2010 and the present day, interrogating their primary sources first hand
• undertaken a detailed investigation of at least one theme associated with this subject, using secondary and primary sources, to produce a finished piece of analysis.

T​he standard entry requirements comprise:

• A 2:2 honours degree or international equivalent 
• A CV and personal statement outlining reasons for study
• English language at Band B (IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each skill).

You will be assessed via the following:

• Coursework 1 - 3,500-word essay: 80%
• Coursework 2 - 1,000-word literature review: 10%
• Participation: 10%.

This is an on-campus module so you will be expected to attend in-person for approximately 2 hours per week. Exact days and times will be provided upon enrolment.

This module is offered as part of our flexible master’s awards in Professional Development. The awards are one of the most flexible currently offered in the UK, providing the opportunity to study a range of modules from across King’s, both on-campus and online. Whether you are looking for a promotion or to retrain, you have come to the right place.   

Designed for mature professionals juggling life and work commitments, our postgraduate awards will enable you to study at your own pace. In challenging financial times, you are also able to fund your studies module-by-module. We will support you to select the right module diet that meets your objectives while ensuring that you are well prepared for success. We will also help you to build your professional network of peers from across our suite of CPD modules.  

We can’t wait for you to continue your lifelong learning journey here at King’s.