View source for United Conservative Party of Superior

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{{Infobox political party
|name = United Conservative Party of Superior<br> <small>Vereinigte Konservative Partei des Vorgesetzten</small>
|colorcode = #003BDE
|logo = [[File:Superior UC logo 2024.svg|200px]]
|symbol = [[File:United Conservative Party Disco.svg|120px]]
|leader = [[Isaac Dillon]] ([[Arrowhead|AH]]) 
|president = [[Amy Lloyd]] ([[Uppasala|UP]]) 
|founded = {{Start date and age|2002|11|2}}
|headquarters = 1720-130 Albert Street<br>[[Saint Anthony]]
|merger = [[Conservative Party of Superior|Conservative Party]]<br>[[United Popular Front of Superior|United Popular Front]]
|membership = {{UP}} 2.1 million
|youth_wing = National Alliance of Young Conservatives 
|student_wing = Student Conservatives
|wing1_title = LGBT+ wing
|wing1 = United LGBT Conservatives
|wing2_title = Women's wing 
|wing2 = Coalition of United Conservative Women
|wing3_title = Overseas Wing
|wing3 = [[United Conservatives Abroad]] 
|ideology = '''Majority:'''<br>{{•}} [[Conservatism in Superior|Conservatism]]<br>{{•}} {{W|Social conservatism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Economic liberalism}}<br>{{•}} [[Ameroskepticism|Soft Ameroskepticism]]<br>{{•}} {{W|Federalism}}<br>{{•}} [[Monarchism in Superior|Monarchism]]<br>'''Factions:'''<br>{{•}} {{W|National conservatism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|One-nation conservatism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Libertarianism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Liberal conservatism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Economic nationalism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Right-wing populism}}<br>{{•}} {{W|Neoconservatism}} 
|position = [[File:Blue flag waving.png|20px]] {{W|Centre-right politics|Centre-right}} to {{W|Right-wing politics|right-wing}} 
|international = {{W|International Democrat Union}}<br>{{W|Union of Latin American Parties}} (Associate party) 
|national = [[National Coalition of Superior]]
|affiliation1_title = American affiliation
|affiliation1 = [[American Conservative Coalition]]
|colors = {{Color box|#003BDE}} {{W|Blue}}
|seats1_title = [[High Council of Superior|High Council]]
|seats1 = {{Composition bar|17|45|hex=#003BDE}}
|seats2_title = [[House of Delegates of Superior|House of Delegates]]
|seats2 = {{Composition bar|96|262|hex=#003BDE}}
|seats3_title = [[Governor (Superior)|Governorships]] 
|seats3 = {{Composition bar|8|18|hex=#003BDE}}
|seats4_title = [[American Parliament]]
|seats4 = {{Composition bar|20|43|hex=#003BDE}}
|footnotes = [[Politics of Superior]]{{*}}[[List of political parties in Superior|Political parties]]{{*}}[[Elections in Superior|Elections]]
}}
The '''United Conservative Party of Superior''' ({{W|German language|German}}: ''Vereinigte Konservative Partei Superiors''), also known as the '''Conservative Party''' ({{W|German language|German}}: ''Konservative Partei'') and more commonly as the '''United Conservatives''' ({{W|German language|German}}: ''Vereinigten Konservativen''), the '''Conservatives''' ({{W|German language|German}}: ''Konservativen''), and the '''Tories''', is a centre-right political party in [[Superior]]. It was formed in November 2002 as a merger of the [[Conservative Party of Superior|Conservative Party]] and [[United Popular Front of Superior|United Popular Front]] to form a unified political party and form a single united front for the political right. The UCP is centre-right to right-wing on the Superian political spectrum while it's major rival, the [[Liberal Democratic Party of Superior|Liberal Democrats]], are on the centre to centre-left. The party has been accused of fostering many {{W|Far-right politics|far-right}} factions, though the party officially denies such accusations. The party describes itself as a {{W|Big tent|big tent}} of the right and welcomes people who hold various views and different variations and ideas relating to conservatism and broad variety of members. The party's current leader is [[Isaac Dillon]] having been serving since 2018. He's also been [[President of Superior|president]] since 2022 and was [[Leader of the Opposition (Superior)|Leader of the Opposition]] from 2018 to 2022. 

Prior to its creation, the Conservative Party and United Popular Front were the two leading conservative parties in the country with the Conservatives representing the mainstream wing espousing {{W|Economic liberalism|economic liberalism}}, {{W|Social conservatism|social conservatism}}, and {{W|One-nation conservatism|one-nation conservatism}} while the United Popular Front was centered around a {{W|National conservatism|national conservative}}, {{W|Right-wing populism|right-wing populist}} and {{W|Economic nationalism|economic nationalist}} platform. Both parties competed in elections, though they would work with one another if either of them were able to form a government and their differences declined starting in the late 1970s and culminated in the merge of 2002 to form the United Conservative Party. The first election the UCP ran in was in 2003, where the party won an outright majority, which made party leader and founder [[Alexander Harper]] as [[President of Superior|President]]. Harper's government, and to an extension the United Conservative Party, had high approval ratings, but would see a decline near the [[2015 Superian federal election]], which resulted in the [[Liberal Democratic Party of Superior|Liberal Democrats]] and the Progressive Bloc gaining a majority. In the [[2019 Superian federal election|2019 federal election]], the United Conservative Party, along with its allies, would become a sizeable and actually threatening opposition. A year later in 2020 a [[2020 Superian federal election|snap election]] was called after a vote of no confidence passed against [[Jennifer Granholm]] and her government for their handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and the {{w|Black Lives Matter protests}}. It would result in a large surge of United Conservative support, however continued to be the official opposition. 

As of the [[2022 Superian federal election|2022 federal election]], the United Conservative Party holds 17 seats in the [[High Council of Superior|High Council]] and 96 seats in the [[House of Delegates of Superior|House of Delegates]] making them the largest party in [[Parliament of Superior|Parliament]] and the current governing party. Six state governors are members of the United Conservative Party and the party holds a significant number of seats in state legislatures. The party's base is primary based within the northern and southern states , most notably [[New Anjou]], [[Arrowhead]], [[Dakota]], and [[Wyoming]]. The party is part of the [[American Conservative Coalition]] and holds 20 seats out of the 43 in the Superian delegation to the [[American Parliament]] in the [[Conference of American States]] as of 2020. Currently, the United Conservatives are in a governing alliance with the [[Christian Democratic Party of Superior|Christian Democrats]], the [[Constitution and Unionist Party of Superior|Constitution and Unionist Party]], and the [[Libertarian Party of Superior|Libertarian Party]] known as the [[National Coalition of Superior]], which was formed in 2019. 
==History==
{{Main|History of the United Conservative Party of Superior}}
===Historic predecessors===
{{Main|Conservative Party of Superior|United Popular Front of Superior}} 
Prior to 2002, the leading right-leaning political party in [[Superior]] was the [[Conservative Party of Superior|Conservative Party]]. Formed in 1868, the Conservative Party was created in response to the recently-formed [[National Republican Party of Superior|National Republican Party]] and adhered to a platform of social conservatism, [[Monarchism in Superior|monarchism]], and the protection of the then German-majority culture. The Conservatives would enter [[Parliament of Superior|parliament]] as the third largest party in [[1869 Superian federal election|1869]], and would emerge as one of two major parties following the [[1877 Superian federal election|1877 elections]], alongside the [[Liberal Democratic Party of Superior|Liberal Democratic Party]]. 

Under the direction of party leader, and soon-to-be [[President of Superior|president]], [[John Claremont]], the Conservative Party would begin to slowly undergo a transition to {{w|liberal conservatism}}. Following continued party defeats, Claremont and party leadership beleived that a shift to liberal conservative values would help improve the party's standing across Superior. This shift would be temporarily halted in 1957 by [[John Abbott]], but would be continued by his successor [[Andrew Carwell]]. Many of the party's traditonal and socially conservative values, such as the promotion of Lutheran and Christian social values, opposition to social welfare, and support for greater Superian independence within the Anglo-American community, would be abandoned for more liberal conservative policies. The shift towards liberal conservativism would be completed under the tenure of [[Alexander Ludendorff]], who controversially marked the completion with a public condemnation of the party's social conservatives, a move which was viewed as extremely damaging to the future of the party.

The Conservatives shift to liberal conservatism would be opposed by many in the party, with many in the party believing that its leadership was "selling out" conservative values in an effort to win voters in Liberal Democratic strongholds. In response to Ludendorff's liberal conservative leadership, [[Joseph K. Liebermann]] and other prominent national conservatives would lead an exodus from the Conservative Party, forming the populist and socially conservative [[United Popular Front of Superior|United Popular Front]]. Following Ludendorff's retirement, the Conservative Party would suffer major defeats to the UPF, resulting in a split in the Superian right and the latter overtaking the former as leaders of the opposition in [[1999 Superian federal election|1999]]. After pursuing a policy of no-negotiations, the Conservative Party would enter a legislative coalition with the United Popular Front in 2000. UPF leader [[Alexander Harper]], in an effort to end the decades-long Liberal Democratic governance of the nation, would forge a unification deal with the Conservative Party, forming the United Conservative Party at a press conference in [[Duluth]], [[Arrowhead]]. As leader of the UPF, Harper would be unanimously elected as the leader of the United Conservatives.
===Early political activities===
{{Main|Unite the Right movement (Superior)}} 
Following the retirement of [[Alexander Ludendorff]], the Conservative Party would undergo a schism, leading to the formation of four major conservative parties within the [[Parliament of Superior]]. They were: the Conservative Party, which promoted a platform liberal conservatism, the United Popular Front, which promoted a platform of national conservatism and populism, the [[Christian Democratic Party of Superior|Christian Democratic Party]], which promoted a platform of Christian democracy, and the [[Constitution and Unionist Party of Superior|Constitution and Unionist Party]], which promoted a platform of social conservatism and nationalism. Despite some of these parties sharing similar conservative values, each implemented a policy of no-cooperation with each other, with each party viewing themselves as the true representation of conservative values in Superior. The split in the Superian right would lead to a decade of largely unopposed [[Liberal Democratic Party of Superior|Liberal Democratic]] dominance in federal politics, leading to the passage of progressive, and somewhat controversial, legislation without the worry of a united conservative opposition.

