The Leader of the Conservative Party is the most senior politician within the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. The post is currently held by Theresa May, who succeeded David Cameron on 11 July 2016.
As of March 2017, there are five living former Conservative Party leaders, as seen below.
As of March 2017, there are six living former Conservative Party deputy leaders, as seen below.
Those asterisked were considered the overall leader of the party.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1834–1846
Edward Smith-Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley (14th Earl of Derby from 1851) 9 March 1846 – 27 February 1868* – elected at a party meeting – see below
James Howard Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury 1868–1869 – appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli MP
Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns 1869–1870 – elected at a party meeting – see below
Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond 1870–21 August 1876 – elected at a party meeting – see below
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield 21 August 1876 – 19 April 1881* – became Leader on elevation to the peerage
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury 9 May 1881 – 1902 – elected at a party meeting – see below (overall leader from 1885)
Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire 1902–1903 – appointed by Prime Minister Arthur Balfour MP
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne 1903–1916 – appointed by Prime Minister Arthur Balfour MP
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston (1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston from 1921) 1916–1925 – appointed Leader of the House by Prime Minister David Lloyd George MP
James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury 1925–1931 – appointed by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin MP
Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham 1931–1935 – took over post 'at the request of Mr Baldwin'
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 (5th Marquess of Salisbury from 1947) 1942–1957
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 1998–2013
Jonathan Hill, Baron Hill of Oareford 2013–2014
Tina Stowell, Baroness Stowell of Beeston 2014–2016
Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park 2016–present
Those asterisked were considered the overall leader of the party.
Sir Robert Peel 18 December 1834–1846*
Lord George Bentinck 1846–1847
Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby 9 February 1848 – 4 March 1848 – elected at a party meeting – see below
None 1848–1849
Jointly Benjamin Disraeli, Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby and John Charles Herries 1849–1852 – elected at a party meeting – see below
Benjamin Disraeli 1852–21 August 1876 (overall leader from 27 February 1868)
Sir Stafford Northcote 21 August 1876 – 24 June 1885 – appointed by Prime Minister the Earl of Beaconsfield
Sir Michael Hicks Beach 24 June 1885 – 3 August 1886 – appointed by Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury
Lord Randolph Churchill 3 August 1886 – 14 January 1887 – appointed by Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury
William Henry Smith 17 January 1887 – 6 October 1891 – appointed by Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury
Arthur Balfour 1891–13 January 1906 – appointed by Prime Minister the Marquess of Salisbury – (overall leader from 1902)
Joseph Chamberlain 1906
Arthur Balfour 1906–13 November 1911*
Andrew Bonar Law 13 November 1911 – 21 March 1921 – elected at a party meeting – see below (overall leader from 1916)
Austen Chamberlain 21 March 1921 – 23 October 1922 – elected at a party meeting – see below
