1990 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election only to lose it again at the 2017 general election. 1990 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election The 1990 Conservative Party leadership election in the United Kingdom took place on 20 November 1990 following the decision of Michael Heseltine, former Defence and Environment Secretary, to challenge Margaret Thatcher, the incumbent Prime Minister, for leadership of the Conservative Party. Thatcher failed to win outright under the terms of the election in the first ballot, and was persuaded to withdraw from the second round of voting. She announced her resignation on the morning of 22 November 1990, ending more than 15 years as
Next Conservative Party (UK) leadership election Next Conservative Party (UK) leadership election The next Conservative Party leadership election has not yet been launched, but the current leader and Prime Minister, Theresa May, has indicated she would most likely not seek to lead the party into another general election in 2022. These comments were in reaction to a no confidence vote by the party in her leadership that was triggered on 11 December 2018, following the receipt of 48 letters from Conservative MPs calling for one. A leadership election would have been called had May lost the vote, but she won with 200 against and 117 for.