In 1998, longtime United Popular Front leader [[David Manning]], who succeed Liebermann following a corruption scandal, would be succeeded by [[Alexander Harper]]. Harper, a national conservative opposed to the dominance of the Liberal Democrats, would become influential in the formation of the [[Unite the Right movement (Superior)|Unite the Right]] movement, which aimed at forming a united conservative front in order to oppose the Liberal Democratic Party and their progressive agenda. Despite support among members of the Popular Front, Harper would receive pushback from the Conservatives, with party leader [[Francis Fischer]] opposing the Popular Front's adherence to national conservatism and continued to maintain the party's belief that liberal conservatism would prevail over "regressive conservatism". This assumption would prove false during the [[1999 Superian federal election|1999 federal election]], which saw the Conservative Party suffer a historic defeat, being pushed out of the main opposition position to the Popular Front. 

Beginning in 2000, Popular Front and Conservative leaders would engage in talks to form a legislative coalition. The talks were largely pushed by Harper, who wished to create some sort of deal before the [[2003 Superian federal election|next federal election]]. Although tensions remained between both parties, especially after the 1999 federal election, the shared goal of ending the Liberal Democratic government would motivate leaders from both sides to begin working out some form of agreement. In a show of conservative unity, Harper would also invite the Christian Democrats and the Constitutional Unionists to the talks, however both declined on different grounds. For the Christian Democrats, the Popular Front's support for populism discouraged the party's leadership which had been staunchly anti-populist since the party's foundation, while for the Constitutional Unionists, party leadership believed that Harper would abandon national conservative values in order to appease the Conservatives. Along with that, Constitutional Unionist leadership believed that both the Popular Front and Conservatives would force the party to abandoned many of its core principles for the same reason. In December of 2000, the Popular Front and Conservative Party would enter a legislative coalition agreement, which would eventually be upgraded into a electoral coalition later in the month.

From the beginning, Conservative Party leadership was opposed to associating with the Popular Front, with newly-appointed interim leader [[Steve Wainwright]] believing that the alliance with the Popular Front jeopardized the party's hope of maintaining a moderate base. Along with that, with the Popular Front acting as the senior partner due to its larger share of seats, Wainwright and Conservative leadership believed that the Popular Front would attempt to coerce the party into adopting more right wing stances.  Due to this mentality, Wainwright and his party's leadership would assume an aggressive stance towards co-operation with the Popular Front, sometimes purposefully failing to uphold their terms of the agreement. This inner conflict within the coalition was most recognizable in July of 2001, when Conservative MPs voted against the Popular Front's [[Other Opportunities Act (Superior)|Other Opportunities Act]], which had the backing of other opposition parties, such as the [[Farmer Labor Party of Superior|Farmer Labor Party]], and had a chance of passing, and in December of 2001, when the Conservatives refused to support the Popular Front's inquiry into the effectiveness of the Superian healthcare system. Despite such aggressiveness from its leadership, Conservative Party members almost universally supported the coalition with the Popular Front, with many opposing Wainwright's leadership.

Following both Popular Front and Conservative victories in a number of state and local elections in 2001, Harper would begin to publicly push for a unification deal with the Conservatives in 2002, hoping to unite the conservative vote for the upcoming election next year. In response, Wainwright would claim that the Popular Front had "violated" the original coalition agreement, and that the Conservatives would be withdrawing from the coalition by the end of the year. Wainwright's response would receive intensive backlash from party members and many Conservative MPs, who believed that he was only opposed to the deal because it would end his tenure as a major political leader. Wainwright would deny such claims, instead believing that the party's values were being trampled on by their allies. Wainwright's response would have unintended political consequences, as some Conservative MPs would defect to the Popular Front, including his deputy [[Ian Walberg]]. With such low morale among Conservatives, party leadership would organize a conference in June, which they would attempt to gather support for their actions. In the [[2002 Conservative Party of Superior Leadership Conference|leadership conference]], party members would make Superian political history by [[Conservative Revolt (Superior)|voting to remove Wainwright as party leader and to remove every member of the executive committee]]. As a result, attending party members would hold a leadership vote, electing [[James Carlson]] as the new party leader. Carlson, a supporter of the Unite the Right movement, would agree to working out a unification deal with the Popular Front.

In November of 2002, in a joint press conference, Harper would announce the formation of the United Conservative Party, the result of a merger between the Conservatives and the Popular Front. As leader of the larger party, Harper would assume the role as interim leader, which would be officially confirmed in a [[2003 United Conservative Party of Superior leadership election|leadership election]] in January of 2003, while Carlson would assume the role as deputy leader. Disapproval over the Liberal Democratic government's spending habits, and its continued support for controversial and, at the time, unpopular policies, such as the ban on {{w|assualt weapons}} and the nationalization of the health industry, and rumored , along with general decline in Liberal Democratic support over its nearly decade-and-a-half governance, would see the United Conservatives soar in the polls for the upcoming 2003 federal election. Running on a platform of national conservatism, economic liberalism, and partial populism, Harper would lead the United Conservatives into a landslide victory against incumbent [[President of Superior|President]] [[James Carr]] and the Liberal Democrats, entering government more than a year after its formation.
===Harper Administration (2003–2015)===
{{Main|Presidency of Alexander Harper}}
[[File:Harper,-Stephen-Jan-23-06.jpg|left|250px|thumb|[[Alexander Harper]] shortly following his victory in the [[2003 Superian federal election|2003 federal election]].]]
The [[2003 Superian federal election]] was a major victory for the United Conservative Party and saw the establishment of the first conservative government in Superior since the end of the 1970s, bringing an end to the [[New Liberal Initiative]] and over a decade of Liberal Democratic governance. Not only was it the first victory for the United Conservative Party on a national level, it was also a record victory in terms of the first victory for a newly formed political party and had the biggest seat gain since the 1985. Alexander Harper became the first conservative president since [[Alexander Ludendorff]] who Harper and the UCP payed tribute towards after their victory. 

