Michael Howard (born Michael Hecht, 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was the Leader of the Conservative Party from November 2003 to December 2005. He was also a cabinet minister in both Margaret Thatcher's and John Major's governments. He was a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe from 1983 to 2010. In 2010, he entered the House of Lords as Baron Howard of Lympne.