History of the Conservative Party (UK) holding a leadership election to allow him to renew his mandate. In spite of his track record as Conservative party leader, which had included defeat at three out of four general elections, few both inside and out of the party expected him to be seriously challenged, let alone defeated. However, Margaret Thatcher stood against Heath and in a shock result outpolled him on the first ballot, leading him to withdraw from the contest. Thatcher then faced off four other candidates to become the first woman to lead a major British political party. Thatcher had much support from the monetarists, led
1938 National Conservative leadership convention 1938 National Conservative leadership convention A National Conservative leadership convention began on July 5, 1938, culminating in a leadership ballot on July 7th. The Conservative Party of Canada chose Robert James Manion to succeed former Prime Minister R. B. Bennett as party leader. The Bennett Conservatives were defeated in the 1935 federal election after a single term during the Great Depression. The Conservatives won only 40 seats, in part, because the party split after Trade Minister Henry Herbert Stevens left the Conservatives to form the Reconstruction Party of Canada. Stevens' party received almost 400,000 votes in the election leading to