Chairman of the Conservative Party

In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio. Deputy or vice-chairmen may also be appointed, with responsibility for specific aspects of the Conservative Party (for example, local government, women or youth).

Chairmen

Period	Name(s)	Constituency (where applicable)
1911–1916	Arthur Steel-Maitland	Birmingham East
1916–1923	Sir George Younger	Ayr Burghs
1923–1926	Stanley Jackson	Howdenshire
1926–1930	John Davidson	Hemel Hempstead
1930–1931	Neville Chamberlain	Birmingham Edgbaston
1931–1936	Lord Stonehaven	None
1936–1942	Sir Douglas Hacking	Chorley
1942–1944	Thomas Dugdale	Richmond
1944–1946	Ralph Assheton	City of London
1946–1955	Lord Woolton	None
1955–1957	Oliver Poole	None
1957–1959	2nd Viscount Hailsham	None
1959–1961	Rab Butler	Saffron Walden
1961–1963	Iain Macleod Lord Poole	Enfield West None
1963–1965	Lord Blakenham	None
1965–1967	Edward du Cann	Taunton
1967–1970	Anthony Barber	Altrincham and Sale
1970–1972	Peter Thomas	Hendon South
1972–1974	Lord Carrington	None
1974–1975	William Whitelaw	Penrith and The Border
1975–1981	Peter Thorneycroft	None
1981–1983	Cecil Parkinson	South Hertfordshire
1983–1985	John Gummer	Suffolk Coastal
1985–1987	Norman Tebbit	Chingford
1987–1989	Peter Brooke	City of London and Westminster South
1989–1990	Kenneth Baker	Mole Valley
1990–1992	Chris Patten	Bath
1992–1994	Sir Norman Fowler	Sutton Coldfield
1994–1995	Jeremy Hanley	Richmond and Barnes
1995–1997	Brian Mawhinney	Peterborough
1997–1998	Cecil Parkinson	None
1998–2001	Michael Ancram	Devizes
2001–2002	David Davis	Haltemprice and Howden
2002–2003	Theresa May	Maidenhead
2003–2005	Liam Fox Maurice Saatchi	Woodspring None
2005–2007	Francis Maude	Horsham
2007–2009	Caroline Spelman	Meriden
2009–2010	Eric Pickles	Brentwood and Ongar
2010–2012	Baroness Warsi Lord Feldman of Elstree	None None
2012–Present	Grant Shapps Lord Feldman of Elstree	Welwyn Hatfield None

See also

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

Sources

• http://www.conservativehistory.org.uk/key.html#chairmen
• The Conservative Party Archive

External links

• Meet the Chairmen – conservatives.com