Harper's first government primarily focused on multi-partisanship, seeking common ground with the opposition and attempting to reach out and appeal to traditionally non-conservative voters similar to the approach taken by the Liberal Democrats during the New Liberal Period. Much of Harper's first years would be focused on combating international terrorism following the [[September 11 attacks]] later in 2003 across [[Anglo-America]] and would commit Superior to fighting the [[War on Terror]]. To this end, the United Conservative government sent Superian troops to aid in the [[2004 invasion of Syria|invasion and overthrow]] of [[Syrian Arab Republic (1967–2004)|Ba'athist Syria]] in 2004 and aided in the post-invasion [[Occupation of Syria (2004–2022)|military occupation]], though Harper would later go on to publicly oppose it. Domestically, the Harper government repealed the ban on private insurance and allowed private alternatives to the [[Public Health Program]] on grounds of allowing "new opportunities in healthcare", while maintaining nearly the same amount of funding to the PHP that existed under James Carr. While Harper would govern in a multi-partisan fashion, his social policy was deeply conservative as he and his government attempted to ban same-sex civil unions with the [[Traditional Marriage Act]] in 2004, which was narrowly defeated in parliament, later encouraging the individual states to "protect the sanctity of marriage" later on by banning the practice. 

Harper was re-elected to a second term in [[2007 Superian federal election|2007]], thought his coalition allies had underperformed expectations in the polls. Harper would continue to govern in a multi-partisan fashion, but gradually shifted in a more conservative direction domestically throughout his second term and towards the end of the 2000s. In foreign policy, Harper had attempted to withdrawal Superian troops from Syria over concerns of the war becoming too costly to commit further troops, but was stopped by several of his allies in both the cabinet and parliament and reluctantly allowed for continued Superian participation in the war. Following the start of the {{W|Great Recession}}, the Harper government committed towards economic aid legislation to help relieve the Superian economy and populace from economic hardship and struggle as the country was hit hard by the economic downturn. During this period, the administration's cuts to spending on welfare and social programs would be publicly criticized as having lessened or denied many people much needed assistance. In 2009, the Traditional Marriage Act was proposed once again with Harper publicly advocating for it to pass in the wake of several states legalizing same-sex marriage and a greater push for it occurring across all of [[Anglo-America]]. The second attempt at passing was part of a wider effort by Harper to commit to the {{W|culture war}} politics that were dominant among the conservative movement and voiced support for them. Despite his efforts, the bill was defeated in the House of Delegates with moderate conservative MPs voting against it on the grounds of it violating the principle of {{W|limited government}}. There would be no other attempt to push the bill forward for the rest of Harper's presidency. 

The [[2011 Superian federal election|2011 election]] saw Harper re-elected to a third term in office, however with a reduced majority as both the United Conservatives and their allies suffered visible losses. Harper would govern in a deeply partisan fashion for the rest of his presidency, abandoning the previous commitment towards multi-partisanship that he did in his previous two terms. In 2012, Harper attempted to significantly scale back spending on social programs on the grounds of promoting a greater sense of self-reliance for Superians, leading tot he aptly named [[Self Reliance Act]] to be proposed on March 16, 2012. The act called for scaling back spending on welfare programs and for reduced funding to the [[Public Health Program]], a program that he had previously left untouched, along with promoting and incentivizing greater usage of private insurance alternatives. The act was highly criticized, leading to several protests nationwide, and was strongly opposed by the Liberal Democratic-led opposition lead by Jennifer Granholm. The act's passage on March 28 lead to further protests and controversy, leading a decline in support for the United Conservative Party and would ultimately be repealed on June 3. In 2015, Harper would announce his retirement from public office and would not stand to run for re-election with [[Christina Walker]] succeeding him as the party's acting leader and their nominee for president in the subsequent [[2015 Superian federal election|federal election]] that ended in a Liberal Democratic win and ended over a decade of conservative governance. 
===The Opposition (2015–2022)===
[[File:Cathy McMorris Rodgers official photo.jpg|210px|thumb|right|[[Christina Walker]], Leader of the Opposition (2015–2018).]]
The 2015 federal election ended in defeat for the United Conservatives, the first major defeat the party had suffered in their history since its creation in 2003. The party lost over 35 seats and their allies suffered major losses as well, resulting in the formal end of the Harper Coalition and the party taking place as leading the Official Opposition. Jennifer Granholm succeeded Harper as president and created the [[Progressive Bloc of Superior]] to consolidate the Liberal Democrats and their allies in the [[Farmer Labor Party of Superior|Farmer Labor]], [[Green Party of Superior|Green]], and [[Reform Party of Superior|Reform]] parties into a unified alliance. Christina Walker had become the Leader of the Opposition due to her position as the party's leader, but would be formally sworn in to a full term after a [[2015 United Conservative Party of Superior leadership election|party leadership election]] held on December 16 that year. Walker would deliver her response to Granholm's first state of the union address in February 2016 and largely lead the party in a moderately {{W|social conservative}} direction, publicly opposing the [[National Acceptance Act of 2016|National Acceptance Act]] that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, claiming that it violated [[States' rights in Superior|states' rights]], while taking a {{W|fiscally conservative}} direction as well, criticizing the Granholm government for increased public spending over concerns of raising the nation's deficit count. Walker's tenure as Leader of the United Conservative Party was ideologically based off of how Harper governed during his last term as president, while also taking moderate stances on economic and some social issues to appeal to moderate and independent voters.  

Following the 2015 election, the party fell into a state of {{W|factionalism}} as different factions and wings of the UCP competed over the party's ideological direction and future with the main conflict being between {{W|center-right}} moderates and {{W|right-wing}} conservative factions along with other factions that emerged such as {{W|Protectionism|protectionists}} and {{W|Economic nationalism|economic nationalists}}, {{W|Economic liberalism|economic liberals}}, {{W|One nation conservatism|one nation conservatives}}, and {{W|National conservatism|national conservatives}} among others, each siding with the moderate and right-wing factions respectively. The factionalism was attributed to Harper's absence whose leadership was credited with leading a unified party that received the backing of all notable factions, something that Walker lacked going in as party leader over her previous lack of experience as a party official. 

Walker was largely supported by social conservatives over her opposition to the Granholm government's support for same-sex marriage and expanding [[LGBT rights in Superior]] and fiscal conservatives for her opposition to increased spending. By contrast she was opposed by national and cultural conservatives who believed that she wasn't fully committed to the conservative cause while nationalistic members criticized her for her previous support for continued Superian involvement in Syria and opposing Harper's efforts to bring troops back. Walker would be endorsed by Harper the latter of which publicly defended her, a move that was credited with preventing a viable effort at ousting her as party leader, but factionalism continued to impact the UCP. Christina Walker's efforts at opposing Granholm's social agenda would be criticized by moderate party members, many of whom protested her by either abstaining or voting in favor of legislation that advanced LGBT rights in Superior. 
[[File:Isaac Dillon and Alice Dillon in 2018.jpg|thumb|240px|left|Isaac and [[Alice Dillon]] at the [[2019 Conservative Action and Policy Summit|CAPS 2019]] a year after becoming party leader.]]
Walker's tenure as party leader was often undermined by the emergence of populist and national conservative factions in the party gaining more support and presence within the UCP, many of them denouncing her as a weak leader or "fake conservative" as she was seen as part of the political establishment. Infighting broke out in 2017 and the party was left in a divided state between moderate and pro-establishment factions supporting Walker and the populist wing that was rallying behind Isaac Dillon, an MP from [[Arrowhead]], as their leader. On 4 July 2018, Walker announced her {{W|resignation}} as leader of the party, triggering a [[2018 United Conservative Party of Superior leadership election|party leadership election]] scheduled for September, citing her inability to handle the infighting within the UCP ranks and fears of not being an effective opposition leader. She would remain in office until a successor was chosen and the election would have five candidates running to succeed her. The candidates of the race included [[Member of Parliament (Superior)]|MPs]] Isaac Dillon from [[Arrowhead]], [[Elizabeth Chamberlain]] from [[Wyoming]], and [[Alexandra Vogelbaum]] from [[Uppasala]] while other candidates included political strategist [[Michael Taylor]] from [[New Hanover]] and former High Councilor [[George Fischer]] from [[Dakota]]. Both Dillon and Chamberlain emerged as frontrunners in the race and a second round of voting was held for the first time in the party's history, ending with Dillon becoming the party leader with 55.1% of the vote to Chamberlains' 44.9% on the final round of voting. Turnout was the highest for a UCP leadership election with 67% of registered party members voting in the election mainly from Dillon's presence on the ballot who was sworn in on September 12 as Walker's successor. 

Isaac Dillon had established a strong base of support within the United Conservative Party and wider conservative movement overall by 2018, appealing to both moderates and nationalist populists. His election was seen as a net gain for the party as he had helped bridge the gap between the competing factions during his first year in office and ended party infighting by 2019. As Leader of the Opposition, Dillon took a hardline stance against Granholm and lead as a social and national conservative while echoing populist rhetoric. Following the report of [[Interngate|alleged bullying and mistreatment of interns and party allies]] by the Granholm government (including cabinet members), a [[2019 Superian federal election|snap election]] was held thanks to Dillon's efforts backed by the Reform Party after withdrawing from the Progressive Bloc in protest and saw the UCP make major gains and the opposition strengthened, but failed to secure a majority of seats. The election highlighted the general sense of unity within the United Conservatives under Isaac Dillon and positioned him as Granholm's chief political rival in parliament, a position that Walker failed to obtain while Leader of the Opposition. 

