Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Conservative
leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard
on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping down as leader in the near future. However, he stated that he would not depart until a review of the rules for the leadership election had been conducted, given the high level of dissatisfaction with the current system. Ultimately, no changes were made and the election proceeded with the existing rules, which were introduced in 1998.
The contest formally began on 7 October 2005, when the Chairman of the 1922 committee
, Michael Spicer, received a letter of resignation from Michael Howard. Nominations for candidates opened immediately, and closed on 13 October.
The first round of voting amongst Conservative Members of Parliament
took place on 18 October and Kenneth Clarke
was eliminated (38 votes) leaving David Davis
(62 votes), David Cameron
(56 votes) and Liam Fox
(42 votes) to go through to the second ballot on 20 October. In the second ballot, Liam Fox
was eliminated (51 votes), leaving David Cameron (90 votes) and David Davis
(57 votes) to go through to a postal ballot. The ballot, whose result was declared on 6 December, saw David Cameron
win 68% of votes to Davis' 32%.
Edward Leigh
and John Redwood
were both cited by prominent media organisations as potential candidates, but the deadline for nominations passed without a submission from either individual.
First ballot There were no abstentions, with all 198 Conservative members voting. Cameron, Davis and Fox went through to the second ballot held on 20 October. The results were announced by the Chairman of the 1922 Committee at 5:30 p.m.
Second ballot Cameron and Davis went through to the runoff vote of the Conservative Party's 300,000 members. The votes were counted on 5 December and the winner, David Cameron, was announced shortly after 15:00 on 6 December.
. If a vote of no confidence is passed, a leadership election is called and the incumbent is barred from standing in it.
The returning officer is the Chairman of the 1922 Committee
. Candidates must be nominated by any two MPs taking the Conservative whip. If only one candidate stands (as happened in the 2003 leadership election
) then they are elected nem con (uncontested).
If two candidates stand, then the election immediately proceeds to a ballot of all members of the party. If more than two candidates stand, then MPs first hold a series of ballots to reduce the number to two. On each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. (If two or more candidates tie for last place, as happened in the 2001 contest
, then the ballot is repeated, and if the tie remains, all bottom-placed candidates are eliminated.) Candidates may also withdraw between rounds (this also happened in the 2001 contest).
The series of ballots by MPs continues until there are only two candidates remaining. At this point the all-member ballot begins; this lasts for some weeks. To be eligible to vote, an individual has to have been a paid-up member of the party for at least three months. The candidate who tops the poll is declared leader.
Many have criticised the system as having being devised to try to answer those who believed that a leader should have the backing of the bulk of MPs, to answer demands for ordinary party members to have a say, and to allow for the removal of a failing leader. It is possible for a candidate to reach the final two with the support of barely a third of MPs in the final ballot (or even less if the rival candidate has overwhelming support in the Parliamentary Party) and then be elected leader by the party members. Conversely, they are then vulnerable to being removed as leader by the MPs.
Some have argued that party members are unrepresentative of the electorate at large and are prone to elect a leader reflecting their views rather than those of the country at large.
The proposed new rules would have given MPs the final say on the leader and replaced the all member ballot with a vote at the National Convention of senior party figures. Both this and the caps on spending limits were widely believed to be most likely to harm the chances of David Davis.
The proposed changes led to disputes and were rejected on 27 September 2005.
The conference was also seen as similar to the Conservative's 1963 conference, where there was also a race to become leader.
and YouGov
polled 746 members of the Conservative Party just after the conference. The poll showed support slipping away from David Davis and Ken Clarke and moving to Liam Fox and David Cameron instead.
The Daily Telegraph and YouGov polled 665 members of the Conservative Party just after the first ballot, where Clarke was eliminated leaving only three contestants. The poll showed that 59 percent backed David Cameron, against 18 percent for Liam Fox and 15 per cent for Mr Davis. This poll showed support for Mr Cameron being strong amongst the grassroots of the party on the eve of the final (membership) ballot.
