Richard Hayton

University of Leeds, Politics and International Studies, Faculty Member

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I am an Associate Professor in the School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Leeds, and a specialist in British politics.

My university webpage is updated regularly with information about my teaching, publications and research, and can be accessed via: http://www.richardhayton.com
Address: University of Leeds
School of Politics and International Studies
Social Sciences Building
Leeds
LS2 9 JT

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Kostas Maronitis

Leeds Trinity University

Tom Hoctor

University of Bedfordshire

Owen Worth

University of Limerick

Agnès Alexandre-Collier

Université de Bourgogne

Simon Griffiths

Goldsmiths, University of London

Joseph Ward

The University of Sheffield

Damonsalvatore

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Books by Richard Hayton

The Politics of the North: Governance, Territory and Identity in Northern England

by Arianna Giovannini, Richard Hayton, and Craig Berry

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Conservative orators From Baldwin to Cameron

How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? ... more How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? Why have some been more effective than others in advancing their personal positions and ideological agendas? How do they seek to connect with their audience in different settings, such as the party conference, House of Commons, and through the media?

This book draws analytical inspiration from the Aristotelian modes of persuasion to shine new and insightful light upon the articulation of British conservatism, examining the oratory and rhetoric of twelve key figures from Conservative Party politics. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the party and beyond.

This is the first book to analyse Conservative Party politics in this way, and marks an important new departure in the analysis of British politics.

Labour Orators from Bevan to Miliband

by Richard Hayton and Andrew Scott Crines

How do leading Labour figures strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? Why have s... more How do leading Labour figures strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? Why have some proven more successful than others in advancing their ideological arguments? How do orators seek to connect with different audiences in different settings such as parliament, party conference and through the media? This thoroughly researched and highly readable collection comprehensively evaluates these questions as well as providing an extensive interrogation of the political and intellectual significance of oratory and rhetoric in the post-war Labour Party. This collection evaluates the oratory and rhetoric of twelve leading figures from Labour politics: Aneurin Bevan, Hugh Gaitskell, Harold Wilson, Barbara Castle, James Callaghan, Michael Foot, Tony Benn, Neil Kinnock, John Smith, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband. Each chapter explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the party and beyond. Students of British politics, Labour history and communication studies will find this volume essential reading.

Reconstructing conservatism? The Conservative Party in Opposition, 1997-2010

Why Why did it take the Conservative Party so long to recover power? After the landslide defeat i... more Why Why did it take the Conservative Party so long to recover power? After the landslide defeat in 1997, why was it so slow to adapt, reposition itself and rebuild its support? How did the party leadership seek to reconstruct Conservatism and modernise its electoral appeal? Of vital interest to anyone interested in British politics, this highly readable book addresses these questions through a contextualised assessment of Conservative Party politics between 1997 and 2010. It traces debates over strategy amongst the party elite and scrutinises the actions of the leadership. It also considers four particular dilemmas for contemporary Conservatism: European integration; national identity and the 'English Question'; social liberalism versus social authoritarianism; and the problems posed by a neo-liberal political economy. The book argues that the ideological legacy of Thatcherism played a central role in framing and shaping these intraparty debates, and that an appreciation of this is vital for explaining the nature and limits of the Conservatives' renewal under Cameron.

Papers by Richard Hayton

Conservative Party Statecraft and the Johnson Government

Political Quarterly , 2021

This article uses the statecraft framework outlined by Andrew Gamble to analyse the Conservative ... more This article uses the statecraft framework outlined by Andrew Gamble to analyse the Conservative government of Boris Johnson. It argues that under Johnson, the Conservative Party is pursuing its most far-reaching statecraft strategy since the Thatcher era, aimed at re-establishing the conditions for Conservative hegemony. At the heart of Johnson's statecraft lies Brexit itself, which serves as a national cause around which to organise the politics of support. Leaving the EU demands a renewal of the national community which, for the Conservatives, is framed as a narrow Anglo-Britishness, centred on an essentially English understanding of the Union of the United Kingdom and of Britishness itself. This assertive politics of national identity shapes the party's approach to territorial statecraft and its ideological struggle to ensure that the dominant narratives of British politics are once again Conservative ones.

