The period of Blairism from 1997-2000 in many ways forced the Conservative Party to reform in a similar way to Labour in the 1980s. William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and David Cameron over the 2000s were forced to change public perception of the Conservative party. Cameron championed a form of "compassionate conservatism" with a sympathetic approach to the environment and the urban youth. These two periods of reform the parties directed policy towards the middle ground and, in terms of ideology, represented a lack of clear blue water between the parties. Parties are also no longer as ideologically as rooted to their past. Traditionally the Conservative party would be supported by the upper middle classes upholding tradition, law and order and support for the landed elite. The Labour party traditionally supports the working classes and championed the welfare state, equality and collectivism. There is a sense that in recent years parties have become detached from their traditional roots in order to change public image. This has led to the corruption of traditional ideology within these parties.
The rise of consensus politics has also been equally detrimental to political ideology. In the 2010 general election a coalition between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrat party was formed. A coalition government dilutes political ideology. Parties are forced to make compromises to legislation they want passed. In the current coalition government Conservative plans to renew trident were opposed by the Liberal Democrats. This highlights how coalition parties are forced to meet in the middle where most disagreement is concerned having a pernicious effect on political ideology. Once could argue that the need to reduce the deficit and to overcome the recession has also harmed political ideology. In these times of economic crisis the interaction between parties in Parliament has become more constructive further diminishing party ideology.