Matthew Parris Matthew Parris

We need ideology in politics

Because some things might work in practice but not in theory

issue 05 August 2017

‘Studying history at Balliol,’ writes Chris Patten, ‘I knew that the one thing which made me uneasy was a grand theory or over-arching generalisation.’ The remark comes from a Lord Patten’s latest book, First Confession. Henry Keswick wrote an unpleasant review in this magazine, and I’ve spent some time recently discouraging mutual friends from bothering to protest (‘Leave it, Jono, he isn’t worth it’). To hear Patten himself talking about this honest, engaging and very personal memoir, I went recently to see him in a packed opera house at the Buxton Festival.

I count Chris, who as director of the Conservative Research Department in 1977 gave me my first job in politics, as a friend and as a politician whom I admire tremendously. At Buxton he was at his civilised, funny, thoughtful best, prowling the stage without notes and musing on life, faith, government and experience with a reflective candour that had the audience in the palm of his hand for an hour.

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