Conservative Way Forward
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Conservative Way Forward is a group within the British Conservative Party. It is a Thatcherite group, and Margaret Thatcher herself is the president. As the influence of the Tory Reform Group has declined Conservative Way Forward has grown into a large well resourced organisation. The increase in power has been seen through some recent high profile events like the dinner at the Savoy Hotel to mark the 25th anniversary of Baroness Thatcher's election in 1979.
At the Conservative Party Conference in October 2006, the group's Nicholas Ridley Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Shadow Policing Minister Nick Herbert MP and their Dinner addressed by Party Deputy Chairman Lord Michael Ashcroft.
Although still a predominantly a Thatcherite grouping, Conservative Way Forward has in recent years, with the decline of the left-leaning Tory Reform Group, become an integral part of the Conservative Party. In recent Leadership Elections Conservative Way Forward has always publicly supported the candidate who ultimately won.
During the 2005 leadership election, Conservative Way Forward's principles were hailed by David Cameron as the "common ground" of Conservative Party policy-making.
In terms of structure, whilst some Members of Parliament are members of the group it is more typical for them to be involved with CWF's sister organisation The 92 Group. Governance is by the Conservative Way Forward Executive Committee chaired by Christopher Chope Member of Parliament for Christchurch, the body is unelected and membership of it is by invitation only.
Conservative Way Forward's magazine, Forward, was relaunched in March 2006 (http://www.conwayfor.org/forward_april_2006.pdf)
Contents |
[edit] Officers
- President: The Rt Hon Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, FRS
- Vice-president: The Rt Hon Lord Parkinson, Former Party Chairman and Trade and Industry Secretary
- Vice-president: The Rt Hon Lord Tebbit CH, Former Party Chairman
- Chairman: Christopher Chope OBE MP, Former Government Minister
- Treasurer: John Swannick
- General Secretary: Mark Allatt
[edit] The Council
- Alan Duncan, Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary
- The Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, Former Leader of the Conservative Party
- Nick Gibb MP, Shadow Education Minister
- Gerald Howarth MP, Shadow Defence Minister
- The Hon Bernard Jenkin MP, Deputy Chairman (Candidates) of the Conservative Party
- Professor Patrick Minford CBE
- Dame Marion Roe DBE, (MP for Broxbourne 1983-2005)
[edit] The Executive Committee
- David Berens
- Conor Burns
- James Cutts
- Jennie Elias
- Daniel Hamilton
- Greg Hands, MP for Hammersmith and Fulham
- Daniel Hinton
- Chris D. Kelly
- Gary Mond
- Cllr Paul Osborn
- Emma Pidding
- Ben Pickering
- Greg Smith
- Russell Walters
- John Whittingdale OBE MP, Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
