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

Politics · September 15, 2025 · Sarah Mitchell · 11 min

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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.

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