In 2020, Isaac Dillon successfully pushed for another [[2020 Superian federal election|early federal election]] in response to the {{W|George Floyd protests|protests and riots}} that erupted following the {{W|Murder of George Floyd|murder of George Floyd}} in Saint Anthony, accusing Granholm of being unable to maintain proper domestic stability over a perceived lackluster response to the [[George Floyd protests in Superior|protests in the country]]. The election was deeply controversial, with Dillon being accused of engaging in a power grab, as it was held during a strenuous and tense period in Superior's history. The election saw minor gains for the opposition as the UCP was only four seats behind the Liberal Democrats, 85 seats to their 89 respectively, but failed to obtain a plurality of seats in the House of Delegates and thus remained in the opposition as the other National Coalition members had also failed to make enough gains to cost the Progressive Bloc their standing in parliament. The United Conservative campaign overseen by Dillon himself was controversial due to its deeply partisan and often inflammatory rhetoric, accusing Granholm of permitting {{W|urban terrorism}}, accusing [[Black Lives Matter Superior]] of being a domestic terrorist organization, and the entire BLM movement of being a front for the United Commonwealth. Dillon would later apologize and retract many of these allegations in 2021, admitting the inflammatory nature behind such remarks and took responsibility for them costing the party the election. 
===Dillon Administration (2022–present)===
{{Main|Presidency of Isaac Dillon}}
[[File:Chris Pratt 2018.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Isaac Dillon]], President of Superior (2022–present).]] 
In September 2021, a leaked phone call between president Granholm and [[Governor of Arrowhead]] [[Anna Cooper]] was made public by the ''[[Duluth Standard]]'' where Granholm had implied to have pressured [[Robert Ludinfinger]] into retiring from the [[High Court of Superior]] in order to appoint a liberal justice and shift the court in a liberal ideological direction. The call then lead to several reports [[Courtgate|alleging abuse and intimidation]] by the Granholm government, even against known party and ideological allies, in order to secure control over the country's judiciary. The resulting scandal lead to a second vote of no confidence passing along with the [[Early Federal Election Act of 2021]] that lead to [[2022 Superian federal election|an early federal election]] in January 2022. The ensuing election saw the United Conservatives win eleven seats and the largest plurality in the House of Delegates, 96 seats specifically, and their allies in the National Coalition also made gains except for the Christian Democrats who suffered minor losses. The election saw the creation of a conservative government for the first time in Superior since 2011 and Isaac Dillon becoming the second United Conservative president after Alexander Harper, being sworn in days after the election. Dillon's victory was attributed to effective exploitation of the Courtgate scandal, Granholm's resignation from politics, and a more moderate campaign that appealed to independent and non-conservative voters when compared to the previous election campaigns in 2019 and 2020. Dillon was sworn in on January 7, 2022.

Dillon would reverse many of the policies of his predecessor, ending normalization with the United Commonwealth and seeing an uptick in tensions between the neighboring countries. Following the [[Amazonas incident]], Dillon would impose sanctions on the United Commonwealth and [[United People's Committees]] with the passage of the [[International Freedom and Trade Act]] which also sanctioned most member states of the [[Chattanooga Pact]]. Domestically, the Dillon administration would repeal all remaining COVID-19 pandemic restrictions via an executive order, declaring it to be "officially over", and appointed [[Mark Kruger]] as Director of the [[National Center for Disease Prevention]]. He would renew the {{W|COVID-19 vaccine}} rollout program for another year in December 2022, but allowed the program to expire in January 2024 on the grounds of the states being able to handle vaccine rollouts on their own without involvement from the federal government, something he has sought to limit on the grounds of supporting {{W|small government}} as president. 

Dillon's first year in office was largely successful, however he faced several challenges in 2023 over several controversial policy and legislative proposals the first of which was the [[Healthcare Reform Act of 2022]] which sought to cut spending to the PHP by 10% and allocate said funds to infrastructure. The act was met with [[Protests against Isaac Dillon|widespread protests]] and would be rescinded by the Dillon government. In January 2023, the bill was purposed again with an 8% budget reduction instead and narrowly passed Parliament, however Dillon's overall goals were sidelined in order to get the bill passed and in March at a press conference, he promised to continue the "rightful fight against socialist healthcare". Another legislative gridlock occurred with the [[Protect Our Youth Act]], a proposed act of parliament that sought to ban {{W|transgender healthcare}} for minors on a national level in lieu with a [[National Youth Protection Act|similar bill]] from the [[Antilles]]. The bill was deeply controversial and faced staunch opposition in parliament along with widespread protests. The bill narrowly failed to pass the House of Delegates and was rescinded on September 18, 2023. The Dillon administration has also faced major challenges from the High Court and its liberal majority with several rulings inhibiting his agenda. ''[[AACLU v. Bachmann]]'' struck down the [[Education Protection Act]] on the grounds that its ban on {{W|critical race theory}} violated {{W|freedom of speech}} while ''[[Department of Education v. New Hanover]]'' struck down the [[1866 Initiative]], ruling it unconstitutional, in a ruling that was criticized as "incredibly shortsighted" by Dillon himself.  
==Ideology and platform==
{{Conservatism in Superior sidebar}}
The United Conservative Party describes itself as a big-tent for the right wing and is an alliance of conservatives of all different types with the most notable being {{W|Social conservatism|social conservatives}}, {{W|National conservatism|national conservatives}}, and {{W|One-nation conservatism|one-nation conservatives}}. The party are strong supporters of the monarchy and oppose any attempts to abolish it viewing it as a vital institution integral to Superian political and cultural life, identity and stability. The United Conservatives prefer gradual change believing that change and reform must be gradual and cannot be rushed. As a result, the party generally favors the monarchy, is opposed to further restrictions on its powers, and generally opposes any major reforms to Superior's political and social institutions. The party is socially conservative and favors a traditionalist, Christian-centered culture, but it recent years has been more tolerant of same-sex marriage, though the party favors civil unions over same-sex marriage in general. Economically speaking, the party adheres to {{W|Economic liberalism}} and favors free markets with little regulation, though some factions are {{W|Economic nationalism|economic nationalists}} and are more {{W|Protectionism|protectionist}}. 
===Social issues===
The United Conservatives adhere to a socially conservative platform and have historically been opposed to social and cultural change. The party was a leading force in opposing same-sex marriage and was highly critical of the 2016 decision to legalize same-sex marriage across Superior. In the modern era, the United Conservative Party has been less vocal in its opposition to same-sex marriage and has been more tolerant of LGBT Superians and formed the United LGBT Conservatives in 2011, though the party is opposed to mandating churches to carry out same-sex marriage and are opposed to stripping churches that refuse to conduct such services of their tax-exempt status. On the issue of abortion, the United Conservative Party is pro-life and is opposed to the practice and thus support regulations on abortion, though few support outright criminalization. The UCP believes that human life begins at conception and that a fetus is worthy of legal protection and is opposed to abortion being allowed after the third trimester, however many have called for stricter abortion laws, including bans on the procedure after six or fifteen weeks and are backed by more religious party members and voters. 

