Peter Dorey examines the attitudes and policies of the Conservative Party towards the trade unions from the nineteenth century onwards. He links these to wider political and economic circumstances, and studies the key personalities involved.
There has always been disagreement within the Conservative Party as to how it should deal with the trade unions. These disagreements have, in large part, reflected divisions within British Conservatism itself.

Peter Dorey is Lecturer in Politics at the School of European Studies, University of Cardiff.

1 The Conservative Party and the trade unions 2 The Conservative Party and trade unionism, 1799-1945 3 The search for conciliation, 1945-1964 4 Formulating a legalist policy, 1964-1970 5 The experiment with legalism, 1970-1974 6 Back to the drawing board, 1974-1979 7 The 'step-by-step' approach to trade union reform, 1979-1994 8 Conservatism and trade unionism in Britain