Iain Macleod

Iain Macleod once said that the Tory Party exists to maintain or win office; which is only one reason why, over 20 years since his death, Tory politicians as varied as Iain Gilmour, John Major and Margaret Thatcher still look to his example for ideas and inspiration. A powerful, romantic figure, deadly in debate and with appeal to both wings of the party, he remains in the minds of many senior Conservatives the true custodian of the Tory soul. Macleod died young, but he stamped his personality on the politics of the Sixties both through his journalism as editor of the "Spectator", and through his parliamentary performances. Ministerial and cabinet office followed in key departments - health, labour, the Colonial Office, and finally, the Shadow Chancellorship. This biography, by the author of "The Power Brokers", is based on previously unknown sources, and comes at a time when the meaning of conservatism is being radically reassessed.