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Brexit and party change: The Conservatives and Labour at Westminster

International Political Science Review, 2021

This article analyses the extent of party change in response to the vote for Brexit in the Conser... more This article analyses the extent of party change in response to the vote for Brexit in the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. It focuses particularly on how both parties struggled to manage internal divisions and ideological conflict, and how each sought to manage the issue in terms of party competition. It argues that the Conservative Party victory at the 2019 UK general election was the result of an ultimately more effective response to the electoral dynamics unleashed by Brexit, as the party adjusted its position to successfully mobilise the coalition of Leave voters into party competition, while Labour struggled to do the same with Remain voters. In short, it suggests that substantial party change, particularly by the Conservatives, effectively averted major party system change and the realignment of British politics many analysts predicted. This case study analysis consequently contributes to the wider theoretical literature on external system shocks and party change.

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The Anglosphere and 'Anglo-scepticism' in the post-Brexit UK-Australia relationship

Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2024

The UK-Australia relationship was invested with renewed importance after Brexit, particularly amo... more The UK-Australia relationship was invested with renewed importance after Brexit, particularly amongst conservatives in both countries. Ideas about cultural and strategic commonality amongst Anglophone countries were an important element of the elite project underpinning Brexit. A comparative analysis of this Anglosphere perspective is important as it shapes the worldviews of political and policy elites in both countries, thus underpinning recent developments such as AUKUS and the UK-Australia FTA. Drawing on extensive interview data, this article contends that although seldom referred to explicitly, the Anglosphere idea continues to frame understandings of the relationship between Australia and the UK amongst conservative elites in both countries. However, the Anglosphere idea is contested, and our comparison also identifies a persistent strand of what we call 'Anglo-scepticism'. This Anglo-scepticism is premised on a critical appraisal of the relevance of the Anglosphere idea as a useful perspective through which to understand the UK-Australia relationship.

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Instability, crisis, and statecraft in Conservative Britain, 2010-24

Parliamentary Affairs, 2024

This article examines how the Conservative Party dominated British politics from 2010 to 2024 des... more This article examines how the Conservative Party dominated British politics from 2010 to 2024 despite this period being one of instability and crisis. It argues that a key source of this turmoil was the Conservative Party itself, which under a succession of Prime Ministers struggled to formulate an effective statecraft strategy. While these leadership failings have been well documented the underlying difficulties run deeper, reflecting tensions for the self-proclaimed natural party of government in adapting its statecraft to the rise of populist and anti-politics pressures. The article exposes these through the lens of statecraft theory, which is applied to the largely overlooked constitutional dimension of Conservative statecraft. This reveals a persistent willingness to prioritize partisan statecraft strategy over adherence to constitutional norms, which portends a slide into populism now the party has returned to opposition.

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The not so Conservative Party in European perspective

Renewal , 2022

The Conservative Party is caught between mainstream conservatism and radical right populism. It t... more The Conservative Party is caught between mainstream conservatism and radical right populism. It thus has much in common with other European parties of the centre right, but its electoral success is unusual. What does this tell us about British Conservatism? And what are the long-term implications for British politics?

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The ontological failure of David Cameron’s ‘modernisation’ of the Conservative Party

British Politics, 2021

David Cameron’s leadership of the Conservatives took as its starting point the assumption that th... more David Cameron’s leadership of the Conservatives took as its starting point the assumption that the party needed to modernise, requiring a move towards the political ‘centre ground’. This shift presented the party leadership with a series of challenges, including brand detoxification, party management, and policy renewal. Modernisation also implied ideological change, to distance the Conservatives from the legacy of Thatcherism and realign conservatism with the values of a wider section of the electorate. In this respect, Cameronite modernisation can be judged a failure. This article suggests that ontological contradictions inherent in central elements of Cameron’s conservatism, specifically the ‘Big Society’ and the ‘social justice agenda’, fatally undermined its ideological coherence. It argues that this is an important and hitherto overlooked part of the explanation for the shortcomings of Conservative Party modernisation as a political project. Although this is only one part in a wider explanation for the failure of Conservative modernisation, this case study demonstrates that ontological assumptions matter in political practice.

