Editing Conservative Party (UK) (section)

== Organisation ==

=== Party structure ===
[[File:Conservative Party conference 2011.jpg|thumb|right|The [[National Conservative Convention]] is held during the [[Conservative Party Conference]].]]
The Conservative Party comprises the voluntary party, parliamentary party (sometimes called the political party) and the professional party.

Members of the public join the party by becoming part of a local constituency [[Conservative Association]].<ref name="Central-Office-v-Burrell">{{cite BAILII |litigants= Conservative and Unionist Central Office v. James Robert Samuel Burrell (HM Inspector of Taxes) |court= EWCA |division= Civ |year=1981 |num=2|date=10 December 1981}}</ref> The country is also divided into regions, with each region containing a number of areas, both having a similar structure to constituency associations. The [[National Conservative Convention]] sets the voluntary party's direction. It is composed of all association chairs, officers from areas and regions, and 42 representatives and the Conservative Women's Organisation.<ref name=organisation>{{cite web |url=https://www.conservatives.com/Members/Party-Structure-and-Organisation |publisher=Conservative Party |title=Party Structure and Organisation |access-date=16 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005230159/https://www.conservatives.com/Members/Party-Structure-and-Organisation |archive-date=5 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Convention meets twice a year. Its Annual General Meeting is usually held at Spring Forum, with another meeting usually held at the [[Conservative Party Conference]]. In the organisation of the Conservative Party, constituency associations dominate selection of local candidates, and some associations have organised [[open primary|open]] [[Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primaries|parliamentary primaries]].

The [[1922 Committee]] consists of [[backbench]] MPs, meeting weekly while parliament is sitting. Frontbench MPs have an open invitation to attend. The 1922 Committee plays a crucial role in the selection of party leaders. All Conservative MPs are members of the 1922 Committee by default. There are 20 executive members of the committee, agreed by consensus among backbench MPs.

The [[Conservative Campaign Headquarters]] (CCHQ) is effectively head of the Professional Party and leads [[Political funding in the United Kingdom|financing]], organisation of elections and drafting of policy.

The [[Conservative Party Board]] is the party's ultimate [[decision-making]] body, responsible for all operational matters (including fundraising, membership and candidates) and is made up of representatives from each (voluntary, political and professional) section of the Party.<ref name=organisation/> The Party Board meets about once a month and works closely with CCHQ, elected representatives and the voluntary membership mainly through a number of management sub-committees (such as membership, candidates and conferences).

