# How Conservative Party Leadership Elections Work: The Rules, Process, and Recent Contests

> Conservative leadership contests have shaped British politics for decades, from Margaret Thatcher's rise to Rishi Sunak's coronation. Here's how the Tory leadership election process works, who gets to vote, and how the rules have changed over time.

*Section: Politics — By Sarah Mitchell — Published September 15, 2025 — 11 min read*

Canonical URL: https://dailyjunction.org/politics/conservative-party-leadership-election-process
Tags: Conservative Party, UK politics, leadership elections, Tory party, Westminster, political parties

## Key takeaways

- Conservative leadership elections use a two-stage process: MPs narrow the field to two candidates through elimination ballots, then party members choose the winner
- The 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs sets the rules and timetable for each contest
- Leadership elections can be triggered by a vote of no confidence (15% of MPs requesting one, 50%+1 voting against the leader) or by the leader resigning
- Recent contests have been accelerated or uncontested: Theresa May (2016), Boris Johnson (2019), Liz Truss (2022), and Rishi Sunak (2022 coronation)
- The process has been criticised for giving too much power to party members (around 170,000 people) who are older, whiter, and more right-wing than the general electorate

The **Conservative Party leadership election process** has produced some of the most dramatic moments in modern British politics—from Margaret Thatcher's defenestration in 1990 to the chaotic summer of 2022 when three Prime Ministers held office in quick succession. The rules governing how Conservatives choose their leader have evolved significantly over the past 50 years, shifting power from MPs to party members and back again. Understanding this process is essential to understanding British politics, because Conservative leadership contests don't just choose a party leader—they choose the Prime Minister when the Conservatives are in government. Here's how the system works, how it has changed, and why it matters.

## The Current Process: Two-Stage Elections

Since **1998**, the Conservative Party has used a **two-stage process** to elect its leader:

### Stage 1: MPs narrow the field to two candidates

Conservative MPs vote in a series of **elimination ballots** to reduce the field to two final candidates. The process works as follows:

- **Nominations**: Candidates must be nominated by a minimum number of Conservative MPs (the threshold varies by contest—recent elections have required 20-100 MP nominations)
- **First ballot**: All Conservative MPs vote by secret ballot. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated (or candidates can withdraw voluntarily)
- **Subsequent ballots**: The process repeats, with one or more candidates eliminated each round, until only two remain
- **Timing**: Ballots typically occur every few days, though the 1922 Committee can accelerate the timetable

For example, in the **July 2022 leadership election** (which followed Boris Johnson's resignation):

- **First ballot**: 8 candidates, Sajid Javid eliminated (23 votes)
- **Second ballot**: 7 candidates, Jeremy Hunt eliminated (18 votes)
- **Third ballot**: 6 candidates, Suella Braverman eliminated (27 votes)
- **Fourth ballot**: 5 candidates, Kemi Badenoch eliminated (59 votes)
- **Fifth ballot**: 4 candidates, Tom Tugendhat eliminated (31 votes)
- **Final MP ballot**: Rishi Sunak (137 votes) and Liz Truss (113 votes) advanced to the member vote; Penny Mordaunt was eliminated (105 votes)

### Stage 2: Party members choose the winner

Once MPs have narrowed the field to two candidates, all **Conservative Party members** vote to choose the winner. The process is:

- **Electorate**: Around 170,000-180,000 party members (the number fluctuates) who have been members for at least three months
- **Voting method**: Postal ballots and online voting (introduced in 2022)
- **Campaign period**: Typically 6-8 weeks, with hustings events around the country where members can question candidates
- **Result**: Simple majority wins; the winner is announced at a special event and becomes party leader immediately

In the **2022 Truss vs Sunak contest**, Liz Truss won with **57.4%** of the member vote (81,326 votes) to Sunak's **42.6%** (60,399 votes), despite Sunak having more support among MPs.