The Politics of the North: Governance, territory and identity in Northern England

Constructing a new conservatism? Ideology and values

David Cameron and Conservative Renewal, 2017

Following three severe election defeats, the Conservatives elected David Cameron as leader on an ... more Following three severe election defeats, the Conservatives elected David Cameron as leader on an explicitly modernising platform. His agenda for change encompassed revitalising the party image through a concerted effort to rebrand the party, an extensive review of policy, and ideological repositioning towards the centre-ground. While these three strands are of course intertwined this chapter will focus on the latter, namely the attempt to distance the Conservatives from the legacy of Thatcherism and cultivate a new form of conservatism with wider electoral appeal. This is examined in relation to the period of opposition under Cameron’s leadership (2005-10) and during his tenure as Prime Minister as leader of the Coalition government between 2010 and 2015. The chapter argues that despite some rhetorical distancing from the Thatcher era, Cameron largely failed to alter the trajectory of contemporary conservatism, which remains essentially neo-Thatcherite. Ultimately this has undermine...

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Oratory and rhetoric in Conservative Party politics

Conservative Orators from Baldwin to Cameron, 2015

Labour orators from Bevan to Miliband

Each chapter explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the... more

Download

Conservative Orators from Baldwin to Cameron

How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? ... more How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? Why have some been more effective than others in advancing their personal positions and ideological agendas? How do they seek to connect with their audience in different settings, such as the party conference, House of Commons, and through the media? This book draws analytical inspiration from the Aristotelian modes of persuasion to shine new and insightful light upon the articulation of British conservatism, examining the oratory and rhetoric of twelve key figures from Conservative Party politics. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the party and beyond. This is the first book to analyse Conservative Party politics in this way, and marks an important new departure in the analysis of British politics.

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The Coalition and the Politics of the English Question

The Political Quarterly, 2015

For much of the 2010-15 Parliament the English Question was not a conspicuous feature of politica... more For much of the 2010-15 Parliament the English Question was not a conspicuous feature of political debate in the UK. However, the issue of English votes for English laws (EvfEl) was thrust centre stage by the Prime Minister David Cameron in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum, when he announced that fulfilment of the promise of further devolution to Scotland must be accompanied by an answer to the West Lothian Question at Westminster. This article analyses these events and explores their possible consequences. It argues that a reform of parliamentary procedures along the lines outlined in the report of the McKay Commission looks increasingly likely, but that this will not mark a resolution of the broader English Question, and the future of the Union remains in doubt.

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Ideology and Statecraft: A Reply to Griffiths

Parliamentary Affairs, 2015

This article offers a qualified defence of statecraft theory. It argues that it helps frame impor... more This article offers a qualified defence of statecraft theory. It argues that it helps frame important questions about politics by drawing our analytical attention towards the partisan strategic calculations that politicians make. It cautions, however, that in utilising the statecraft approach we must remain sensitive to the ideational dimension of politics, and to the (often implicit) ideological assumptions of our own theoretical viewpoints.

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Reply: The strange survival of Tory conservatism

Global Discourse, 2014

This is a repository copy of Reply: The strange survival of Tory conservatism.

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The Presidentialization of Party Politics in the UK