=== Membership ===

[[File:UK popular vote.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|Share of the vote received by Conservatives (blue), Whigs/Liberals/Liberal Democrats (orange), Labour (red) and others (grey) in general elections since 1832<ref>{{cite book |at=Table 2.01 "Summary Results of General Elections 1832–2005 (UK)", p. 59 |title=British electoral facts, 1832–2006 |author-link1=Colin Rallings |first1=Colin |last1=Rallings |author-link2=Michael Thrasher |first2=Michael |last2=Thrasher |edition=7th |year=2007 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn= 978-0-7546-2712-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/ |title=Election 2010 Results |work=BBC News |access-date=7 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414102452/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/ |archive-date=14 April 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
Membership peaked in the mid-1950s at approximately 3&nbsp;million, before declining steadily through the second half of the 20th century.<ref name="hoclibrary">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05125.pdf|date=3 December 2012|first=Feargal|last=McGuinness|title=Membership of UK political parties|publisher=House of Commons Library|access-date=21 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401031422/http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05125.pdf|archive-date=1 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite an initial boost shortly after [[2005 Conservative Party leadership election|David Cameron's election as leader]] in December 2005, membership resumed its decline in 2006 to a lower level than when he was elected. In 2010 the Conservative Party had about 177,000 members according to activist [[Tim Montgomerie]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Mulholland |first=Hélène |title=Tories voice fears over falling membership |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2010/oct/05/tories-fears-falling-membership |access-date=22 November 2011 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 October 2010 |quote=[[Tim Montgomerie]], the editor of the influential grassroots Tory website ConservativeHome, told a fringe event that two separate sources had told him party membership was now 177,000—down 80,000 on the 2005 figure of 257,000&nbsp;... The Conservative party refused to confirm the figure |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423213625/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2010/oct/05/tories-fears-falling-membership |archive-date=23 April 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and in 2013 membership was estimated by the party itself at 134,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24143443|date=18 September 2013|title=Conservative membership has nearly halved under Cameron|work=BBC News|access-date=21 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625074108/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24143443|archive-date=25 June 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The Conservative Party had a membership of 124,000 in March 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/party-membership-what-are-the-latest-figures/ |title= Party membership: what are the latest figures? |last= Audickas |first= Lukas |date= 2 May 2018 |website= commonslibrary.parliament.uk |publisher= UK Parliament – House of Commons Library |access-date= 10 May 2024 |archive-date= 10 May 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240510172935/https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/party-membership-what-are-the-latest-figures/ |url-status= live }}</ref> In May 2019 its membership was thought to be around 160,000, with over half of its members being over 55.<ref>{{cite news |last= Littlejohn |first= Georgina |date= 26 May 2019 |title= Tory membership increases to 160,000 ahead of leadership election |url= https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/tory-membership-increases-to-160000-ahead-of-leadership-election-295318 |work= i News |access-date= 10 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Bale |first= Tim |date= 23 June 2019 |title= Tory leadership: Who gets to choose the UK's next prime minister? |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48395211 |work= BBC News |access-date= 10 May 2024}}</ref> Its membership rose to 200,000 in March 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last= Fisher |first= Lucy |date= 26 March 2021 |title= Tory leadership: Who gets to choose the UK's next prime minister? |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/03/26/exclusive-tory-base-soars-60-per-cent-three-years-hit-200000/ |work= The Daily Telegraph |access-date= 10 May 2024}}</ref> In July 2022 it had 172,437 members.<ref name="July 2022 membership">{{cite news |last= Wheeler |first= Brian |date= 5 September 2022 |title= Tory membership figure revealed |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-62760180?pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:343a0159-4b24-498a-86d8-79ceb11e434b&pinned_post_asset_id=6315ef435406b91fca2cd224&pinned_post_type=share |work= BBC News |access-date= 5 September 2022 |archive-date= 5 September 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220905154839/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-62760180?pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:343a0159-4b24-498a-86d8-79ceb11e434b&pinned_post_asset_id=6315ef435406b91fca2cd224&pinned_post_type=share |url-status= live }}</ref>

The membership fee for the Conservative Party is £25, or £5 if the member is under the age of 23.

=== Prospective parliamentary candidates ===
{{further|Prospective parliamentary candidate}}
Associations select their constituency's candidates.<ref name="Central-Office-v-Burrell"/><ref name=dummies>{{cite book|title=British Politics For Dummies|page=202|first=Julian|last=Knight|year=2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons |edition=2nd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h-gbBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA202|isbn=978-1-118-97152-9}}</ref> Some associations [[Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary primaries|have organised open parliamentary primaries]]. A constituency Association must choose a candidate using the rules approved by, and (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) from a list established by, the Committee on Candidates of the [[Board of the Conservative Party]].<ref>Constitution of the Conservative Party, Schedule 6</ref> Prospective candidates apply to the [[Conservative Central Office]] to be included on the approved list of candidates, some candidates will be given the option of applying for any seat they choose, while others may be restricted to certain constituencies.<ref name="personal-representation">{{cite book|title=Personal Representation: The Neglected Dimension of Electoral Systems|author-link1=Josep Colomer|first=Josep M.|last=Colomer|year=2013|page=45|publisher=[[European Consortium for Political Research]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IsX9AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA45|isbn=9781907301575|access-date=16 November 2016|archive-date=13 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913231455/https://books.google.com/books?id=IsX9AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA45#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=costly>{{cite news|title=The costly process of becoming an election candidate|first=Esther|last=Webber|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2 August 2013|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-23437111|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216035139/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-23437111|archive-date=16 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> A Conservative MP can only be deselected at a special general meeting of the local Conservative association, which can only be organised if backed by a petition of more than fifty members.<ref name="personal-representation"/>

