The Conservative Party and the Interwar Period in Britain: A Struggle with State Intervention

During the period between the two world wars, the British Conservative Party grappled with internal disagreements regarding the role of the state in society. On one hand, prominent figures like Stanley Baldwin sought to champion the values of individualism and laissez-faire, traditionally associated with the Liberal Party. This drive was evident in the immediate post-war years when the Conservative government dismantled wartime controls on various sectors, including prices, transport, investment, and food distribution (Blaxland, 2019). On the other hand, the global economic crisis of the late 1920s spurred a growing acceptance of state intervention, particularly among individuals like Harold Macmillan and R.A. Butler. These figures endeavored to formulate a balanced system that reconciled the principles of private enterprise with a degree of collectivism (Peter. 2021). This period of ideological flux within the Conservative Party reflected the broader societal and economic transformations taking place in Britain during the interwar years.