Much of the social conservative policies and ideology is greatly influenced by religious conservatives, mainly those of the {{W|Christian Right}}, that compose a large portion of the UCP's socially conservative voting base and faction. Such elements support harsher restrictions on abortion, prohibiting any federal funding towards them, and oppose further expansion of LGBT rights. In recent years, the UCP has taken a controversial stance against transgender rights, railing against "gender ideology" and siding with the {{W|anti-gender movement}}, leading to several policies including restrictions on {{W|transgender healthcare}} and banning it for minors in several states. The UCP is supportive of {{W|Judeo-Christian values}}, believing them to be a pillar stone of a functioning, free, and successful society and has been against the gradual secularization of Superian and western society. Other socially conservative stances include support for {{W|traditional gender roles}}, opposition towards modern {{W|feminism}} ({{W|Fourth wave feminism}}), and support for {{W|accomodationism}} in regards to Christianity and the country's [[Secularism in Superior|policy on secularism]]. 
===Economic issues===
The United Conservative Party adheres towards economic liberalism supporting free market capitalism and is opposed to most economic regulations. The party believes that the free market is the best way to improve Superior's standard of living and only supports certain regulations while opposing most others under the belief that most current regulations threaten compeition and free trade, both of which the party views as essential towards Superior's economic wellbeing. Under the Harper administration, economic regulations were curtailed and a greater emphasis on trust in the free market was given. After losing in 2015, the Granholm government increased economic regulations which the United Conservatives largely opposed. 
===Foreign policy===
The United Conservative Party originally had an interventionist stance on foreign policy in 2004 until 2018 when a non-interventionist stance was adopted by Isaac Dillon after being elected party leader, but many faction of the United Conservative Party do support intervention and the UCP does support the idea of Superior and Anglo-America having a moral obligation to protect its international interests and defending democracy around the world. The party supports increasing military spending for defensive purposes and is against the demilitarization of Superior's border with the United Commonwealth. While in a leading position in previous years, a large portion of the party does espouse {{W|Neoconservatism|neoconservatism}}. The UCP supports caution in regards to Superian involvement in international military operations from [[League of Nations peacekeeping]] to involvement in overseas conflicts like in [[Syria]], though supports completing these missions and achieving victory before withdrawing from said countries.

The United Conservative Party is against normalizing relations with the [[United Commonwealth]] viewing the nation as Superior's chief rival. They support reinstituting Superior's claim over [[Michigan]] and claiming it as occupied Superian territory and have encouraged [[Continental defectors|defection]] from the United Commonwealth to Superior. During the Granholm era, the UCP opposed the re-establishment of formal diplomatic ties and called for a more aggressive stance. Since Dillon took office in 2022, the party has managed to reinstitute the federal government's claim over Michigan and has begun proposing and implementing sanctions against the United Commonwealth and its allies in both the [[Chattanooga Pact]] and [[Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development|OMEAD]]. It's also opposed to normalized relations with the [[United People's Committees]] as well along with all other currently existing states with Landonist and/or communist governments. 
===Domestic policy===
During the [[2020–2021 Anglo-American racial unrest|George Floyd-inspired protests]], the United Conservative Party opposed efforts to reduce funding, disarm, and abolish law enforcement agencies across Superior and promoted an agenda of law and order. During the [[2020 Superian federal election|2020 federal election campaign]], party leader [[Isaac Dillon]] stated his support for a "hardline" law and order agenda, and controversially decried protestors affiliated with {{w|Black Lives Matter}} as domestic terrorists, deeming the entire organization as a "front for the Continentals". This hardline position is credited with decreasing the United Conservatives' polling, and eventual loss in the election.

The United Conservatives are supportive of law enforcement and police in general, often flying the {{W|thin blue line}} flag and viewing police as a means of ensuring a stable and orderly society. The party opposes any attempts at {{W|Defund the police movement|police defunding}} and {{W|Police abolition|abolition}}, believing that either of them would lead to a rise in crime and violence across the country. In regards to [[Gun laws in Superior|gun laws]], the United Conservatives favor limited regulations on firearms and generally support easy access to guns and gun ownership. 

