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.
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.
The current Deputy Chairman is Matt Vickers.
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.
List Key Member of the House of Commons Member of the House of Lords Non-parliamentarian List ChairmanTerm of office Election Ministerial officesLeaderRef Arthur Steel-Maitland 1911 1916 —Bonar Law Sir George Younger, 1st Baronet 1916 1923 191819221923Stanley Baldwin Stanley Jackson 1923 1926 1924 John Davidson 1926 1930 1929 Neville Chamberlain 1930 1931 — John Baird1st Viscount Stonehaven 1931 1936 19311935 Sir Douglas Hacking 1936 1942 —Neville ChamberlainWinston Churchill Thomas Dugdale 1942 1944 — Ralph Assheton 1944 1946 1945 Frederick Marquis1st Earl of Woolton 1946 1955 195019511955 Lord President of the Council Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Minister of Materials Anthony Eden Oliver Poole 1955 1957 —Harold Macmillan Quintin Hogg2nd Viscount Hailsham 1957 1959 1959 Lord President of the Council Rab Butler 1959 1961 — Home Secretary Leader of the House of Commons Iain Macleod 1961 1963 — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Leader of the House of Commons Oliver Poole1st Baron Poole 1963 — John Hare1st Viscount Blakenham 1963 1965 1964Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alec Douglas-Home Edward du Cann 1965 1967 1966Edward Heath Anthony Barber 1967 1970 1970 Peter Thomas 1970 1972 — Secretary of State for Wales Peter Carington6th Baron Carrington 1972 1974 Feb 1974 Secretary of State for Defence Secretary of State for Energy William Whitelaw 1974 1975 Oct 1974 Peter ThorneycroftBaron Thorneycroft 1975 1981 1979Margaret Thatcher Cecil Parkinson 1981 1983 1983 Paymaster General Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Secretary of State for Trade and Industry John Gummer 1983 1985 — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Employment Minister of State for Employment Paymaster General Norman Tebbit 1985 1987 1987 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Peter Brooke 1987 1989 — Paymaster General Kenneth Baker 1989 1990 — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Chris Patten 1990 1992 1992John Major Sir Norman Fowler 1992 1994 — Attended Cabinet Jeremy Hanley 1994 1995 — Minister without portfolio Brian Mawhinney 1995 1997 1997 Cecil ParkinsonBaron Parkinson 1997 1998 —William Hague Michael AncramEarl of Ancram 1998 2001 2001 David Davis 2001 2002 —Iain Duncan Smith Theresa May 2002 2003 — Liam Fox 2003 20052005Michael Howard Maurice SaatchiBaron Saatchi 2003 Francis Maude 2005 2007 —David Cameron Caroline Spelman 2007 2009 — Eric Pickles 2009 2010 2010 Andrew FeldmanBaron Feldman of Elstree 2010 2016 2015 Sayeeda WarsiBaroness Warsi 2010 2012 —Minister without portfolio Grant Shapps 2012 2015 2015 Sir Patrick McLoughlin 2016 2018 2017Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterTheresa May Brandon Lewis 2018 2019—Minister without portfolio Ben Elliot 2019 20222019Boris Johnson James Cleverly 2020Minister without portfolio Amanda Milling 2020 2021 — Oliver Dowden 2021 2022— Andrew Stephenson 2022 2022— Sir Jake Berry 2022 2022—Liz Truss Nadhim Zahawi 2022 2023—Rishi Sunak Greg Hands 2023 2023— Richard Holden 2023 20242024 Richard Fuller 2024 2024—Nigel Huddleston4 November2024 2025—Kemi BadenochDominic JohnsonLord Johnson of Lainston— Kevin Hollinrake 2025 Incumbent—
Timeline
See also 1922 Committee – the parliamentary body of the Conservative Party, which has its own Chairman
References
Notes
Bibliography Ball, Stuart, ed. (1998) The Conservative Party Since 1945, Manchester: Manchester University Press. Conservatives Party Structure and Organisation
External links Meet the Chairmen – conservatives.com