The Bow Group's Role in British Politics
| Date | 01 December 1961 |
| Author | Richard Rose |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591296101400404 |
| Published date | 01 December 1961 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
865
THE
BOW
GROUP’S
ROLE
IN
BRITISH
POLITICS
RICHARD
ROSE
Manchester
University
LTHOUGH
BRITISH
POLITICS
operates
with
a
two-party
system,
di,
visions
in
political
allegiance
have
always
been
more
numerous.
To
under,
jL
stand
the
British
party
system,
one
must
understand
the
balance
of
forces
within
the
parties
as
well
as
the
relations
between
them.’
The
unprece-
dented
increase
in
Conservative
strength
at
the
1959
general
election
emphasizes
the
need
to
understand
the
present
divisions
within
the
Conservative
party,
a
subject
neglected
by
academics.2
The
purpose
of
this
article
is
to
analyze
the
structure
and
functions
of
the
Bow
Group,
a
Conservative
research
organization,
in
order
to
assess
its
role
in
the
British
political
process.3
The
Bow
Group
is
notable
because
of
its
efforts
to
think
out
anew
the
implications
of
Conservative
principles
in
a
society
under-
going
major
changes,
and
because
of
its
efficient
organization
for
political
work.
Its
achievements
have
elicited
various
conflicting
evaluations.
A
few
days
after
the
last
general
election
(October
11,
1959)
the
non-party
London
Observer
could
refer
to
&dquo;that
secret
and
unacknowledged
alliance
between
the
leadership
and
the
younger
progressives
such
as
the
Bow
Group.&dquo;
The
Bow
Group
describes
itself
as
a
body
which
&dquo;does
not
stand
for
any
particular
kind
of
Conservatism,&dquo;
but
the
non-party
Economist
can
refer
to
it
as
&dquo;a
shorthand
phrase
for
the
Tory
left,&dquo;
a
group
with
&dquo;no
great
differentiating
principle&dquo;
separating
it
from
the
Liberals
or
the
Gaitskellite
wing
of
the
Labour
party.4
A
leading
Conservative
publicist,
T.
E.
Utley,
has
attacked
the
Group
as
&dquo;hardly
to
be
distinguished
from
radical
liberalism
and
sometimes
even
from
Socialism&dquo;;
he
also
called
it
a
misguided
enemy
of
&dquo;the
sane
right.&dquo;
5
In
1957
the
Bow
Group’s
advertising
copywriters
termed
it
&dquo;Young,
compact
and
influential....
Pamphlets
exert
a
considerable
influence
on
Tory
thought
and
action&dquo;;
yet
it
can
also
claim
to
be
&dquo;in
no
sense
a
pressure
group.&dquo;
6 Mr.
R.
A.
Butler,
the
chairman
of
the
Conservative
party,
has
called
it,
with
charac-
teristic
wit
and
ambiguity,
&dquo;The
beehive ...
from
which
we
obtain
honey
as
well
as
an
occasional
sting.&dquo;
7
1
Cf.
S.
Lubell,
The
Future
of
American
Politics
(rev.
2nd
ed.;
New
York:
Harper,
1956),
p.
217:
"The
key
to
the
political
warfare
of
any
particular
period
will
be
found
in
the
conflict
among
the
clashing
elements
in
the
majority
party."
2
R.
T.
McKenzie,
in
British
Political
Parties
(London:
Heinemann,
1955),
analyzes
historically
disagreements
among
the
leaders
of
the
Conservatives,
but
his
monumental
study
could
not
deal
with
events
of
this
last
decade.
3
I
am
indebted
to
the
officers
and
members
of
the
Bow
Group
for
welcoming
an
outside
investi-
gator,
and
making
available
the
minute
books
of
the
Group
and
other
private
memoranda,
as
well
as
for
discussing
their
work
with
frankness.
The
ideas
expressed
in
this
article
are
those
of
the
author
and
are
not
necessarily
shared
by
past
or
present
Bow
Group
leaders.
4
Crossbow
statement,
III
(Spring
1960),
58,
and
the
Economist
(January
16,
1960),
p.
182.
5
Daily
Telegraph
(London),
February
18,
1960.
Compare
the
attack
by
Ian
Mikardo,
a
prominent
left-wing
Labour
figure,
upon
Labour
M.P.’s
such
as
Anthony
Crosland
for
being
so
right-
wing
as
to
be
classed
with
the
Bow
Group.
Daily
Telegraph,
January
15,
1960.
6
Bow
Group
membership
solicitation
leaflet,
and
Crossbow,
III
(Spring
1960),
58.
7
Sunday
Times
(London),
March
7,
1960.
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