==Organization==
===Structure===
The United Conservative Party's leadership is largely centered around the [[Conservative Executive Board]] which serves as the party's governing body and is lead by the president. The President of the United Conservative party is either elected by the board in an internal party election or is appointed by the party's leader. This is the party's leadership on the federal level while on the state level it's more decentralized. State parties are lead by a chair who is elected in a closed door party election. The state chair is supported by an advisory committee of delegates representing the different county branches of the state party and varies by size depending on the size of the state. State parties send delegates to annual meetings and events such as the [[Conservative Action and Policy Summit]], especially when high-ranking party leaders and officials are attending the summit. 
===State parties===
{{Main|List of state parties of the United Conservative Party of Superior}} 
Each state party has its own committee comprised of elected members and ex officio members (elected members and representatives from major constituencies of the party) that lead the party on the state level and inaugurate a party leader after a formal election. State partiers also operate on the county, city, town, and ward level with their own respective committees comprised of members directly elected at the local level. Like with other parties, UCP state parties coordinate campaign activities for elections on the state level and aid in federal elections within their respective state and jurisdiction. State parties primarily coordinate the activities of the United Conservatives on the state level, however will assist them in federal elections when the time comes, including with fundraising for the general election campaign and aiding in the election of candidates to parliament. All current United Conservative state parties were created in 2003 following the merger of the respective state parties from their predecessors.  
===Membership===
===Leadership===
The Leader of the United Conservative Party is the overall head and chief executive of the UCP and is tasked with being the party's leader and appointing other officials to the party's other bodies. The [[Conservative Exectuve Board]] is the governing body of the United Conservative Party and is a 13 member board lead by the President of the United Conservative Party who can appoint and approve members to the board with the permission of the party's leader. As of 2018, [[Isaac Dillon]] is the Leader of the United Conservative Party while [[Amy Lloyd]] is the party's president and chairwoman of the executive board. The other 12 members are prominent party officials who hold authority over its internal functions including financing and donations, communications and media, and the party's overall platform. The executive board is also responsible for hosting political conventions such as the [[Conservative National Convention]] since the creation of the Conservative Coalition in 2018. 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=3 | Leader
! Term start
! Term end
! Constituency
! Notes
|-
| 1st || [[File:Stephen-Harper-Cropped-2014-02-18.jpg|100px]] || {{nowrap|[[Alexander Harper]]}} || {{nowrap|November 2, 2002}} || June 24, 2015 || [[Central Grand Forks]]<br>([[Dakota]]'s 3rd district) || Served as Leader of the [[United Popular Front of Superior|United Popular Front]] from 1998 to 2002<br>Served as [[Leader of the Opposition (Superior)|Leader of the Opposition]] from 2002 until 2003<br>Served as [[President of Superior]] from 2003 until 2015
|-
| 2nd || [[File:Cathy McMorris Rodgers official photo.jpg|100px]] || {{Nowrap|[[Christina Walker]]}} || {{nowrap|June 24, 2015}} || September 12, 2018 || [[Great Falls Area]]<br>([[Montana]]'s 1st district) || Interim leader, relected in [[2015 United Conservative Party leadership election|2015]]<br>Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2018
|-
|3rd || [[File:Chris Pratt 2018.jpg|100px]] || {{nowrap|[[Isaac Dillon]]}} || {{nowrap|September 12, 2018}} || Incumbent || [[Northern Greater Duluth]]<br>([[Arrowhead]]'s 4th district) || Served as Leader of the Opposition from 2018 to 2022<br>Youngest elected leader of the United Conservative Party<br>Serving as President of Superior since 2022
|-
|}
==Political positions==
{{Main|Political positions of the United Conservative Party of Superior}} 
===Economic issues===
*End a majority of welfare programs.
*Decrease taxes for the upper and middle classes.
*End environmental regulations that hurt the Superian economy.
*Increase border control spending.
*Increase military spending.
*End taxes on gasoline and alcohol.
*Maintain the [[Public Health Program]] and support private alternatives. 
===Social issues===
*Promote and preserve Superian traditional values.
*End identity politics in government.
*Support the right to bear arms.
*Reform the Superian educational system.
*Promote the [[1866 Initiative]] as proper educational reform.
*Ban the teaching of {{W|Critical Race Theory}} in all educational instititons. 
*End the normalization and liberalization of recreational drug use. 
*End PHP coverage of abortion and assisted suicide. 
===Foreign policy===
*End improving relations with the [[United Commonwealth]].
*End economic dependence on [[China]].
*Reform or leave the [[Conference of American States]].
*End Superian involvement in foreign wars.
*Revive Superior's claim over [[Michigan]].
*Support [[Manchuria|Manchu]] membership to the [[Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization]]. 
*Strengthen and support new sanctions against China.
*Promote [[Anti-Landonism|anti-Landonism]] worldwide. 
==Electoral history==
===Parliamentary elections===
===American Parliament elections===
==See also==
*[[Conservatism in Superior]]
*[[Conservative Party of Superior]]
*[[United Popular Front of Superior]] 

{{Superior PP}}
[[Category:United Conservative Party of Superior]]
[[Category:Political parties in Superior]]
[[Category:American Conservative Coalition member parties]] 
[[Category:Conservative parties in Superior]] 
[[Category:Parties represented in the American Parliament]]
[[Category:Organizations that oppose same-sex marriage]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in Superior]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2002]]
[[Category:Toryism]]