The Presidentialization of Political Parties

This chapter explores party presidentialization in the United Kingdom, with a focus on party comp... more This chapter explores party presidentialization in the United Kingdom, with a focus on party competition at Westminster. It provides an overview of the constitutional structures of the UK and relates these to the party system. The decline of the two-party system since the 1970s is highlighted. The genetic features of the Conservative and Labour parties are explored through a discussion of their historical origins and development. The chapter then considers the level of centralized leadership in these parties, and the leadership selection procedures they have employed. This reveals a gap between the rhetoric of decentralisation, participation and democratisation, and the reality of increasing centralisation and leadership autonomy. government, brief coverage of this party is also offered. Between 1945 and 2010 the Conservatives governed alone for 35 years. Labour governed for the other 30 years, although for a short period (1977-78) they had the support of the small Liberal party in a parliamentary pact. Until the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition in 2010, at Westminster this was 'the only formal deal done between parties' (Norton, 2011, p. 243). The chapter also concentrates on the period from 1990 onwards, and provides a useful starting point, namely the removal from office of Britain's longest-serving Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. The declining hold of the two-party system is highlighted. Through a (necessarily brief) historical overview of their origins and development, the second section outlines the genetic features of the Conservative and Labour parties. Constitutional structures and the party system in the UK The United Kingdom is perhaps the most famous example of a parliamentary democracy in the world. Its Westminster system of government has served as a model for a number of other countries, most notably many members of the Commonwealth. At the very heart of the British Constitution is the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. This is the principle that Parliament is the ultimate authority in the land, and as such can make or repeal any law. Unusually, the British Constitution is uncodified, so Parliament's power in this regard also extends to the Constitution itself. i The UK parliament is bicameral, with a democratically elected lower house, the House of Commons, and an unelected upper house, the House of Lords. To form a government, a party or

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Cameronite conservatism and the politics of marriage under the UK coalition government

Families, Relationships and Societies, 2015

In the United Kingdom (UK), under the leadership of David Cameron, the Conservative Party has bee... more In the United Kingdom (UK), under the leadership of David Cameron, the Conservative Party has been keen to stress the value of marriage and stable families. However, in practice, the policies of the coalition government he has led since 2010 – particularly the emphasis on austerity – have arguably undermined family life. In addition, by offering financial support to those who are married and disadvantaging those who are not, the government may serve to reinforce the ‘marriage divide’ in the UK.

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The Politics of the North: Governance, Territory and Identity in Northern England

by Arianna Giovannini, Richard Hayton, and Craig Berry

Download

Conservative orators From Baldwin to Cameron

Labour Orators from Bevan to Miliband

by Richard Hayton and Andrew Scott Crines

Reconstructing conservatism? The Conservative Party in Opposition, 1997-2010

Conservative Party Statecraft and the Johnson Government

Political Quarterly , 2021

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Brexit and party change: The Conservatives and Labour at Westminster

International Political Science Review, 2021

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The Anglosphere and 'Anglo-scepticism' in the post-Brexit UK-Australia relationship

Australian Journal of International Affairs, 2024

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Instability, crisis, and statecraft in Conservative Britain, 2010-24

Parliamentary Affairs, 2024

Download

The not so Conservative Party in European perspective

Renewal , 2022

Download

The ontological failure of David Cameron’s ‘modernisation’ of the Conservative Party

British Politics, 2021

The Politics of the North: Governance, territory and identity in Northern England

Constructing a new conservatism? Ideology and values

David Cameron and Conservative Renewal, 2017

Download

Oratory and rhetoric in Conservative Party politics

Conservative Orators from Baldwin to Cameron, 2015

Labour orators from Bevan to Miliband

Each chapter explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the... more

Download

Conservative Orators from Baldwin to Cameron

How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? ... more How do leading Conservative politicians strive to communicate with and influence the electorate? Why have some been more effective than others in advancing their personal positions and ideological agendas? How do they seek to connect with their audience in different settings, such as the party conference, House of Commons, and through the media? This book draws analytical inspiration from the Aristotelian modes of persuasion to shine new and insightful light upon the articulation of British conservatism, examining the oratory and rhetoric of twelve key figures from Conservative Party politics. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and explores how its subject attempted to use oratory to advance their agenda within the party and beyond. This is the first book to analyse Conservative Party politics in this way, and marks an important new departure in the analysis of British politics.

Download

The Coalition and the Politics of the English Question

The Political Quarterly, 2015

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Ideology and Statecraft: A Reply to Griffiths

Parliamentary Affairs, 2015

Download

Reply: The strange survival of Tory conservatism

Global Discourse, 2014

This is a repository copy of Reply: The strange survival of Tory conservatism.

