Certain terms which should be non-partisan and available for use by all people have been hijacked by the Left and have become loaded with political bias. It is time for Conservatives, through our own language and our attitudes towards education, foreign policy and international development, to reclaim such terms and re-establish their political neutrality. 

The following are just some of the terms which arouse suspicion among some Conservatives and which are banded about by the Left as if they had a monopoly over them.  In reality they concern issues which should be far beyond party politics.

Human rights – The Left sometimes attempts to portray themselves as crusaders for human rights, battling against the establishment on behalf of the poor and the persecuted. Yet at the heart of Conservative philosophy is the principle of the unique value of each and every individual human being. Conservatives should therefore once again become champions, in word and deed, of international human rights. Conservatives should argue, loudly and consistently, that around the world, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, class background or income, every human being should be treated with dignity.

Justice – Everyone should be given a fair chance in life, and everyone should be equal before the law. The rule of law is essential for proper criminal justice; the free market is a way of promoting social justice. But justice should not mean, as the Left sometimes propose, state-sponsored levelling of wealth or positive discrimination. Justice does not mean absolute equality of income or lifestyle – it means striving to provide equality of opportunity. That is done through promoting freedom of choice, civil society and the rule of law.

Equality – Since we believe in the unique value of each individual, we do not believe people are the same.  Rather we believe in diversity.  For equality of outcome is impossible without suffocating creativity, individuality, opportunity and, indeed, justice. But true “equality” is much greater than simply “sameness”.  As stated above in relation to justice, we believe in working for equality of opportunity.

Globalisation – Globalisation is a fact, not a philosophy. The world has become more inter-connected, through technology, trade and travel.  “Globalisation” should be a neutral descriptive word, not a political agenda.

Compassion – There is a perception that the Left is compassionate and Conservatives are hard-hearted. But the difference between Conservatives and the Left is not over whether one is compassionate and the other is not, but over how compassion is delivered. The Left believes the state is the best channel for compassion. Conservatives believe compassion best comes through people, neighbourhoods, communities and voluntary organisations, not through the state.  The role of the state is to protect and support the free institutions of society.

Freedom – freedom is an end in itself, because when people are free to choose, they have more opportunity to help each other, and assistance at a personal level is often far richer and more holistic than the help which could be rendered by the state. But freedom cannot be imposed. It can only be achieved through each and every human heart, and thus mistakes will inevitably be made.  But Conservatives should fight against futile attempts to legislate and regulate error out of our lives when the price of this is freedom itself.