Are the Conservatives conservative?

[merseysider]

At the end of the day 'conservative' is a pretty meaningless term in politics.

Literally it means to keep things the same, but many 'conservatives' have of course been right wing radicals such as Margaret Thatcher, Newt Gingrich etc.

Equally many people on the left are deeply conservative in their own way - for example those on the left of the Labour Party here in Britain (the 'Reactionaries of the Left') whose response to any public sector reform initiative from the Blair Government is automatic knee-jerk opposition and defence of the status quo, normally in league with the trade unions and other producer interests (for example the Education Bill, or Foundation Hospitals).

I think the original poster is asking the wrong question. The question should be "are the Tories a right-wing party". Yes they are. However, I'm waiting to see whether Cameron is for real. Is he the Tony Blair of the Tories (a man who moved the Labour Party into the political mainstream and made it into a party I could vote for and join), or is he just a marketing man who will show his true-blue right-wing colours once he's hoodwinked the electorate?