Download

The Presidentialization of Party Politics in the UK

The Presidentialization of Political Parties

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Cameronite conservatism and the politics of marriage under the UK coalition government

Families, Relationships and Societies, 2015

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The demise of the One Nation tradition

Global Discourse, 2014

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Iain Duncan Smith, 2001â3

Leaders of the Opposition

Fixing Broken Britain

Cameron and the Conservatives

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Inquiry-based learning and the international student

Teaching in Higher Education, 2012

The relationship between inquiry-based learning (IBL) and international students is of rising imp... more The relationship between inquiry-based learning (IBL) and international students is of rising importance in the UK in the context of a growing focus on the connection between research and teaching and the increasing number of overseas students. This article explores this relationship, drawing on the findings of research undertaken in a Department of Politics at a research-intensive UK university. It concludes by suggesting some possible ways forward for both students and staff in meeting the challenges of IBL programmes.

Book Review: The Politics of English Nationhood, by Michael Kenny, Oxford University Press 2014.

Book Review: The Conservatives since 1945: The Drivers of Party Change, by Tim Bale, Oxford University Press, 2012.

Political Studies Review, 2014

Book Review: The Conservative Party and Social Policy, edited by Hugh Bochel, Policy Press, 2011

The Conservatives under David Cameron: Built to last

The 2010 general election and the extraordinary events that followed provide an answer to the sub... more The 2010 general election and the extraordinary events that followed provide an answer to the subtitle of this book–the Conservatives under David Cameron appear 'built to last', for one term in office at least. This affirmative response makes this volume all the more important rather than less. The Conservatives are no longer merely a sideshow outside of New Labour's big tent; they are once again the main act at the political circus.

Book Review: The Blair Effect: 2001-2005, edited by Anthony Seldon and Dennis Kavanagh, Cambridge University Press.

University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are r... more University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided:

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Book Review: Conservative Revival: Blueprint for a Better Britain, edited by Chris Philp, Politicos, 2006.

Political Studies Review, 5(1): pp. 111-2, 2007

Book Review: A Political Philosophy: Arguments for Conservatism, by Roger Scruton, Continuum, London, 2006.

For a conservative, Roger Scruton does rather a lot of thinking. He wishes to make the intellectu... more For a conservative, Roger Scruton does rather a lot of thinking. He wishes to make the intellectual case for conservatism, and counter the prevailing assumption that as a political project it lacks philosophical depth. Scruton's most significant contribution in this regard remains his landmark volume The Meaning of Conservatism (1980), and readers in search of the definitive statement of Scruton-ism should prefer that text over the one under review here.

Conservative ideology and the politics of Coalition

‘Emotional, logical... credible?’The Art of Labour Oratory

The examination of elite oratory is a significantly under researched area of British political an... more The examination of elite oratory is a significantly under researched area of British political analysis. This is due in part to the focus upon groups, ideological tendencies, and collective bodies within some of the existing literature. This tendency is particularly evident in Labour studies, where historians often lean towards a broad conception of Labour as a collective movement. Oratorical analysis is thus something of an under-developed field in Labour studies.

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Teaching politics through inquiry: the international student voice

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The Politics of Englishness in post-devolution Britain

sps.ed.ac.uk

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UKIP ‘clowns’ are no joke for rattled Tories

Yorkshire Post, May 4, 2013

At long last, Miliband finds his voice... but now he has to make sure that his message is heard

The problem was not with Miliband's position, but how he expressed it and what it said about his ... more The problem was not with Miliband's position, but how he expressed it and what it said about his leadership more generally. As the video of the interview went viral (with over 200,000 views on YouTube alone) his robotic replies were widely ridiculed and did nothing to enhance his “human” credentials.

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Young Pretender must show that the crown fits

AS Ed Miliband settles into his role as the 17th leader of the Labour Party, he might pause to re... more AS Ed Miliband settles into his role as the 17th leader of the Labour Party, he might pause to reflect on the fact that only three of his predecessors–Attlee, Wilson and Blair–successfully led their party to majority General Election victories. Before Tony Blair came along, Labour had a dismal electoral record, winning a majority of more than five seats on just two occasions, under Wilson in 1966 and Attlee in 1945

Happy together for now but will it turn out to be a shotgun wedding?

In the end, most General Elections come down to a choice between change and continuity. As the re... more

The English Question

The Guardian , Mar 17, 2008

Richard Hayton

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