It has been proposed that the two parties will eventually merge, but what can previous mergers of political organisations tell us? Here are some examples
In 1981, when I started work in the House of Commons, I was told (though I'm not sure I believe it) that the small suite of offices off the Members Lobby which served as the Liberal Whips office (later the LibDems Whips and then the SNP) had only been wrested from the control of the Liberal Unionists, who still operated as a separate group within the Tory party (more a tribal than an ideological group it seemed) after the 1974 Liberal "revival".
Interesting. The National Liberals were still theoretically separate but allied to the Conservatives until 1968 (Heseltine’s first candidacy in Gower in 1959 was as a Nat Lib!) but by 1966 they only had three MPs (David Renton, Julian Ridsdale and John Nott) and bowed to the inevitable and folded themselves into the Conservative Party. A long way since protectionist Simonites in 1931.
Looking forward reading to this. As an American, I like a 2-party system. It's been fascinating pondering the Conservative/Reform circumstances. Reminds me in some ways of the Republican Party/Tea Party dynamic some years back. My hope is always that these dynamics serve the greater good for everybody.
In 1981, when I started work in the House of Commons, I was told (though I'm not sure I believe it) that the small suite of offices off the Members Lobby which served as the Liberal Whips office (later the LibDems Whips and then the SNP) had only been wrested from the control of the Liberal Unionists, who still operated as a separate group within the Tory party (more a tribal than an ideological group it seemed) after the 1974 Liberal "revival".
Interesting. The National Liberals were still theoretically separate but allied to the Conservatives until 1968 (Heseltine’s first candidacy in Gower in 1959 was as a Nat Lib!) but by 1966 they only had three MPs (David Renton, Julian Ridsdale and John Nott) and bowed to the inevitable and folded themselves into the Conservative Party. A long way since protectionist Simonites in 1931.
Looking forward reading to this. As an American, I like a 2-party system. It's been fascinating pondering the Conservative/Reform circumstances. Reminds me in some ways of the Republican Party/Tea Party dynamic some years back. My hope is always that these dynamics serve the greater good for everybody.