Treasurer of the Conservative Party

The office of Treasurer of the Conservative Party was established in 1911, along with that of Chairman, as part of a wider reorganisation of the Conservative and Unionist Party's machinery following the party's failure to win the general elections of January and December 1910.[1]

The officeholders are responsible for fundraising, and in recent years, have sat on the Conservative Party Board.

List

[edit]

This is a list of treasurers of the Conservative Party.[2]

Name From To Deputy Notes
The Lord Farquhar 1911 1923 Created Viscount Farquhar in 1917, and Earl Farquhar in 1922
Sir George Younger 1923 1929 Created Viscount Younger of Leckie in 1923
Sir Samuel Hoare MP 1929 1931 MP (1910-44); created Viscount Templewood in 1944
The Lord Ebbisham 1931 1933
The Lord Greenwood 1933 1938 Created Viscount Greenwood in 1937
The Lord Marchwood 1938 1946 Created Viscount Marchwood in 1945
Christopher Holland-Martin 1947 1960 Also an MP from 1951-1960; Died in office
The Lord De L'Isle and Dudley 1948 1952 Created Viscount De L'Isle in 1956
Oliver Poole 1952 1955 Created Baron Poole of Aldgate in 1958
Sir Henry Studholme MP 1956 1962 MP (1952-66); created a Baronet in 1956
Robert Allan MP 1960 1965 MP (1951-66); created Baron Allan of Kilmahew in 1973
Richard Stanley 1962 1965 Former MP (1950-6)
The Lord Chelmer 1965 1977
Sir Tatton Brinton MP 1966 1974 MP (1964-74)
Sir Arnold Silverstone 1974 1977 Created Baron Ashdown in 1975; Died in office
William Clark MP 1974 1975 MP (1959-66, 1970-92); created Baron Clark of Kempston in 1992
Alistair McAlpine 1975 1990 Created Baron McAlpine of West Green in 1984
The Lord Boardman 1979 1983 Former MP (1967-74)
Sir Oulton Wade 1982 1990 Created Baron Wade of Chorlton in 1990
Sir Charles Johnston 1984 1988 Created Baron Johnston of Rockport in 1987
Sir Hector Laing 1988 1993 Created Baron Laing of Dunphail in 1991
The Lord Beaverbrook 1990 1992
Sir John Cope MP 1990 1992 MP (1974-97); created Baron Cope of Berkeley in 1997
Tim Smith MP 1992 1994 MP (1977-9; 1982-97); Resigned as Treasurer during the 1994 Cash-for-questions affair
Philip Harris 1993 1997 Created Baron Harris of Peckham in 1995
Charles Hambro 1993 1997 Created Baron Hambro in 1994
Sir Graham Kirkham 1997 1998 Created Baron Kirkham in 1999
Michael Ashcroft 1998 2001 Created Baron Ashcroft in 2000
Howard Leigh 2000 present Created Baron Leigh of Hurley in 2013
Sir Stanley Kalms 2001 2003 Created Baron Kalms in 2004
George Magan 2003 2007 Created Baron Magan in 2011
Jonathan Marland 2003 2007 Created Baron Marland in 2006
Michael Spencer 2007 2010 Nominated for a peerage in 2013, 2015 and 2016, but blocked on each occasion by the House of Lords Appointments Commission[3][4][5] Created Baron Spencer at the fourth attempt in 2020
Richard Harrington 2008 2010 MP (2010-9); created Baron Harrington in 2022
Stanley Fink 2009 2013 Created Baron Fink in 2011
Catherine Meyer 2010 2015 Created Baroness Meyer in 2018
Peter Cruddas 2011 2012 Created Baron Cruddas in 2020. Had resigned as Treasurer in 2012 over a "cash for access" scandal; successfully sued the Sunday Times over their allegations in 2013, but in 2015 the Court of Appeal reduces the libel damages awarded earlier from £180,000 to £50,000, after they found the central "cash for access" allegation of the Sunday Times to be borne out by the facts, while other parts of their article were still deemed to be false and defamatory[6][7] Cruddas' nomination to the Lords had been opposed by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, who cited the Court of Appeal's ruling; however, Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the first Prime Minister to disregard a veto from the vetting body, and announced Cruddas's peerage all the same.[8]
Michael Farmer 2011 2015 Created Baron Farmer in 2014
James Lupton 2013 2016 Created Baron Lupton in 2015
Andrew Fraser 2016 2018 Jane Keene Created Baron Fraser of Corriegarth in 2016
Sir Mick Davis[9] 2016 2019 Mike Chattey OBE Declined a peerage in 2019[10]
Aamer Sarfraz 2019 2020 Jane Keene Created Baron Sarfraz in 2019
Sir Ehud Sheleg[11] 2019 2021 Knighted in 2019
Malik Karim[12] 2021 2022
Graham Edwards[12] 2022 present

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Thevoz (2016), p. 4.
  2. ^ Thevoz (2016), pp. 24-25.
  3. ^ "Michael Spencer's allies decry 'unfairness' in lack of peerage". Financial Times. 2016-07-24. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  4. ^ "David Cameron's honours list has been 'blocked'". The Independent. 2016-08-02. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  5. ^ Hope, Christopher (2016-08-01). "David Cameron's resignation honours list humiliatingly blocked as committee vetoes peerage for former party treasurer". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  6. ^ Greenslade, Roy (17 March 2015). "Appeal court reduces damages award against Sunday Times to £50,000". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  7. ^ Ponsford, Dominic (17 March 2015). "Sunday Times libel damages to Peter Cruddas reduced on appeal from £180k to £50k". Press Gazette. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  8. ^ Letter from the Prime Minister to Lord Bew, 21 December 2020
  9. ^ Deputy Political Editor, Sam Coates (2018-05-18). "Gallery chief who donated £550,000 set to become Tory treasurer". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2018-07-26. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "New Tory sleaze row as donors who pay £3m get seats in House of Lords". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  11. ^ Deputy Political Editor, Sam Coates (2018-05-18). "Gallery chief who donated £550,000 set to become Tory treasurer". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2018-07-26. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ a b "Party Structure and Organisation". conservatives.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.

Further reading

[edit]