Theresa Le Pen: the Conservatives' rightward drift
The Conservatives have now released their manifesto for the upcoming election. So armed with that information, let's see just how right-wing the party has become by seeing where they hold the same position on major policy issues as far-right Marine Le Pen did during the recent French presidential election.
1. Leave the European Union. Well, admittedly this is an obvious one but included for the sake of completion.
2. Drastically cut immigration. The Tories pledge to bring the numbers down to the tens of thousands. Le Pen wanted it brought down to a net migration of 10,000. Keep in mind, however, that this actually represents a much more drastic cut in migration from the Conservatives.
In France net migration last year was estimated by Insee to be around 67,000, so Le Pen's policy involved a cut of around 57,000. The Tories meanwhile are setting out to cut net migration by at least 173,000 according to the latest net migration figures.
3. Make it harder to unite families across borders. Le Pen's promise was vague on this point, saying only that she would end the automatic nature of immigration for the purpose of family union. The Tories meanwhile have declared they will increase the earnings threshold for acquiring family visas.
4. Keeping asylum seekers outside the borders. Both vague on how they would do this, but both clear they want to reduce the number of asylum claims made in Britain/France as part of a plan for 'reforming' the asylum seeker process.
5. More policing of the borders. For Le Pen this meant hiring 6,000 more customs officers over 5 years, the Tories give no indication of how they will be 'improving' this area.
6. More military spending and equipment. Both tied to hitting and going beyond spending 2% of GDP per year on armed forces. A specific focus for both on military hardware - aircraft carriers, battleships, tanks. Though the Tories have held back on promising more actual soldiers to go alongside.
7. A focus on relationships with former colonies. In Le Pen's vision this entailed strengthening ties with the francophone world, for the Tories this means the Commonwealth.
8. 'Choice' in schooling, schools do more to promote British/French values. Both pretty clear that there should be more choice in schooling, more types of schools available but that all these schools should promote a national, integrationist agenda.
9. A united nation. Finally, a whole plethora of measures from both manifestos all geared towards promoting 'national unity'. This is naturally contrasted with divided communities and political opponents who are trying to divide the country.
It's quickly apparent that their greatest common points lie in areas that concern social and foreign policy. Economic policy is their biggest difference as Le Pen held a protectionist policy compared to the free-trade ideal of the Tories.
Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that in major areas, the military, immigration, the EU, former colonies, national values and national unity, there has been a high degree of convergence between two parties that once had far less in common.
Without a doubt, Theresa May is intending to lead one of the most right-wing governments the UK has seen for a long time.
Le Pen 2017 manifesto: https://www.marine2017.fr/programme/
Conservative 2017 manifesto: https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto
1. Leave the European Union. Well, admittedly this is an obvious one but included for the sake of completion.
2. Drastically cut immigration. The Tories pledge to bring the numbers down to the tens of thousands. Le Pen wanted it brought down to a net migration of 10,000. Keep in mind, however, that this actually represents a much more drastic cut in migration from the Conservatives.
In France net migration last year was estimated by Insee to be around 67,000, so Le Pen's policy involved a cut of around 57,000. The Tories meanwhile are setting out to cut net migration by at least 173,000 according to the latest net migration figures.
3. Make it harder to unite families across borders. Le Pen's promise was vague on this point, saying only that she would end the automatic nature of immigration for the purpose of family union. The Tories meanwhile have declared they will increase the earnings threshold for acquiring family visas.
4. Keeping asylum seekers outside the borders. Both vague on how they would do this, but both clear they want to reduce the number of asylum claims made in Britain/France as part of a plan for 'reforming' the asylum seeker process.
5. More policing of the borders. For Le Pen this meant hiring 6,000 more customs officers over 5 years, the Tories give no indication of how they will be 'improving' this area.
6. More military spending and equipment. Both tied to hitting and going beyond spending 2% of GDP per year on armed forces. A specific focus for both on military hardware - aircraft carriers, battleships, tanks. Though the Tories have held back on promising more actual soldiers to go alongside.
7. A focus on relationships with former colonies. In Le Pen's vision this entailed strengthening ties with the francophone world, for the Tories this means the Commonwealth.
8. 'Choice' in schooling, schools do more to promote British/French values. Both pretty clear that there should be more choice in schooling, more types of schools available but that all these schools should promote a national, integrationist agenda.
9. A united nation. Finally, a whole plethora of measures from both manifestos all geared towards promoting 'national unity'. This is naturally contrasted with divided communities and political opponents who are trying to divide the country.
It's quickly apparent that their greatest common points lie in areas that concern social and foreign policy. Economic policy is their biggest difference as Le Pen held a protectionist policy compared to the free-trade ideal of the Tories.
Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that in major areas, the military, immigration, the EU, former colonies, national values and national unity, there has been a high degree of convergence between two parties that once had far less in common.
Without a doubt, Theresa May is intending to lead one of the most right-wing governments the UK has seen for a long time.
Le Pen 2017 manifesto: https://www.marine2017.fr/programme/
Conservative 2017 manifesto: https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto
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