In a YouGov poll published on November 12, more than two-thirds of party members look set to vote for the younger candidate as party leader. Around 68 per cent of voters who had already returned their ballot papers had opted for Mr Cameron, while 66 per cent of those still to vote said they were likely to choose him over the then-Shadow Home Secretary David Davis. 57 per cent of those still to vote said they may change their minds between then and the postal ballot deadline on December 5.
was revealed to be backing David Cameron to become the next party leader when he declared his support in an article written for the News of the World
on Sunday 13 November.
198,844 voted, 134,446 for Cameron, 64,398 for Davis.
Mr Cameron said his party now had to change how they looked, felt and behaved. He set out core challenges for his leadership: creating a full-bodied economic policy which went beyond just tax; giving freedom to those on the frontline in public services; national and international security; and ensuring social justice by strengthening the voluntary sector.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping down as leader in the near future. However, he stated that he would not depart until a review of the rules for the leadership election had been conducted, given the high level of dissatisfaction with the current system. Ultimately, no changes were made and the election proceeded with the existing rules, which were introduced in 1998.
The contest formally began on 7 October 2005, when the Chairman of the 1922 committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
, Michael Spicer, received a letter of resignation from Michael Howard. Nominations for candidates opened immediately, and closed on 13 October.
The first round of voting amongst Conservative Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
took place on 18 October and Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
was eliminated (38 votes) leaving David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
(62 votes), David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
(56 votes) and Liam Fox
Liam Fox
Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
(42 votes) to go through to the second ballot on 20 October. In the second ballot, Liam Fox
Liam Fox
Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
was eliminated (51 votes), leaving David Cameron (90 votes) and David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
(57 votes) to go through to a postal ballot. The ballot, whose result was declared on 6 December, saw David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
win 68% of votes to Davis' 32%.
Candidates who withdrew
The following candidates declared their intention to seek the leadership, but withdrew before voting began after gathering limited support:Possible candidates who did not stand
The following prominent Conservatives formally ruled themselves out of the running:- Michael AncramMichael AncramMichael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, PC, QC , known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician. He is a member of the House of Lords, former Member of Parliament, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet...
- Iain Duncan SmithIain Duncan SmithGeorge Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
- William HagueWilliam HagueWilliam Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
- Boris JohnsonBoris JohnsonAlexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
- Andrew LansleyAndrew LansleyAndrew David Lansley, CBE, MP is the UK Secretary of State for Health, who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire since the 1997 general election, and was Shadow Secretary of State for Health from June 2004 until becoming Secretary of State for Health in May 2010...
- Oliver LetwinOliver LetwinOliver Letwin MP FRSA is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of West Dorset...
- Theresa MayTheresa MayTheresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
- George OsborneGeorge OsborneGeorge Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
- David WillettsDavid WillettsDavid Linsay Willetts is a British Conservative Party politician and the Minister of State for Universities and Science. He is the Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Havant in Hampshire.-Education:...
- Tim YeoTim YeoTimothy Stephen Kenneth Yeo is an English Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for South Suffolk and the current Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.-Early life:...
Edward Leigh
Edward Leigh
Edward Julian Egerton Leigh is a British Conservative politician. He has sat in the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Gainsborough in Lincolnshire since 1997, and for its predecessor constituency of Gainsborough and Horncastle between 1983 and 1997...
and John Redwood
John Redwood
John Alan Redwood is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. He was formerly Secretary of State for Wales in Prime Minister John Major's Cabinet and was an unsuccessful challenger for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995...
were both cited by prominent media organisations as potential candidates, but the deadline for nominations passed without a submission from either individual.
Results
The first ballot of MPs was held on 18 October. The results were announced, ten minutes later than expected, at 5:30 p.m. by Sir Michael Spicer, the Chairman of the 1922 Committee.| First Ballot: 18 October 2005 | Second Ballot: 20 October 2005 | Members' Vote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| David Davis | 62 | 31.3 | 57 | 28.8 | 64,398 | 32.4 | |
| David Cameron | 56 | 28.3 | 90 | 45.5 | 134,446 | 67.6 | |
| Liam Fox | 42 | 21.2 | 51 | 25.7 | |||
| Kenneth Clarke | 38 | 19.2 | |||||
| Turnout | 198 | 100 | 198 | 100 | 198,844 | 100 | |
| Kenneth Clarke eliminated | Liam Fox eliminated | Cameron win | |||||
First ballot There were no abstentions, with all 198 Conservative members voting. Cameron, Davis and Fox went through to the second ballot held on 20 October. The results were announced by the Chairman of the 1922 Committee at 5:30 p.m.
