Political 'conservatives' as Americans would know them (which I'll quickly identify with such policies as anti-abortion, pro-gun ownership, christian, anti-gay marriage) are pretty rare in the UK. Abortion and guns aren't major issues here, christians are as often left-wing as right, and pretty much all the parties compete against each other to be the most pro-gay.
The Telegraph talks to a constituency that is economically liberal (which in a British sense means free market, low taxes, floating exchange rates and responsible fiscal policy) but not socially conservative in the way that American conservatives would be. It has a strong libertarian streak, a good example of which would be Daniel Hannan, a Conservative Member of the European Parliament, who is probably on the far right of the party on a simple left-right axis, but who in American terms would have far more in common with the Libertarian Party than any Republican, even Tea Party Republicans.
Generally I agree with Andrew. I could see Obama reading it. I could also have seen Reagan reading it, but not Bush jr.
You may find my cut-out-and-keep guide to British newspapers useful: http://philmophlegm.livejournal.com/235261.html?view=1326589#t1326589 It's not entirely serious and mostly plays to popular stereotypes rather than the actual truth. Although I find that stereotypes often have a grain of truth in them. The stereotypical Daily Telegraph reader is a retired army colonel smoking a pipe living somewhere in rural southern England.
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The Telegraph talks to a constituency that is economically liberal (which in a British sense means free market, low taxes, floating exchange rates and responsible fiscal policy) but not socially conservative in the way that American conservatives would be. It has a strong libertarian streak, a good example of which would be Daniel Hannan, a Conservative Member of the European Parliament, who is probably on the far right of the party on a simple left-right axis, but who in American terms would have far more in common with the Libertarian Party than any Republican, even Tea Party Republicans.
Generally I agree with Andrew. I could see Obama reading it. I could also have seen Reagan reading it, but not Bush jr.
You may find my cut-out-and-keep guide to British newspapers useful: http://philmophlegm.livejournal.com/235261.html?view=1326589#t1326589
It's not entirely serious and mostly plays to popular stereotypes rather than the actual truth. Although I find that stereotypes often have a grain of truth in them. The stereotypical Daily Telegraph reader is a retired army colonel smoking a pipe living somewhere in rural southern England.