In a clearly written, jargon-free style, Denis Lawton delves deep into the recesses of the conservative mind to show why and how since 1979, it has followed the path it has in education. He refers to the declared beliefs, values and attitudes of conservative politicians and their advisers, in an attempt to explain their divisive views on education, namely, those of minimalists, pluralists and privatisers. He shows that conservatism has led to policies relying on abstract, ideological views and on an objectives model of curriculum and assessment-highly theoretical and distanced from the reality practising teachers have to face. To conclude, he assesses the chances of the conservative party fulfilling the requirements of the next decades education service.