## Who Runs the Process? The 1922 Committee

The **1922 Committee**—the organisation of backbench Conservative MPs—plays a central role in leadership elections:

- **Sets the rules**: The 1922 Committee executive determines the nomination threshold, timetable, and procedural rules for each contest
- **Conducts MP ballots**: The committee chairman oversees the MP voting rounds and announces results
- **Triggers confidence votes**: The chairman receives letters from MPs requesting a vote of no confidence in the leader and triggers a vote when the threshold (15% of MPs) is reached
- **Can change the rules**: The 1922 Committee can modify the process between elections, including changing confidence vote rules

The committee's chairman is elected by Conservative backbenchers and wields significant power. Recent chairmen include **Sir Graham Brady** (2010-2024), who oversaw the removal of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, and **Bob Blackman** (2024-present).

## How Leaders Can Be Removed: Confidence Votes

A sitting Conservative leader can be challenged through a **vote of no confidence**:

### Triggering a confidence vote

- **15% threshold**: If 15% of Conservative MPs submit letters to the 1922 Committee chairman requesting a confidence vote, one is automatically triggered
- **Secret letters**: Letters are confidential, so the public doesn't know who has submitted them or how close the threshold is
- **Immediate vote**: Once triggered, the vote typically occurs within days

### The confidence vote itself

- **All MPs vote**: Every Conservative MP votes by secret ballot on whether they have confidence in the leader
- **50% + 1 to remove**: If more than half of MPs vote against the leader, they are removed and must resign
- **12-month immunity**: Under traditional rules, a leader who survives a confidence vote cannot face another for 12 months—but the 1922 Committee can change this rule

### Recent confidence votes

- **Theresa May (December 2018)**: Survived 200-117, but resigned six months later after failing to pass her Brexit deal
- **Boris Johnson (June 2022)**: Survived 211-148, but resigned five weeks later after mass ministerial resignations over the Chris Pincher scandal

## Historical Evolution: From MPs to Members and Back

The Conservative leadership election process has changed dramatically over time:

### 1965-1974: MPs elect the leader (first formal system)

Before 1965, Conservative leaders "emerged" through informal consultations among senior MPs and peers—a process criticised as undemocratic. In **1965**, the party introduced a formal election system:

- **MPs only**: Only Conservative MPs voted
- **Multiple ballots**: If no candidate won 50% + 1 in the first round, subsequent ballots were held
- **First contest**: Edward Heath defeated Reginald Maudling and Enoch Powell in 1965

This system elected **Margaret Thatcher** in 1975 (defeating Edward Heath) and was used until 1998.

### 1998-present: Two-stage process (MPs + members)

In **1998**, William Hague introduced the current two-stage system to give party members a direct vote. The change was intended to democratise the party and increase member engagement, but it has had significant consequences:

- **Members can overrule MPs**: In 2022, party members chose Liz Truss despite Rishi Sunak having more MP support
- **Longer contests**: Member votes require 6-8 week campaigns, delaying leadership transitions
- **Ideological divergence**: Party members are more right-wing than MPs, creating tension between parliamentary and grassroots preferences

### The Hague Rules and subsequent modifications

The **1998 Hague Rules** established the basic two-stage framework, but subsequent modifications have included:

- **Nomination thresholds**: Increased from 2 MPs (1998) to 20 MPs (2016) to 100 MPs (October 2022, later reduced)
- **Accelerated timetables**: The 2022 Sunak coronation used a 1-week deadline instead of the usual 6-8 weeks
- **Confidence vote rules**: The 12-month immunity rule was briefly suspended in 2022 to allow a second vote against Boris Johnson (though he resigned before it occurred)

## Recent Leadership Contests: 2016-2024

The past decade has seen an unprecedented number of Conservative leadership elections:

### 2016: Theresa May (coronation)

After David Cameron resigned following the Brexit referendum, the contest began with 5 candidates. Theresa May led the MP ballots, with Andrea Leadsom finishing second. However, **Leadsom withdrew** before the member vote after controversial comments about motherhood, making May leader by default.

- **Result**: May became leader without a member vote
- **Criticism**: Members felt disenfranchised by the coronation

### 2019: Boris Johnson (landslide)

After Theresa May resigned over Brexit deadlock, 10 candidates entered the race. Boris Johnson dominated the MP ballots and faced **Jeremy Hunt** in the member vote.

