December 1981 - Thatcher, Heath and an entire generation gone
The Conservative Party was, for lack of a better term, shellshocked.
The two and a half years of the Thatcher government had been a miserable experience for those involved, as the high unpopularity of the government and infighting caused by Thatcher's own hostility to the more moderate members of her party had led into a defeat the scale of which was never forseen. Even in the wildlest scenarios achieving less than 200 MP's seemed beyond impossible, and there stood the party, reduced to a mere rump against a Labour supermajority which made the new Conservative opposition virtually irrelevant.
Even more concerning, the party had seen several of its best talents wiped out by the landslide, including most of the plausible leadership contenders. With the Thatcherite Dries thoroughly discredited (hated even) by a majority of the party and their senior survivor (Geoffrey Howe) refusing to stand, and several other contenders being too junior to have a national profile, the contest turned away from Thatcherism and revolted inside the One Nation Tories, with Ian Gilmour rising to take the standard for the Tory left and Michael Heseltine standing up for the younger generation.
The Candidates:
Ian Gilmour: Home Secretary under Heath and known enemy to Thatcher, the charming and aristocratic Sir Ian Gilmour represents the consensus centrist brand of "middle way Conservatism", standing for a Keynesian economic policy, staunch support for the EEC, social liberal values and, dramatically, support for voting reform and a proportional representation system. While experienced and a respected intellectual, Gilmour also represents a major shift from Thatcherism all the way into the center, which he advocates as the best way to revive the Conservative Party.
Michael Heseltine: From the younger generation is the former Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine, known for his blond mane and his theatrical charisma (which earned him the nickname Tarzan). Also a One Nation Conservative, Heseltine represents a middle way between Thatcherism and the Tory left, advocating a form of "caring capitalism" or "capitalism with a social conscience" (as shown by his support to revitalize fallen areas like Liverpool) while defending social moderate values, a strong national defence and a very aggressive line against the Foot Government.
Poll