Second ballot Cameron and Davis went through to the runoff vote of the Conservative Party's 300,000 members. The votes were counted on 5 December and the winner, David Cameron, was announced shortly after 15:00 on 6 December.
The rules of the contest
Much speculation surrounded the review of the rules, as it is widely estimated that the system eventually adopted could prove a help or hindrance to particular candidates with strong support in certain areas of the party. However, on 27 September 2005, the proposal to change the rules was rejected.The current rules
Under the rules adopted in 1998, under which both Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard were elected, a leadership contest can be initiated either by the incumbent leader resigning or by the Parliamentary Party passing a vote of no confidence in the present leader. The latter is called if 15% of the Parliamentary Party write to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
. If a vote of no confidence is passed, a leadership election is called and the incumbent is barred from standing in it.
The returning officer is the Chairman of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
. Candidates must be nominated by any two MPs taking the Conservative whip. If only one candidate stands (as happened in the 2003 leadership election
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2003
The 2003 Conservative leadership election was caused by the enforced resignation of incumbent leader Iain Duncan-Smith after the loss of a confidence vote amongst his parliamentary party...
) then they are elected nem con (uncontested).
If two candidates stand, then the election immediately proceeds to a ballot of all members of the party. If more than two candidates stand, then MPs first hold a series of ballots to reduce the number to two. On each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. (If two or more candidates tie for last place, as happened in the 2001 contest
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2001
The 2001 Conservative leadership election was held after the United Kingdom Conservative Party failed to make inroads into the Labour government's lead in the 2001 general election. Party leader William Hague resigned, and a leadership contest was called under new rules Hague had introduced...
, then the ballot is repeated, and if the tie remains, all bottom-placed candidates are eliminated.) Candidates may also withdraw between rounds (this also happened in the 2001 contest).
The series of ballots by MPs continues until there are only two candidates remaining. At this point the all-member ballot begins; this lasts for some weeks. To be eligible to vote, an individual has to have been a paid-up member of the party for at least three months. The candidate who tops the poll is declared leader.
Criticisms of the current rules
Many criticisms have been made of the rules, in light of some problems encountered in previous elections. Amongst the concerns raised are:Technical
- The provision for resolving a tie was originally lacking and hastily devised during the 2001 election
- The tie-breaking mechanism is arguably clumsy
- In the contests in both 1997Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 1997A leadership election was triggered in the British Conservative Party when John Major resigned on 2 May 1997, following his party's defeat at the 1997 general election .-Announced:...
(although taking place under previous rules) and 2001, the position of Chairman of the 1922 Committee was vacant for some weeks owing to the previous holder either retiring or being defeated in the recent general election. Many felt that this prolonged the contests unnecessarily and have called for the Returning Officer to be a party office bearer that is unlikely to be vacant in the aftermath of a general election - Errors in the party's membership lists can lead to individual members being disenfranchised
Structural
Many have criticised the system as having being devised to try to answer those who believed that a leader should have the backing of the bulk of MPs, to answer demands for ordinary party members to have a say, and to allow for the removal of a failing leader. It is possible for a candidate to reach the final two with the support of barely a third of MPs in the final ballot (or even less if the rival candidate has overwhelming support in the Parliamentary Party) and then be elected leader by the party members. Conversely, they are then vulnerable to being removed as leader by the MPs.
Some have argued that party members are unrepresentative of the electorate at large and are prone to elect a leader reflecting their views rather than those of the country at large.
