Think about putting Conservative on team with royal (8)
I believe the answer is:
consider
'think about' is the definition.
(to consider something is to think about it)
'conservative on team with royal' is the wordplay.
'conservative' becomes 'C' (UK political abbreviation).
'team' becomes 'side' (both can mean a sports team).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'royal' becomes 'r' (abbreviation).
'c'+'on'+'side'+'r'='CONSIDER'
'putting' is the link.
(Other definitions for consider that I've seen before include "Deem to be, regard" , "Think carefully about" , "Take into account" , "Reckon, deem" , "Suppose" .)