Ideas and welfare: The conservative transformation of the British pension regime

Pensions are a controversial issue in Britain. During the past fifty years, pension reforms have been challenged by the competing policies of the Cons ervative Party and the Labour Party. There were differences in the nature, scope and extent of pension policies between them: the Conservatives encour aged private pension provision while the Labour Party promoted state provis ion. Based on core principles of freedom and personal responsibility, the C onservatives persistently over time implemented policies in line with these beliefs. This article explores this transformation of the post-war pension regime. An attempt is made here to sketch out a new explanation of this tr ansformation in drawing on recent theories of the role of ideas and ideolog y in the policy process. The recent apparent convergence in policy thinking on pensions between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party highlights the importance of core ideological principles.