Proposed new rules
In late May 2005 a proposed new system was formally circulated by the party. The proposed new rules were as follows:- If one candidate was proposed by more than half the MPs they would be automatically declared elected
- A candidate must have the support of at least 10% of the Parliamentary Party (20 MPs in 2005) to stand
- The candidates would go forward to the National Convention, made up of senior figures in the voluntary wing of the party. Here the candidates would be ranked in order of popularity
- MPs would vote on the list through a series of eliminative ballots and select the leader.
- The candidate who receives the most votes in the National Convention would be immune from elimination and would be guaranteed a place in the final round
- A campaign spending limit of £25,000 would be imposed. These funds would be supplied by the party, but any money raised by individual candidates will be deducted from this fund
The proposed new rules would have given MPs the final say on the leader and replaced the all member ballot with a vote at the National Convention of senior party figures. Both this and the caps on spending limits were widely believed to be most likely to harm the chances of David Davis.
The proposed changes led to disputes and were rejected on 27 September 2005.
Timeline of events
- 6 May 2005 - In the aftermath of the 2005 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
announces that there will be a review of the rules for electing a leader and that once this review is complete he will stand down. Shadow Chancellor Oliver Letwin immediately confirms he will not be standing.
- 10 May 2005 - Michael Howard unveils the new Shadow CabinetShadow CabinetThe Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
with most potential leadership candidates in key positions. Much speculation surrounds the appointment of George Osborne as Shadow Chancellor - facing Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, widely expected to become the next leader of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
- 20 May 2005 - George Osborne rules himself out of the leadership contest.
- 21 May 2005 - A survey of local party chairmen in Conservative held seats finds that the majority of respondents are happy for MPs to select the leader.
- 22 May 2005 - Former Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime MinisterA deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
Michael HeseltineMichael HeseltineMichael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
declares that he believes Kenneth Clarke is the best candidate to lead the party, but that Clarke is "anguishing" over whether to stand.
- 22 May 2005 - David Davis is reported to be undecided about whether to stand, stating that he always made his mind up about "these things at the last possible minute".
- 23 May 2005 - Andrew Lansley calls for the party to radically reform itself, calling for the description "Reform Conservatives" to be used. He states he is undecided about whether or not to stand for the leadership.
- 24 May 2005 - Former leader Iain Duncan Smith cautions against proposals to remove grassroots members' say in the selection of the leader.
- 25 May 2005 - A consultation document on party reforms is formally circulated, including proposals to change the way the leader is elected, giving the final say to MPs and withdrawing the all-party member ballot.
- 27 May 2005 - Kenneth Clarke is reported to be contemplating a leadership bid. Many commentators believe that Clarke's position on the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
will hinder a bid, as on previous occasions.
- 29 May 2005 - A referendum in FranceFrench referendum on the European ConstitutionThe French referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was held on 29 May 2005 to decide whether France should ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union...
rejects the EU Constitution. Many commentators believe that this makes it likely that the constitution will no longer be an issue in UK politics that this removes a major obstacle to a Clarke leadership.
- 1 June 2005 - A referendum in the NetherlandsDutch referendum on the European ConstitutionThe Dutch referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was a consultative referendum that was held on 1 June 2005 to decide if the Netherlands would ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union....
also rejects the Constitution, reinforcing mounting speculation that the Constitution will be abandoned and that this in turn makes Kenneth Clarke a more viable contender.
- 2 June 2005 - Former leader Iain Duncan Smith calls for the next leader to be from "the mainstream of Eurosceptic opinion" in what is seen as a dismissal of Kenneth Clarke.
- 2 June 2005 - David Willets calls for the party to place a greater focus on social justice and a stronger society.
- 5 June 2005 - In a series of articles and interviews David DavisDavid Davis (British politician)David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
sets out his vision of the Conservative Party, emphasising the need to maintain its traditional values.
- 5 June 2005 - Kenneth Clarke declares that he believes the Constitution "plainly is no more".
- 8 June 2005 - Sir Malcolm Rifkind states that it is "quite likely" he will stand for the leadership.
- 9 June 2005 - Crispin BluntCrispin BluntCrispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Reigate constituency in Surrey, and since May 2010 he has been the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Youth Justice within the Ministry of Justice.He first entered...
