The Imperial British Conservative Party was a farcical political party founded by The Wizard of New Zealand. It was dedicated to the grand traditions of British Imperialism in the face of capitalism, globalisation and the distinct lack of culture in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Imperial British Conservative Party also had a presence in Australia, especially during the republican debate of the 1990s. One of its candidates, Cecil G. Murgatroyd, had run for parliament in several Australian federal elections, at each time standing against the Prime Minister (initially Bob Hawke). In official statements, Murgatroyd listed his occupation as "dole bludger". At other times, Murgatroyd stood under the banner of another New Zealand joke party, the McGillicuddy Serious Party.
In one Australian election in the 1980s, the party promised to dye the Speaker's wig a conservative blue.
Famous quotes containing the words conservative party, imperial, british, conservative and/or party:
“Growing older, I have lost the need to be political, which means, in this country, the need to be left. I am driven into grudging toleration of the Conservative Party because it is the party of non-politics, of resistance to politics.”
—Kingsley Amis (1922–1995)
“Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.”
—Apocrypha. Ecclesiasticus, 44:14.
The line “their name liveth for evermore” was chosen by Rudyard Kipling on behalf of the Imperial War Graves Commission as an epitaph to be used in Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Kipling had himself lost a son in the fighting.
“We may be scum, but at least we’re la crème de la scum.”
—Report on the British royal family. quoted in Sunday Times (London, Nov. 13, 1988)
“A Conservative government is an organised hypocrisy.”
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)
“We are in a period when old questions are settled and the new are not yet brought forward. Extreme party action, if continued in such a time, would ruin the party. Moderation is its only chance. The party out of power gains by all partisan conduct of those in power.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)