Leaders of the Conservative Party facts for kids

The Leader of the Conservative Party is the most important politician in the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. This person is in charge of the party. The current leader is David Cameron, who is also the Prime Minister. He leads a government made up of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat party working together. Before 1922, the Conservative Party didn't have one single leader in the same way they do today.

What is the Leader of the Conservative Party?

The Leader of the Conservative Party is like the captain of a team. They are the main spokesperson for the party. They help decide what the party believes in and what policies they want to put into action. If the Conservative Party wins a general election, their leader usually becomes the Prime Minister. This means they lead the whole country.

Leaders in the House of Lords (1834–Present)

For a long time, the Conservative Party had leaders in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Sometimes, the person leading in the House of Lords was seen as the overall leader of the party.

• Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1834–1846)
• Edward Smith-Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley (1846–1868) (Became 14th Earl of Derby in 1851) * (Considered overall leader)
• James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury (1868–1869)
• Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns (1869–1870)
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond (1870–1876)
• Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1876–1881) * (Considered overall leader)
• Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1881–1902) (* from 1885, considered overall leader)
• Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (1902–1903)
• Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (1903–1916)
• George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston (1916–1925) (Became 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston in 1921)
• James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury (1925–1931)
• Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham (1931–1935)
• Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1935)
• E. F. L. Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (1935–1938)
• James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope (1938–1940)
• Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote (1940)
• E. F. L. Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax (1940)
• George Lloyd, 1st Baron Lloyd (1940–1941)
• Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne (1941–1942)
• Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (1942–1957) (Became 5th Marquess of Salisbury in 1947)
• Alec Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (1957–1960)
• Quintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham (1960–1963)
• Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (1963–1970)
• George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe (1970–1973)
• David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham (1973–1974)
• Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (1974–1979)
• Christopher Soames, Baron Soames (1979–1981)
• Janet Young, Baroness Young (1981–1983)
• William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw (1983–1988)
• John Ganzoni, 2nd Baron Belstead (1988–1990)
• David Waddington, Baron Waddington (1990–1992)
• John Wakeham, Baron Wakeham (1992–1994)
• Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne (1994–1998)
• Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde (1998–present)

Leaders in the House of Commons (1834–1922)

Before 1922, the Conservative Party also had a leader in the House of Commons. This person was very important, especially if the party was in government.

• Sir Robert Peel (1834–1846) * (Considered overall leader)
• Lord George Bentinck (1846–1847)
• Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby (1848)
• None (1848–1849)
• Jointly Benjamin Disraeli, Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby and John Charles Herries (1849–1852)
• Benjamin Disraeli (1852–1876) (* from 1868, considered overall leader)
• Sir Stafford Northcote (1876–1885)
• Sir Michael Hicks Beach (1885–1886)
• Lord Randolph Churchill (1886–1887)
• William Henry Smith (1887–1891)
• Arthur James Balfour (1891–1906) (* from 1902, considered overall leader)
• Joseph Chamberlain (1906)
• Arthur James Balfour (1906–1911)
• Andrew Bonar Law (1911–1921) (* from 1916, considered overall leader)
• Austen Chamberlain (1921–1922)

Leaders of the Conservative Party (1922–Present)

Since 1922, the Conservative Party has had one official leader who is in charge of the whole party. The date in brackets shows when each person became leader.

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  Andrew Bonar Law (October 23, 1922)
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  Stanley Baldwin (May 22, 1923)
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  Winston Churchill (October 9, 1940)
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  Anthony Eden (April 7, 1955)
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  Alec Douglas-Home (October 19, 1963)
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  Edward Heath (July 27, 1965)
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  Margaret Thatcher (February 11, 1975)
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  John Major (November 28, 1990)
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  William Hague (June 19, 1997)
• 

  Iain Duncan Smith (September 13, 2001)
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  Michael Howard (November 6, 2003)
• 

  David Cameron (December 6, 2005)

Images for kids

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  Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby

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  Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

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  Neville Chamberlain

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  Anthony Eden

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  Alec Douglas-Home

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  Iain Duncan Smith

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  David Cameron

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  Theresa May