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 Oliver Dowden
since 15 September 2021
AppointerLeader of the Conservative Party
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the Leader of the Conservative Party
Inaugural holderArthur Steel-Maitland
Formation1911
DeputyJustin Tomlinson

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 Oliver Dowden, who was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle on 15 September 2021, and Ben Elliot, who has been Co-Chairman since July 2019. Justin Tomlinson 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.[1]

List

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

List
Appointed Name(s) Constituency (where applicable) Portfolio Election
1911 Arthur Steel-Maitland[2] Birmingham East
1916 Sir George Younger[3] Ayr Burghs 1918, 1922, 1923
1923 Stanley Jackson[2] Howdenshire 1924
1926 John Davidson[2][3] Hemel Hempstead 1929
1930 Neville Chamberlain[2][3] Birmingham Edgbaston 1931
1931 The Lord Stonehaven None 1935
1936 Sir Douglas Hacking Chorley
1942 Thomas Dugdale Richmond
29 October 1944 Ralph Assheton[2] City of London
1 July 1946 The Viscount Woolton[2] None Lord President of the Council (28 October 1951 – 24 November 1952) 1950, 1951, 1955
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (24 November 1952 – 20 December 1955)
Minister of Materials (24 November 1952 – 16 August 1954)
1 November 1955 Oliver Poole[2][4] None
18 September 1957 The Viscount Hailsham[2] None Lord President of the Council (17 September 1957 – 14 October 1959) 1959
14 October 1959 Rab Butler[2] Saffron Walden Home Secretary (14 January 1957 – 13 July 1962)
Leader of the House of Commons (20 December 1955 – 9 October 1961)
10 October 1961 Iain Macleod Enfield West Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (9 October 1961 – 20 October 1963)
Leader of the House of Commons (9 October 1961 – 20 October 1963)
17 April 1963
(Jointly)
The Lord Poole[2] None
21 October 1963 The Viscount Blakenham None Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (20 October 1963 – 18 October 1964) 1964
21 January 1965 Sir Edward du Cann[2] Taunton 1966
11 September 1967 Anthony Barber Altrincham and Sale 1970
31 July 1970 Peter Thomas Hendon South Wales Secretary (19 June 1970 – 5 March 1974)
7 April 1972 The Lord Carrington None Defence Secretary (20 June 1970 – 8 January 1974) February 1974
Energy Secretary (8 January 1974 – 4 March 1974)
4 March 1974 William Whitelaw Penrith and The Border October 1974
11 February 1975 The Lord Thorneycroft[2] None 1979
14 September 1981 Cecil Parkinson[2] South Hertfordshire Paymaster General (14 September 1981 – 11 June 1983) 1983
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (6 April 1982 – 11 June 1983)
11 June 1983 John Gummer Suffolk Coastal Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Employment (6 January 1983 – 18 October 1983)
Paymaster General (11 September 1984 – 2 September 1985)
2 September 1985 Norman Tebbit[2] Chingford Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1987
13 July 1987 Peter Brooke City of London and Westminster South Paymaster General
24 July 1989 Kenneth Baker Mole Valley Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
28 November 1990 Chris Patten[5] Bath Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1992
11 May 1992 Sir Norman Fowler Sutton Coldfield Attended Cabinet
20 July 1994 Sir Jeremy Hanley Richmond and Barnes Minister without portfolio
5 July 1995 Brian Mawhinney Peterborough Minister without portfolio 1997
1 May 1997 North West Cambridgeshire
11 June 1997 The Lord Parkinson None
2 December 1998 Michael Ancram Devizes 2001
18 September 2001 David Davis Haltemprice and Howden
23 July 2002 Theresa May[4] Maidenhead
6 November 2003 Liam Fox Woodspring 2005
10 November 2003
(Jointly)
Lord Saatchi[4] None
6 May 2005 Francis Maude Horsham
2 July 2007 Caroline Spelman Meriden
19 January 2009 Eric Pickles Brentwood and Ongar 2010
12 May 2010
(Jointly)		 The Lord Feldman of Elstree[2] None
The Baroness Warsi[6] None Minister without portfolio
4 September 2012
(Jointly)		 The Lord Feldman of Elstree None 2015
Grant Shapps Welwyn Hatfield Minister without portfolio
11 May 2015 The Lord Feldman of Elstree None
14 July 2016 Sir Patrick McLoughlin Derbyshire Dales Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 2017
8 January 2018 Brandon Lewis[7] Great Yarmouth Minister without portfolio
24 July 2019
(Jointly)		 James Cleverly[8] Braintree Minister without portfolio 2019
Ben Elliot None
13 February 2020
(Jointly)		 Amanda Milling[9] Cannock Chase Minister without portfolio
Ben Elliot None
15 September 2021
(Jointly)		 Oliver Dowden Hertsmere Minister without portfolio
Ben Elliot None

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

References

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. Harris, Robin (2011). The Conservatives - A History. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 9780593065112.
  3. Stewart, Graham (1999). Burying Caesar - Churchill, Chamberlain and the Battle for the Tory Party. London: Phoenix. ISBN 9780753810606.
  4. Sampson, Anthony (2004). Who Runs This Place?. London: John Murray. ISBN 0719565642.
  5. Patten, Chris (2005). Not Quite the Diplomat. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 0713998555.
  6. "Baroness Warsi". UK Parliament. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  7. "Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  8. "Rt Hon James Cleverly MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  9. "Rt Hon Amanda Milling MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 July 2021.

Bibliography

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