=== Young Conservatives ===
{{Main|Young Conservatives (UK)}}[[Young Conservatives (UK)|Young Conservatives]] is the [[youth wing]] of the Conservative Party for members aged 25 and under. The organisation aims to increase youth ownership and engagement in local associations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yorke |first=Harry |date=16 March 2018 |title=Conservative youth wing relaunched in bid to win back millennials from Labour |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/03/16/conservative-youth-wing-relaunched-bid-win-back-millennials/ |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=13 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913231457/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/03/16/conservative-youth-wing-relaunched-bid-win-back-millennials/ |url-status=live }}</ref> From 1998 to 2015, the youth wing was called [[Conservative Future]], and had branches at universities and at parliamentary constituency level. It was shut down in 2015 after allegations that bullying by [[Mark Clarke (politician)|Mark Clarke]] had caused the suicide of Elliot Johnson, a 21-year-old party activist.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Riley-Smith |first1=Ben |title=Lord Feldman had 'gravest possible reservations' about Mark Clarke, the Tatler Tory, when handed complaint of bullying |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/18/lord-feldman-had-gravest-possible-reservations-about-mark-clarke/ |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=18 August 2016 |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=13 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913231354/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/18/lord-feldman-had-gravest-possible-reservations-about-mark-clarke/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hattenstone |first1=Simon |title=Elliott Johnson: the young Tory destroyed by the party he loved |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/27/elliott-johnson-young-tory-destroyed-by-party-he-loved-mark-clarke |work=The Guardian |date=27 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Yorke |first1=Harry |title=Conservative youth wing relaunched in bid to win back millennials from Labour |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/03/16/conservative-youth-wing-relaunched-bid-win-back-millennials/ |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=16 March 2018 |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002220319/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/03/16/conservative-youth-wing-relaunched-bid-win-back-millennials/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The current incarnation was launched in March 2018.

===Conferences===
The major annual party events are the Spring Forum and the [[Conservative Party Conference]], which takes place in Autumn in alternately Manchester or Birmingham. This is when the [[National Conservative Convention]] holds meetings.

=== Funding ===
In the first decade of the 21st century, half the [[Party funding|party's funding]] came from a cluster of fifty "donor groups", and a third of it from only fifteen.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Crone, Stephen |author2=Wilks-Heeg, Stuart |date=20 December 2010 |title=Just 50 'donor groups' have supplied over half of the Conservative party's declared donation income in the last decade, a fact disguised by legal 'fame avoidance' techniques |url=http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/archives/6272 |publisher=[[London School of Economics|British Politics and Policy blog at LSE]] |access-date=10 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130712033806/http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/archives/6272 |archive-date=12 July 2013 }}</ref> In the year after the 2010 general election, half the Conservatives' funding came from the financial sector.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Syal, Rajeev |author2=Treanor, Jill |author3=Mathiason, Nick |date=30 September 2011 |title=City's influence over Conservatives laid bare by research into donations |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/sep/30/city-conservatives-donations |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=10 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925193837/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/sep/30/city-conservatives-donations |archive-date=25 September 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

For 2013 the Conservative Party had an income of £25.4&nbsp;million, of which £749,000 came from membership subscriptions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28542408|title=Labour was best-funded UK political party in 2013|newspaper=BBC News|date=29 July 2014|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424043844/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28542408|archive-date=24 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, according to accounts filed with the [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]], the party had an income of about £41.8&nbsp;million and expenditures of about £41&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/find-information-by-subject/political-parties-campaigning-and-donations/political-parties-annual-accounts/details-of-accounts |title=Details of party accounts since 2002 |access-date=15 July 2017 |publisher=Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430091934/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/find-information-by-subject/political-parties-campaigning-and-donations/political-parties-annual-accounts/details-of-accounts |archive-date=30 April 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Construction businesses, including the [[Wates Group]] and [[JCB (heavy equipment manufacturer)|JCB]], have also been significant donors to the party, contributing £430,000 and £8.1m respectively between 2007 and 2017.<ref name="TCI-25Aug2017">{{cite news|title=Tories boosted by construction donations|url=http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/tories-buouyed-by-construction-donations|access-date=25 August 2017|work=The Construction Index|date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825103548/http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/tories-buouyed-by-construction-donations|archive-date=25 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Advisory Board (Conservative Party)|Advisory Board]] of the party represents donors who have given significant sums to the party, typically in excess of £250,000.<ref name=TimesFeb22>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/the-ultra-rich-tory-donors-with-access-to-boris-johnsons-top-team-96bvcwcxl |title=The Tory donors with access to Boris Johnson's top team |date=20 February 2022 |author1=[[Gabriel Pogrund]] |author2=Henry Zeffman |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=8 March 2022 |archive-date=9 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309213103/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-ultra-rich-tory-donors-with-access-to-boris-johnsons-top-team-96bvcwcxl |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2022 ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported 10% of Conservative peers were large party donors and gave nearly £50m in total.  27 out of the party's 274 peers had given over £100,000 to the Conservatives.  At least 6 large donor peers got government jobs in the 10 years to 2022.<ref name="guardian29/12/2022">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/29/one-in-10-tory-peers-have-given-more-than-100000-to-party|title=One in 10 Tory peers have given more than £100,000 to party|first1=Rowena|last1=Mason|date=29 December 2022|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=25 February 2023|archive-date=29 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229183501/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/dec/29/one-in-10-tory-peers-have-given-more-than-100000-to-party|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Financial ties to Russian oligarchs ====
The Conservative Party has received funding from [[Russian oligarchs]], beginning in the early 2000s, for which it has been criticised.<ref name="NYTBradley">{{Cite news|last=Bradley |first=Jane |title=Major Donation to U.K. Conservative Party Was Flagged Over Russia Concerns |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=12 May 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/world/europe/russian-money-uk-tories.html |access-date=4 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 February 2022 |title=These are the Conservative Party's secretive links to Russia |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19946067.uk-conservative-partys-links-russian-money-donors/ |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=The National |language=en |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804070828/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19946067.uk-conservative-partys-links-russian-money-donors/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Scrutiny became more prominent after [[Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum|alleged interference]] in the [[2016 Brexit referendum]] by the Kremlin to support the [[Vote Leave|Vote Leave campaign]], and increased after the ''[[Intelligence and Security Committee Russia report|Intelligence and Security Committee Russia]]'' report into [[Russian interference in British politics]] was published in July 2020. Concerns over Conservative Party funds have become increasingly controversial due to Vladimir Putin's human rights abuses and the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="PoliticoWebber">{{Cite news |last=Webber |first=Esther |title=Why Britain's Tories are addicted to Russian money |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-tories-russian-money-oligarch/ |date=7 March 2022 |access-date=4 August 2023 |work=[[Politico]] |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804070827/https://www.politico.eu/article/britain-tories-russian-money-oligarch/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