, MP for ReigateReigate (UK Parliament constituency)Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, resigns as a Whip in order to support Rifkind's bid.
- 10 June 2005 - Alan Duncan becomes the first candidate to confirm his desire to seek the leadership.
- 13 June 2005 - Tim Yeo states in an interview that he feels there are "too many" candidates for the leadership and calls for the "plethora of would-be leaders" from the party's liberal wing to unite around a single candidate.
- 14 June 2005 - Former Prime Minister Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
calls for the party "to return to first principles."
- 15 June 2005 - At a meeting of the 1922 Backbench Committee Conservative MPs holds an indicative vote on several proposed options for electing the leader. A system where MPs select the leader with a formal consultation of members is the preferred option.
- 16 June 2005 - Theresa MayTheresa MayTheresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
calls for the party the select high calibre candidates for their 100 top target seats, including 50 women.
- 16 June 2005 - In an interview David Cameron "hints" at a leadership bid.
- 17 June 2005 - High profile Conservative MP Boris JohnsonBoris JohnsonAlexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
says that he will back Cameron.
- 18 June 2005 - Ian Taylor, widely seen as a key ally of Kenneth Clarke, indicates that David DavisDavid Davis (British politician)David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
could be the person to unify all wings of the party. Another Clarke ally, David CurryDavid CurryDavid Maurice Curry is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Skipton and Ripon from 1987 to 2010.-Early life:...
, however suggests that Clarke is the best qualified candidate.
- 19 June 2005 - Kenneth Clarke declares that he is "keen" to run for the leadership, though notes that there will be some months in which to make a final decision.
- 29 June 2005 - David Cameron makes a speech entitled "We're all in it together" in which he sets out his views on the future of the party and calls for families and married couples to receive greater support from the government.
- 29 June 2005 - Two former Party Treasurers declare support for different candidates in the Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
. Lord Harris supports David Cameron whilst Lord Kalms supports David Davis.
- 1 July 2005 - Kenneth Clarke declares that he has sufficient support in the parliamentary party to be nominated for the leadership and that he will be a candidate "unless it becomes clear by the autumn that I don't have a serious prospect".
- 3 July 2005 - Oliver Letwin declares his support for David Cameron, increasing the latter's chances of being the main challenger from the left of the party.
- 5 July 2005 - Michael Ancram warns that removing ordinary members' say in electing a leader will not make the party more attractive to voters.
- 6 July 2005 - Conservative MPs at a meeting of the 1922 Backbench Committee agree a system whereby a candidate with the support of 5% of MPs (currently 10 MPs) could stand and with a consultative poll of constituency party chairmen, who would each put forward two names, but with MPs making the final decisions.
- 18 July 2005 - Alan Duncan rules himself out of the leadership race in an article in The Guardian.
- 18 July 2005 - As Duncan withdraws, Theresa May states, "I will be thinking about whether to stand."
- 19 July 2005 - A survey of primarily Conservative Party members and supporters reveals that there is strong support for MPs making the final decision but also strong support for ordinary party members having a formal say in the process. The same survey finds David Davis to be the most popular choice amongst respondents.
- 21 July 2005 - MPs finish voting on proposals to change the rules and back a system that gives them the final say. Objections to removing the role of grassroots members are made by the Campaign for Conservative Democracy and by prominent Conservative MPs including Theresa May, Andrew Lansley, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Ancram and David Willets.
- 27 August 2005 - Tim YeoTim YeoTimothy Stephen Kenneth Yeo is an English Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for South Suffolk and the current Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.-Early life:...
announces that he will not stand as the leader of the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Party as he thinks that the Pro-European Kenneth ClarkeKenneth ClarkeKenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
is the best candidate to succeed Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
as Conservative leader. He said that he would not stand but he would support Kenneth ClarkeKenneth ClarkeKenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
through the Leadership Election.
- 31 August 2005 - After a day of expectation Kenneth Clarke formally launches his bid. Supporters at his press conference include Ann WiddecombeAnn WiddecombeAnn Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...
, John BercowJohn BercowJohn Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
and Tim Yeo.
