The Conservative Party Can Be Saved by a Rerun of Thatcherism

John Gray makes the case for proportional representation as a means to revive British politics and fuel new political ideas.

He argues that, for the last thirty years, government in Britain has been 'Thatcherism on autopilot'. He says that the 'cult' of the free market has been pursued by both main parties but it has long since run its course.

He believes a change in the electoral system is now urgently needed, to encourage a greater variety of parties entering government and truly present voters with a choice.

'A seesaw between two parties,' he writes, 'can only accelerate our ongoing slide into becoming a poor country in which nothing works.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong Sound: Peter Bosher Production coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith