View source for Conservative Way Forward

{{Short description|British pressure and campaigning group}}
{{Cleanup|reason=out of date and steve baker is no longer a member of parliament|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Conservative Way Forward
| image               = Conservative Way Forward (logo).jpg
| formation           = {{start date and age|1991}}
| affiliations        = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] <br>[[Thatcherism]]<br>[[Euroscepticism]]
| key_people          = [[Cecil Parkinson]]<br>[[Eric Forth]]<br>[[Christopher Chope|Sir Christopher Chope]]<br>[[Margaret Thatcher]] <br>Chrissie Boyle
| website             = {{URL|https://www.conservativewayforward.com}}
}}
{{Thatcherism|organisations}}

'''Conservative Way Forward''' ('''CWF''') is a British pressure ad campaigning group, which is [[Margaret Thatcher|Thatcherite]] in its outlook and agenda. [[Margaret Thatcher]] was its founding president.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4381277.stm |title=Tory quits in 'hidden cuts' row |work=News |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=25 March 2005 }}</ref>

Conservative Way Forward was founded in 1991 to "defend and build upon the achievements of the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher's leadership, and to adapt the principles of her era in government to modern concerns and challenges".

The group organises speaker meetings, seminars and receptions, supported and attended by Government Ministers past and future.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9967112/Former-Coalition-defence-minister-takes-over-Margaret-Thatcher-legacy-group-to-fight-defence-cuts.html |title=Former Coalition defence minister takes over Margaret Thatcher legacy group to fight defence cuts |last=Hope |first=Christopher |journal=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2 April 2013 |access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>

In all leadership elections since 1997, the candidate supported by Conservative Way Forward has ultimately won.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/12060279/Donal-Blaney-resigns-from-campaign-group-Conservative-Way-Forward.html Donal Blaney] Retrieved 5 Feb 2016</ref>{{failed verification|date=June 2022}}

Conservative Way Forward is to be relaunched in 2022<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Steve |date=2021-12-11 |title=Boris Johnson's overreaction to omicron variant is squandering the goodwill and trust of voters |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/11/boris-johnsons-overreaction-omicron-variant-squandering-goodwill/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> by MP [[Steve Baker (politician)|Steve Baker]] who will be its new chairman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I will be relaunching Conservative Way Forward to redefine the territory on which the Conservative Party operates. Steve Baker MP, CWF Chairman. |url=https://twitter.com/stevebakerhw/status/1469755578360676352 |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>

==Margaret Thatcher Library==
On 14 April 2013, the group announced that it was setting up a Margaret Thatcher Library as a permanent memorial to the former prime minister. The project will be based on the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library]] in California, and has the support of several current and former Conservative cabinet members. It is expected to run training courses for young Conservatives and exchange student programmes to the US and elsewhere, as well as house artifacts from her premiership.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9992451/Margaret-Thatcher-plans-to-build-museum-as-permanent-memorial.html |last=Hennessy |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Hennessy (journalist) |title=Margaret Thatcher: plans to build museum as permanent memorial |work=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |date=14 April 2013 }}</ref>

==Officers==
In December 2015 Paul Abbott resigned as chief executive, and Donal Blaney resigned as chairman, following the suicide of Elliott Johnson soon after being made redundant as an employee of Conservative Way Forward. This followed the resignations of Minister of State for International Development [[Grant Shapps]], and the expulsion from the Conservative Party of [[Mark Clarke (politician)|Mark Clarke]], following allegations of bullying of Elliott Johnson.<ref name="guardian-20151219">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/19/two-figures-tory-thinktank-linked-alleged-bullying-step-down |first=Jamie |last=Grierson |title=Two figures at Tory thinktank linked to alleged bullying step down |journal=[[The Guardian]] |date=19 December 2015 |access-date=22 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="times-20151220">{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-campaign-group-leaders-resign-over-bullying-scandal-k232rt5c5nt |last=Jones |first=Callum |title=Tory campaign group leaders resign over bullying scandal |newspaper=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=20 December 2015 |access-date=22 December 2015}}</ref>

Executive director:
* Chrissie Boyle (2015–)<ref name="guardian-20151219"/>

Founding President:
* [[Margaret Thatcher]]

Honorary Vice Presidents:
* [[Christopher Chope]], former [[Minister of State for Transport|Transport Minister]] and former Chairman of Conservative Way Forward
* [[Liam Fox]], [[Secretary of State for International Trade|International Trade Secretary]] and former Defence Secretary
* [[Greg Hands]], former [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]
* [[William Hague]], former [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]]
* [[Norman Tebbit]], former [[Chairman of the Conservative Party|Party Chairman]]
* [[Sajid Javid]], [[Home Secretary]], former [[Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government|Communities Secretary]] and [[Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy|Business Secretary]]

== Parliamentary Council ==
Chairman:
* [[Sir Gerald Howarth|Gerald Howarth]], former defence minister (2015–)<ref name="guardian-20151219"/>

Deputy Chairman:
* [[James Cleverly]]

;Council Members
* [[Conor Burns]]
* [[Greg Hands]]
* [[Charlie Elphicke]]
* [[Liam Fox]]

== Board of Management ==
;Chairman
* [[Sir Gerald Howarth|Gerald Howarth]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Coalition defence minister takes over Margaret Thatcher legacy group to fight defence cuts |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606155740/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9967112/Former-Coalition-defence-minister-takes-over-Margaret-Thatcher-legacy-group-to-fight-defence-cuts.html |archive-date=2022-06-06 |url-status=live |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9967112/Former-Coalition-defence-minister-takes-over-Margaret-Thatcher-legacy-group-to-fight-defence-cuts.html}}</ref>

== History ==
Former Honorary Chairmen:
* [[Cecil Parkinson]] (1991–1997)
* [[Eric Forth]] (1997–2001)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1518764/Eric-Forth.html |title=Eric Forth |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 May 2006}}</ref>
* [[Christopher Chope]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Chope_Christopher.aspx |title=Christopher Chope |work=Members of Parliament |publisher=[[Conservative Party (UK)|The Conservative Party]]}}</ref> (2001–2009)
* Don Porter CBE (2009–2012)
* Donal Blaney (−2015)<ref name="guardian-20151219"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.conservativewayforward.com Conservative Way Forward]

{{Conservative Party (UK)}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conservative Way Forward}}
[[Category:1991 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Organisations associated with the Conservative Party (UK)]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1991]]
[[Category:Right-wing politics in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Margaret Thatcher]]