The Past or a Foreign Country? Should the Conservatives Look to Churchill or Australia After the 2024 General Election?

Abstract Following its defeat at the 2024 general election, the Conservative Party will likely look for lessons either in its past—specifically its successful response to Labour's landslide victory in 1945—or from sister parties overseas, notably the Australian Liberal Party. The article argues that Britain and the Conservative Party have changed so fundamentally since the end of the World War Two—and indeed since 1997—to make any comparison meaningless. Highlighting the growing ‘Australianisation’ of British and especially Tory politics in the last three decades, it suggests instead that the Conservative Party would be better looking ‘down under’ for a guide on how to respond, even though critical differences remain between the two countries.