One of the first was Lubov Chernukhin, wife of former deputy finance minister and investment company [[VEB.RF]] founder [[Vladimir Chernukhin|Vladmir Chernukhin]], who had donated north of £2.2 million as of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ungoed-Thomas |first=Jon |date=26 March 2022 |title=Russian-born husband of Tory donor 'earned millions via oligarch connections' |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/26/russian-born-husband-of-tory-donor-earned-millions-via-oligarch-connections |access-date=4 August 2023 |issn=0029-7712}}</ref><ref name="FinCEN Files reporting team 2020 i036">{{cite web | author=FinCEN Files reporting team | title=FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding | website=BBC News | date=20 September 2020 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079 | access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref> Donations to British political parties is only legal for citizens; the individuals who donated to the party had dual UK-Russian citizenship, and the donations were legal and properly declared.<ref name="Greenwood Midolo O'Neill Fisher 2020 m974">{{cite news | last1=Greenwood | first1=George | last2=Midolo | first2=Emanuele | last3=O'Neill | first3=Sean | last4=Fisher | first4=Lucy | title=Conservative Party ministers bankrolled by donors linked to Russia | newspaper=[[The Times]] | date=23 July 2020 | url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/conservative-party-ministers-bankrolled-by-donors-linked-to-russia-2hm5jhwpx | access-date=17 August 2023 | archive-date=17 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817140032/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/conservative-party-ministers-bankrolled-by-donors-linked-to-russia-2hm5jhwpx | url-status=live }}</ref> However, an investigation conducted by ''[[The New York Times]]'' shortly after the invasion of Ukraine determined that a £399,810 donation made by British-Israeli businessman [[Ehud Sheleg]] in 2018 was in fact given directly to him by his father-in-law, Russian oligarch [[Sergei Kopylov|Sergei Kopytov]]. Kopytov, a former minister in Russian-occupied Crimea, has strong ties to Vladimir Putin's government.<ref name="NYTBradley" /> [[Barclays Bank]] reported that in January 2021, they "[traced] a clear line back from this donation to its ultimate source", and reported it accordingly to the [[National Crime Agency]].<ref name="NYTBradley" />

An investigation by the [[Good Law Project]] found that in spite of Johnson's claims that donations from those with links to the Russian government was to stop,<ref name="PoliticoWebber" /> since the start of the war, the Conservatives have accepted at least £243,000 from Russia and Kremlin-associated donors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 April 2023 |title=Revealed: The Tories are still receiving funds from Russia-linked donors |url=https://goodlawproject.org/revealed-the-tories-are-still-receiving-funds-from-russia-linked-donors/ |access-date=4 August 2023 |website=Good Law Project |language=en-GB |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804070827/https://goodlawproject.org/revealed-the-tories-are-still-receiving-funds-from-russia-linked-donors/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2022, the Labour Party used Electoral Commission information to calculate that donors who had made money from Russia or Russians had given £1.93m to either the Conservative party or constituency associations since [[Premiership of Boris Johnson|Boris Johnson's premiership]] began.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=23 February 2022 |title=Party funding linked to Russia – how much have Tories benefited? |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/feb/23/oligarchs-funding-tories |access-date=4 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Then-party leader Liz Truss said that the donations would not be returned, stating that they had been "properly declared".<ref name="Gutteridge 2022 c850">{{cite web | last=Gutteridge | first=Nick | title=Tories will keep Russia-linked donations totalling £1.93 million, says Liz Truss | website=The Telegraph | date=23 February 2022 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/02/23/tories-will-keep-russia-linked-donations-totalling-193-million/ | access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref>

=== International affiliation ===
The Conservative Party is a member of a number of international organisations, most notably the [[International Democracy Union]] which unites right-wing parties including the United States [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], the [[Liberal Party of Australia]], the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] and the South Korean [[People Power Party (South Korea)|People Power Party]].

At a European level, the Conservatives are members of the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party]] (ECR Party), which unites conservative parties in opposition to a federal [[European Union]], through which the Conservatives have ties to the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] and the governing parties of Israel and Turkey, [[Likud]] and the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] respectively. In the European Parliament, the Conservative Party's MEPs sat in the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|European Conservatives and Reformists]] Group (ECR Group), which is affiliated to the ACRE. Party leader David Cameron pushed the foundation of the ECR, which was launched in 2009, along with the Czech [[Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)|Civic Democratic Party]] and the Polish [[Law and Justice]], before which the Conservative Party's MEPs sat in the [[European Democrats]], which had become a subgroup of the [[European People's Party (European Parliament group)|European People's Party]] in the 1990s. Since the [[2014 European election]], the ECR Group has been the third-largest group, with the largest members being the Conservatives (nineteen MEPs), Law and Justice (eighteen MEPs), the [[Liberal Conservative Reformers]] (five MEPs), and the [[Danish People's Party]] and [[New Flemish Alliance]] (four MEPs each). In June 2009 the Conservatives required a further four partners apart from the Polish and Czech supports to qualify for official [[Political groups of the European Parliament|fraction]] status in the parliament; the rules state that a European parliamentary caucus requires at least 25 [[MEPs]] from at least seven of the 27 [[EU member states]].<ref name="guardian_03062009">{{cite news|last=Traynor|first=Ian|title=Anti-gay, climate change deniers: meet David Cameron's new friends|newspaper=The Guardian|date=2 June 2009|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jun/02/david-cameron-alliance-polish-nationalists|access-date=2 June 2009|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906181732/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jun/02/david-cameron-alliance-polish-nationalists|archive-date=6 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In forming the caucus, the party broke with two decades of co-operation by the UK's Conservative Party with the mainstream European Christian Democrats and conservatives in the European parliament, the [[European People's Party]] (EPP). It did so on the grounds that it is dominated by European [[federalism|federalists]] and supporters of the [[Lisbon treaty]], which the Conservatives were generally highly critical of.<ref name="guardian_03062009" />