- 5 September 2005 - Liam Fox declares his intention to stand as leader of the Conservative party.
- 27 September 2005 - Proposal to change the rules for electing a new leader is rejected.
- 29 September 2005 - David Davis and David Cameron both officially launch their election campaigns.
- 3 October 2005 - Andrew Lansley rules himself out of the contest, citing a lack of support.
- 5 October 2005 - Deputy Leader Michael Ancram rules himself out of the contest, citing a lack of support. He also announces he will return to the backbenches when the new leader is elected.
- 11 October 2005 - Sir Malcolm Rifkind announces that he will no longer stand in the contest for the leadership, and backs Kenneth Clarke.
- 12 October 2005 - Theresa MayTheresa MayTheresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
rules herself out of the contest, and backs David Cameron.
- 12 October 2005 - It is reported that the Cornerstone GroupCornerstone GroupThe Cornerstone Group is a socially conservative or traditional conservative political organisation within the British Conservative Party. The group emphasises traditional values, exemplified by the motto: Faith, Flag, and Family. It consists of Members of Parliament with a traditionalist stance,...
of right-wing Conservative MPs will not field a candidate of their own, otherwise expected to be Edward Leigh, but will instead support Liam Fox.
- 18 October 2005 - Kenneth Clarke is eliminated in the first ballot of MPs.
- 20 October 2005 - Liam Fox is eliminated in the second ballot of MPs.
- 6 December 2005 - David Cameron's victory announced.
Election Timetable
- 7 October Nominations open
- 13 October Nominations close
- 18 October First ballot of MPs
- 20 October Second ballot of MPs
- Subsequent Tuesdays and Thursdays - Further ballots of MPs if required, until only two candidates remain
- 5 December Members' ballot closes
- 6 December Result announced
Party Conference
At the 2005 Conservative Party conference, each of the five announced candidates at the time was allowed a 20 minute speech. This was seen by many as the start of the leadership campaign by each of the candidates and their speeches were closely analysed by party members and the media. Many felt that front-runner (at the time of his speech) David Davis had performed rather poorly, while the speeches of Kenneth Clarke, Liam Fox, Sir Malcom Rifkind and David Cameron were much better. This led to a rapid change in the odds of the five candidates on the betting markets - on the morning of 6 October, David Davis was the clear leader and David Cameron third, but by the evening of the same day the two had swapped places. By the end of the conference, David Cameron had become the front runner, with Ken Clarke and David Davis closely behind.The conference was also seen as similar to the Conservative's 1963 conference, where there was also a race to become leader.
Polling
The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
and YouGov
YouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
polled 746 members of the Conservative Party just after the conference. The poll showed support slipping away from David Davis and Ken Clarke and moving to Liam Fox and David Cameron instead.
The Daily Telegraph and YouGov polled 665 members of the Conservative Party just after the first ballot, where Clarke was eliminated leaving only three contestants. The poll showed that 59 percent backed David Cameron, against 18 percent for Liam Fox and 15 per cent for Mr Davis. This poll showed support for Mr Cameron being strong amongst the grassroots of the party on the eve of the final (membership) ballot.
In a YouGov poll published on November 12, more than two-thirds of party members look set to vote for the younger candidate as party leader. Around 68 per cent of voters who had already returned their ballot papers had opted for Mr Cameron, while 66 per cent of those still to vote said they were likely to choose him over the then-Shadow Home Secretary David Davis. 57 per cent of those still to vote said they may change their minds between then and the postal ballot deadline on December 5.
Hague discloses support
Former Conservative leader William HagueWilliam Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
was revealed to be backing David Cameron to become the next party leader when he declared his support in an article written for the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
on Sunday 13 November.
Result
The final decision made by the 253,600 Conservative members and announced on 6 December was a victory for David Cameron.198,844 voted, 134,446 for Cameron, 64,398 for Davis.
Mr Cameron said his party now had to change how they looked, felt and behaved. He set out core challenges for his leadership: creating a full-bodied economic policy which went beyond just tax; giving freedom to those on the frontline in public services; national and international security; and ensuring social justice by strengthening the voluntary sector.