Constructive Conservatism
Skelton was a talented journalist and wrote frequently for The Spectator, including four articles in April and May 1923 under the heading 'Constructive Conservatism'. These lively articles set out Skelton's political philosophy - chiefly the pursuit of a 'property-owning democracy', the division of land into small-holdings, co-partnership and share options to improve industrial relations, and finally, the use of referendums to resolve disputes between the House of Commons and House of Lords - as well as urge the Unionists to compete with Labour on more typically Socialist issues like pensions and housing. The four Spectator articles were republished as a pamphlet in 1924 which had a lasting influence, particularly among younger Tory MPs.
Read more about this topic: Noel Skelton
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