=== Logo ===
When Sir Christopher Lawson was appointed as a marketing director at Conservative Central Office in 1981, he developed a logo design based on the [[Olympic flame]] in the colours of the [[Union Jack]],<ref name="Bruce1992">{{cite book |last=Bruce |first=Brendan |date=1992 |title=Images of Power: How the Image Makers Shape Our Leaders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gXiGAAAAMAAJ |location=London |publisher=Kogan Page Ltd |page=120 |isbn=978-0749406691 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108140521/https://books.google.com/books?id=gXiGAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> which was intended to represent leadership, striving to win, dedication, and a sense of community.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ranney |first=Austin |title=Britain at the polls, 1983: a study of the general election |year=1985 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekqIAAAAMAAJ |location=Durham, North Carolina |publisher=Duke University Press |page=43 |isbn=978-0822306191 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108140521/https://books.google.com/books?id=ekqIAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The emblem was adopted for the 1983 general election.<ref name="Bruce1992"/> In 1989, the party's director of communications, Brendan Bruce, found through [[market research]] that recognition of the symbol was low and that people found it old fashioned and uninspiring. Using a design company headed by [[Michael Peters (designer)|Michael Peters]], an image of a hand carrying a torch was developed, which referenced the [[Statue of Liberty]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rosenbaum |first=Martin |date=1996 |title=From Soapbox to Soundbite: Party Political Campaigning in Britain since 1945 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyO_DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA203 |location=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=203 |isbn=9781349253111 |access-date=23 September 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108140521/https://www.google.com/books/edition/From_Soapbox_to_Soundbite/vyO_DAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA203&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, there was a rebranding exercise to emphasise the Conservatives' commitment to environmentalism; a project costing £40,000 resulted in a sketched silhouette of an [[Quercus robur|oak tree]], a national symbol, which was said to represent "strength, endurance, renewal and growth".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5348630.stm |title=Tories show off 'scribbled' logo |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=15 September 2006 |website=BBC News |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715142234/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5348630.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> A change from green to the traditional Conservative blue colour appeared in 2007,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1559765/Tory-oak-tree-logo-turns-blue.html |title=Tory Oak Tree Logo Turns Blue |last=Jones |first=George |date=8 August 2007 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk Limited |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613054715/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1559765/Tory-oak-tree-logo-turns-blue.html |archive-date=13 June 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> followed by a version with the Union Jack superimposed in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fabrikbrands.com/history-of-political-party-logos/ |title=The history of political party logos and what they really mean |last=Hodgson |first=Stewart |date=17 May 2017 |website=fabrikbrands.com |publisher=Fabrik Brands |access-date=17 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330154804/http://fabrikbrands.com/history-of-political-party-logos/ |archive-date=30 March 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> An alternative version featuring the colours of the [[rainbow flag (LGBT)|Rainbow flag]] was unveiled for an [[LGBT]] event at the 2009 conference in Manchester.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/aug/28/tories-gay-rainbow-logo |title=Tories seek to win gay vote with new rainbow logo |last=Mulholland |first=Hélène |date=28 August 2009 |website=The Guardian |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907031028/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/aug/28/tories-gay-rainbow-logo |archive-date=7 September 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Associated groups ===
{{Further|List of organisations associated with the British Conservative Party}}
==== Ideological groups ====
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* [[Tory Reform Group]]
* [[Conservative Mainstream]]
* [[Bright Blue (organisation)|Bright Blue]]
* [[One Nation Conservatives (caucus)|One Nation Conservatives]]
* [[Conservative Way Forward]]
* [[Cornerstone Group]]
* [[Selsdon Group]]
* [[The Monday Club]]
* [[Blue Collar Conservatism]]
* [[New Conservatives (UK)|New Conservatives]], launched in 2023 by mostly "[[Red wall (British politics)|red wall]]" MPs<ref>{{cite news |last1=Langford |first1=Eleanor |title=Who are the 'New Conservatives'? Their 12-point plan to pressure Rishi Sunak on migration, explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/who-new-conservatives-plan-pressure-rishi-sunak-migration-2449479 |access-date=3 July 2023 |publisher=The 'i' newspaper |date=3 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who are the New Conservatives? |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/who-are-the-new-conservatives/ |website=The Spectator |date=3 July 2023 |access-date=3 July 2023}}</ref>
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==== Interest groups ====
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* [[Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation]]
* [[Conservative Friends of Israel]]
* [[Conservative Friends of Turkey]]
* [[Conservative Friends of the Chinese]]
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* [[LGBT+ Conservatives]]
* [[Bruges Group (United Kingdom)|Bruges Group]]
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* [[Conservative Christian Fellowship]]
* [[Conservative Muslim Forum]]
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==== Think tanks ====
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* [[European Foundation (think tank)|European Foundation]]
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* [[Bow Group]]
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* [[Centre for Policy Studies]]
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==== Alliances ====
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* [[International Democracy Union]]
* [[European Democrat Union]]
* [[Economic League (United Kingdom)|Economic League]]
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* [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|European Conservatives and Reformists]]
* [[European Democrat Group]]
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* [[Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists]]
* [[Ulster Conservatives and Unionists]] – New Force
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==== Party branches ====
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* [[Scottish Conservatives]]
* [[Welsh Conservatives]]
* [[Northern Ireland Conservatives]]
* [[London Conservatives]]
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* [[1922 Committee]]
* [[Conservative Campaign Headquarters]] (CCHQ)
* [[Conservative Party Archive]]
* [[Conservative Research Department]]
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* [[Conservative Women's Organisation]]
* [[LGBT+ Conservatives]]
* [[Young Conservatives (UK)|Young Conservatives]]
* [[Conservative Future Scotland]]
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