Chairman of the Conservative Party

The Chairman of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is responsible for party administration and overseeing the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, formerly Conservative Central Office.

Chairman of the
Conservative Party
Incumbent
Ben Elliot and Amanda Milling
since 13 February 2020
AppointerLeader of the Conservative Party
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the Leader of the Conservative Party
Inaugural holderArthur Steel-Maitland
Formation1911
DeputyLee Rowley

When the Conservatives are in government, the officeholder is usually a member of the Cabinet holding a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio. Deputy or Vice Chairmen of the Conservative Party may also be appointed, with responsibility for specific aspects of the party (most notably local government, women or youth). The Conservative Party is currently co-chaired by Amanda Milling,[1] who was appointed on 13 February 2020, and Ben Elliot, who has been Co-Chairman since July 2019. Lee Rowley MP is Deputy Chairman.

The role was created in 1911 in response to the Conservative party's defeat in the second 1910 general election. The position is not subject to election, as it is given by the party leader.[2]

List

Key
Member of the House of Commons
Member of the House of Lords
Non-parliamentarian

List
Appointed Name(s) Constituency (where applicable)
1911 Arthur Steel-Maitland[3] Birmingham East
1916 Sir George Younger[4] Ayr Burghs
1923 Stanley Jackson[3] Howdenshire
1926 John Davidson[3][4] Hemel Hempstead
1930 Neville Chamberlain[3][4] Birmingham Edgbaston
1931 The Lord Stonehaven None
1936 Sir Douglas Hacking Chorley
1942 Thomas Dugdale Richmond
29 October 1944 Ralph Assheton[3] City of London
1 July 1946 The Viscount Woolton[3] None
1 November 1955 The Lord Poole[3][5] None
18 September 1957 The Viscount Hailsham[3] None
14 October 1959 Rab Butler[3] Saffron Walden
10 October 1961 Iain Macleod Enfield West
17 April 1963
(Jointly)		 Iain Macleod Enfield West
The Lord Poole[3] None
21 October 1963 The Viscount Blakenham None
21 January 1965 Sir Edward du Cann[3] Taunton
11 September 1967 Anthony Barber Altrincham and Sale
31 July 1970 Peter Thomas Hendon South
7 April 1972 The Lord Carrington None
4 March 1974 William Whitelaw Penrith and The Border
11 February 1975 The Lord Thorneycroft[3] None
14 September 1981 Cecil Parkinson[3] South Hertfordshire
11 June 1983 John Gummer Suffolk Coastal
2 September 1985 Norman Tebbit[3] Chingford
13 July 1987 Peter Brooke City of London and Westminster South
24 July 1989 Kenneth Baker Mole Valley
28 November 1990 Chris Patten[6] Bath
10 May 1992 Sir Norman Fowler Sutton Coldfield
20 July 1994 Sir Jeremy Hanley Richmond and Barnes
5 July 1995 Brian Mawhinney Peterborough / after May 1997, North West Cambridgeshire
11 June 1997 The Lord Parkinson None
2 December 1998 Michael Ancram Devizes
18 September 2001 David Davis Haltemprice and Howden
23 July 2002 Theresa May[5] Maidenhead
6 November 2003 Liam Fox Woodspring
10 November 2003
(Jointly)		 Liam Fox Woodspring
Lord Saatchi[5] None
6 May 2005 Francis Maude Horsham
2 July 2007 Caroline Spelman Meriden
19 January 2009 Sir Eric Pickles Brentwood and Ongar
12 May 2010
(Jointly)		 The Lord Feldman of Elstree[3] None
The Baroness Warsi None
4 September 2012
(Jointly)		 The Lord Feldman of Elstree None
Grant Shapps Welwyn Hatfield
11 May 2015 The Lord Feldman of Elstree None
14 July 2016 Sir Patrick McLoughlin Derbyshire Dales
8 January 2018 Brandon Lewis Great Yarmouth
24 July 2019
(Jointly)		 James Cleverly Braintree
Ben Elliot None
13 February 2020
(Jointly)		 Amanda Milling Cannock Chase
Ben Elliot None

See also
  • 1922 Committee – the parliamentary body of the Conservative Party, which has its own Chairman

References

Notes

  1. https://twitter.com/Conservatives/status/1228003822649401344
  2. Harris, Robin (2011). The Conservatives - A History. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 9780593065112. (p. 249) After the second election defeat of 1910 there was an unstoppable pressure for an enquiry into the party's failures. A committee recommended that two new posts be created - that of party treasurer and that of chairman of the party (enjoying 'Cabinet rank'). ... Balfour accepted the changes but tried to reduce the status of the chairman, a position which he significantly (and permanently) re-titled 'chairman of the party organization'. He also concealed, as long as he could, the 'Cabinet rank' pledge. Finally he appointed a rather junior but, as it turned out, vigorous and assertive Birmingham member of parliament, Arthur Steel-Maitland, to the chairmanship.
  3. Harris, Robin (2011). The Conservatives - A History. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 9780593065112.
  4. Stewart, Graham (1999). Burying Caesar - Churchill, Chamberlain and the Battle for the Tory Party. London: Phoenix. ISBN 9780753810606.
  5. Sampson, Anthony (2004). Who Runs This Place?. London: John Murray. ISBN 0719565642.
  6. Patten, Chris (2005). Not Quite the Diplomat. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 0713998555.

Bibliography

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