Second Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath the party was dissatisfied because of repeated losses at elections. She won, becoming the first female leader of a major political party in Britain. Second Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath The Second Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath was created after the Conservative Party lost the February 1974 general election. It was led by the Leader of the Conservative Party Edward Heath and featured prominent Conservative politicians both past and future. Included was Heath’s successor Margaret Thatcher, the future Home Secretary William Whitelaw, and two future Foreign Secretaries, Lord Carrington and Francis Pym. For the first time in history, a leadership
2001 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election returned the party to government at the 2010 general election as the head of a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition and went on to win a majority five years later at the 2015 general election. 2001 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election The 2001 Conservative Party leadership election was held after the British Conservative Party failed to make inroads into the Labour government's lead in the 2001 general election. Party leader William Hague resigned, and a leadership contest was called under new rules Hague had introduced. Five candidates stepped forward: Michael Ancram, David Davis, Kenneth Clarke, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael