1.2 – Political parties
In an interview with The Times newspaper today, former Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, has drawn parallels between Farage and Reform UK and Oswald Mosley’s fascism, and Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech. He goes on to say, “Farage is the reincarnation of that human instinct to distrust something different from yourself,” and “we have seen it all before throughout our history — the Wars of the Roses, Catholics v Protestants. We have been there before and I hate it. I wanted to tell the Conservative Party with all the experience I may have that they must never do a deal with Nigel Farage.”
Michael Heseltine may now seem like a historical figure to many, but he played a crucial role in the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, and stood as a standard bearer for One Nation Conservatives during an era dominated by the New Right. His intervention today is a reminder of the division that remains within the Conservatives, and the difficult decisions that lie ahead for the party in terms of its future direction, and the risks it faces regardless of the road it chooses to travel.
Michael Heseltine was born in 1933, and was one of the most significant figures in late twentieth-century British politics. A prominent member of the Conservative Party, his career spanned more than four decades and was marked by ambition, energy, and occasional controversy. Often described as one of the great “nearly men” of British politics, Heseltine never became Prime Minister but left a lasting impact on the party and the country, particularly through his advocacy of interventionist economic policies and his challenge to Margaret Thatcher’s leadership in 1990.
He entered Parliament in 1966 as the MP for Tavistock and later for Henley from 1974 to 2001. From the start, Heseltine projected himself as a dynamic and modernising politician, well attuned to the media age, earning him the nickname “Tarzan” for his flamboyant style and energy.
When the Conservatives returned to power under Edward Heath in 1970, Heseltine entered government as a junior minister in the Department of Transport. His first significant appointment came as Minister for Aerospace and Shipping (1972–74), where he played a role in controversial industrial decisions, including the handling of the Concorde project. Although the Heath government was defeated in 1974, Heseltine’s reputation as an effective, if sometimes headstrong, minister continued to grow.
During the Conservative opposition years that followed, Heseltine developed a reputation as one of the party’s more centrist and interventionist figures. He was deeply influenced by Heath’s belief in industrial strategy and state support for key sectors of the economy – views that would later put him at odds with the Thatcherite emphasis on free markets and limited government.
When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, Heseltine joined her first Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Environment (1979–83). In this role, he became known for his enthusiasm for urban regeneration, particularly following the 1981 Toxteth riots in Liverpool. Heseltine’s personal engagement – famously walking the streets of Toxteth to meet local people – led to his appointment as “Minister for Merseyside,” a symbol of his belief in active government intervention to revitalise declining urban areas.
This approach contrasted sharply with Thatcher’s more laissez-faire instincts. Whereas Thatcher tended to view government as part of the problem, Heseltine believed that strategic public investment could stimulate private enterprise and restore economic vitality. His philosophy was often described as “One Nation Conservatism” – pragmatic, inclusive, and interventionist – whereas Thatcherism was ideological, individualistic, and rooted in market liberalism.
Michael Heseltine with Margaret Thatcher
In 1983, Heseltine was appointed Secretary of State for Defence. His tenure was dominated by disputes over the procurement and management of defence projects. The breaking point came in January 1986 during the “Westland Affair,” a political scandal concerning the future of the Westland helicopter company. Heseltine favoured a European consortium to save the firm, while Thatcher supported an American takeover bid. The disagreement escalated into a public row over Cabinet procedure, leading Heseltine to resign dramatically – a move that many saw as the opening shot in a long campaign to challenge Thatcher’s leadership.
After his resignation, Heseltine became one of Thatcher’s most prominent internal critics. He attacked her government’s handling of local government, industrial policy, and social cohesion, arguing that her confrontational style was alienating the electorate and damaging national unity. His most famous act came in November 1990, when he challenged Thatcher for the Conservative leadership following the deep unpopularity of the Poll Tax and growing unrest within the party. Although he did not win the contest outright, his challenge fatally undermined Thatcher’s position, leading to her resignation after 11 years in office.
When John Major succeeded Thatcher, Heseltine returned to government, serving as Secretary of State for the Environment (1990–92) and later as President of the Board of Trade and Deputy Prime Minister (1995–97). In these roles he continued to promote policies of regional regeneration, urban renewal, and industrial partnership. He was a driving force behind the regeneration of Britain’s inner cities and the redevelopment of areas such as London’s Docklands and Birmingham.
Heseltine remained a committed pro-European, supporting closer integration with Europe and opposing Euroscepticism within the Conservative Party. This stance, combined with his interventionist economic beliefs, continued to mark him out as a moderate “One Nation” Conservative at a time when the party was shifting further towards neoliberalism and Euroscepticism.
Heseltine retired from the Commons in 2001 but remained an influential figure in British politics. He was elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Heseltine of Thenford. In later years, he became a vocal critic of Brexit and the populist turn in Conservative politics, arguing that the UK’s prosperity depended on close engagement with Europe and strategic government investment.
Heseltine’s political philosophy stood as a counterpoint to Thatcherism: he believed in the constructive role of the state, partnership between public and private sectors, and the importance of social cohesion. While Thatcher emphasised individualism, monetarism, and market discipline, Heseltine championed community renewal, industrial strategy, and a pragmatic, centrist approach to governance.
Michael Heseltine remained active in politics long after standing down from the House of Commons. He was a vociferous campaigner for Remain during the 2016 referendum.
His career encapsulates the tension within modern Conservatism between ideological liberalism and pragmatic interventionism – tension that continues to shape the party’s direction today. With his recent intervention, following the increased support from amongst party members for the Conservatives to do a deal with Reform UK, Heseltine has made clear that the party risks sacrificing its more liberal wing should it continue moving closer to Reform’s positions.
Given the pro-Thatcherite nature of many senior figures within Reform UK, Heseltine’s criticisms will come as no surprise. However, it does help to explain why the Lib Dems are positioning themselves in such as a way to court the more liberal and One Nation types who are uneasy about the Conservatives moving further to the right. Should the party move right, they risk losing the One Nation types. Should they stay still, they risk losing those who have already come to regard a Reform victory as an inevitably. Kemi Badenoch is only one year into the role as leader of the Conservatives, but Heseltine’s intervention is a reminder that she does not have long to make some very important decisions.