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Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK inflicted huge damage on the Tories, hailed the election result as "the beginning of the end" for them. The Tories are certainly on life support; whether they can revive is in their own hands. It's a long road back to health, and there is every chance they will take a wrong turn: should they stick to a centrist approach or veer right to become a smallstate, low-tax, low-regulation party, committed to a tougher line on immigration and "wokery," abolishing the net zero target and withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights?
The Tories' post-Brexit identity crisis is the biggest in their 180-year history. Do they favour the free market or Boris Johnson-style interventionism? A small state or a big one? Do they believe in the welfare state or want to demolish it? Do they celebrate immigration or hate it? Should the UK play a positive role on the global stage, or retreat into a Little Englander comfort zone?
This story is from the July 06, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the July 06, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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