- **Result**: Johnson won 66.4% to Hunt's 33.6% (92,153 to 46,656 votes)
- **Turnout**: 87.4% of members voted
- **Significance**: Johnson's mandate from members strengthened his position as PM

### July 2022: Liz Truss (members overrule MPs)

After Boris Johnson resigned amid scandal, 8 candidates contested the leadership. Rishi Sunak led every MP ballot, but **Liz Truss** won the member vote.

- **Result**: Truss won 57.4% to Sunak's 42.6% (81,326 to 60,399 votes)
- **Turnout**: 82.6% of members voted
- **Significance**: Members chose the candidate with less MP support, foreshadowing Truss's difficulties governing

### October 2022: Rishi Sunak (coronation)

After Liz Truss resigned following 49 chaotic days in office, the party held an accelerated contest with a **100-MP nomination threshold** and a **1-week deadline**. Rishi Sunak secured 193 nominations, Penny Mordaunt secured 25, and Boris Johnson withdrew despite claiming 102 supporters.

- **Result**: Sunak won unopposed when Mordaunt withdrew
- **No member vote**: Members were furious at being denied a vote, with some calling for rule changes
- **Justification**: The 1922 Committee argued the country needed stability and couldn't afford a 6-week contest

## The Membership: Who Are Conservative Party Members?

Conservative Party members—the electorate in the final stage—are **not representative** of the general public or even Conservative voters:

### Demographics (based on academic research and party surveys)

- **Age**: Average age is 57; over 60% are aged 60+
- **Gender**: Approximately 55% male, 45% female
- **Ethnicity**: Around 97% white (compared to 86% of the UK population)
- **Geography**: Disproportionately concentrated in southern England and rural areas
- **Class**: Predominantly middle-class professionals and retirees

### Political views

Academic studies (including research by Queen Mary University of London and the Mile End Institute) have found Conservative members are:

- **More right-wing** than Conservative MPs and voters on issues like immigration, tax, and social policy
- **More Eurosceptic**: 70%+ supported a hard Brexit
- **More socially conservative**: Less supportive of LGBT rights, climate action, and diversity initiatives than the general public

### Membership numbers

Conservative membership has fluctuated significantly:

- **2013**: Around 134,000 (historic low)
- **2019**: Around 180,000 (post-Johnson surge)
- **2022**: Around 172,000 (slight decline)
- **2024**: Estimated 170,000-175,000

For comparison, the **Labour Party** has around 370,000 members (as of 2024), making it the largest party by membership in the UK.

## Criticisms of the Current System

The two-stage process has faced significant criticism:

### 1. Members can choose unelectable leaders

Critics argue that giving members the final say allows them to choose ideologically pure candidates who lack broad appeal. **Liz Truss** is the prime example: she won the member vote with a hard-right platform (tax cuts, small state) but lasted only 49 days as PM before economic chaos forced her resignation.

### 2. Long contests create instability

The 6-8 week member vote period creates a leadership vacuum when the party is in government. During the **July 2022 contest**, Boris Johnson remained PM but was a lame duck, unable to make major decisions while Truss and Sunak campaigned.

### 3. Members are unrepresentative

The overwhelmingly white, older, southern, and right-wing membership is not representative of Conservative voters, let alone the country. This can lead to choices that alienate swing voters and minority communities.

### 4. Candidates make unrealistic promises

To win member votes, candidates make pledges (especially on tax cuts) that are economically unviable or politically toxic. Liz Truss's unfunded tax cut promises won her the leadership but crashed the economy within weeks.

### 5. The process is opaque and changeable

The 1922 Committee can change the rules between contests, creating uncertainty. The **October 2022** rule changes (100-MP threshold, 1-week deadline) were seen as rigged to favour Sunak and prevent a Johnson comeback.

## Comparisons: How Other Parties Choose Leaders

### Labour Party

Labour uses a **one-member-one-vote** (OMOV) system where MPs, members, and affiliated trade union members all vote equally in a single ballot (with candidates needing 10% of MPs to nominate them). This gives members more power than the Conservative system but requires broader coalition-building.

### Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats use a **pure member vote**—all members vote directly, with no MP filter. Candidates need nominations from 10% of local parties and 20 MPs/peers. This is the most democratic system but can produce surprise results (e.g., Tim Farron's 2015 win).

### SNP

The SNP uses a **member vote** with candidates needing nominations from 100 members across 20 branches. The system is similar to the Lib Dems but with higher nomination thresholds.

## Potential Reforms

Various reforms have been proposed to address the system's flaws:

### 1. Return to MP-only votes

Some argue that MPs should choose the leader alone, as they work with the leader daily and understand electability. This would speed up contests and reduce the risk of members choosing unelectable candidates. However, it would anger members who value their vote.

### 2. Weighted voting (MPs + members)

A hybrid system where MPs' votes count for 50% and members' votes count for 50% would balance parliamentary and grassroots opinion. This is used in some European parties but has not been seriously proposed for the Conservatives.

### 3. Higher nomination thresholds

Requiring candidates to secure 33% or 50% of MP nominations would ensure the final two have broad parliamentary support, reducing the risk of members choosing a candidate most MPs oppose. The October 2022 contest used a 100-MP threshold (28% of MPs) for this reason.

### 4. Shorter member vote periods

Reducing the member vote from 6-8 weeks to 2-4 weeks would reduce instability while still giving members a say. Online voting (introduced in 2022) makes this more feasible.

### 5. Electoral college (MPs, members, voters)

Some propose an electoral college where MPs, members, and registered Conservative voters all have a say, similar to the pre-2015 Labour system. This would broaden the electorate but add complexity.

## The Bottom Line

Conservative leadership elections use a two-stage process: MPs narrow the field to two candidates through elimination ballots, then party members choose the winner. The 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs sets the rules and timetable for each contest. Leadership elections can be triggered by a vote of no confidence (15% of MPs requesting one, 50%+1 voting against the leader) or by the leader resigning.

Recent contests have been accelerated or uncontested: Theresa May (2016 coronation), Boris Johnson (2019 landslide), Liz Truss (2022 member vote), and Rishi Sunak (2022 coronation). The process has been criticised for giving too much power to party members (around 170,000 people) who are older, whiter, and more right-wing than the general electorate, and for allowing members to choose leaders who lack broad parliamentary support—as seen with Liz Truss's 49-day premiership.

The system reflects an ongoing tension in the Conservative Party between parliamentary democracy (MPs choosing the leader) and grassroots democracy (members having a say). Future reforms may shift the balance, but any change will require navigating the competing interests of MPs, members, and the broader electorate.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who can vote in a Conservative leadership election?

Conservative leadership elections have two stages. First, Conservative MPs vote in multiple rounds to narrow the field to two candidates. Then, all Conservative Party members (around 170,000 people who pay annual membership fees) vote to choose between the final two. Party members must have been members for at least three months to be eligible to vote.

### How can a Conservative leader be removed?

A Conservative leader can be removed through a vote of no confidence. If 15% of Conservative MPs submit letters to the 1922 Committee chairman requesting a confidence vote, one is triggered. If 50% + 1 of MPs vote against the leader, they are removed and a leadership election begins. Under current rules, a leader who survives a confidence vote cannot face another for 12 months, though this rule can be changed by the 1922 Committee.

### Why did Rishi Sunak become Prime Minister without a member vote?

After Liz Truss resigned in October 2022, the Conservative Party held a leadership election with a shortened timetable. Rishi Sunak secured nominations from over half of Conservative MPs, while his main rival Penny Mordaunt withdrew before the deadline. Because only one candidate met the nomination threshold, Sunak was elected unopposed without a vote of party members—a 'coronation' rather than a contest.

## Sources

- [Conservative Party Constitution and Rules](https://www.conservatives.com)
- [Institute for Government - Conservative Leadership Elections](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk)
- [BBC News - How Tory leadership contests work](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news)
- [The Guardian - Conservative Party leadership rules](https://www.theguardian.com/politics)

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