Choosing the Tory Leader

Timothy Heppell is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Huddersfield.

• 1 Introduction; 2 The War of the Macmillan Succession: The Catalyst for Electing the Party Leader; 2.1 The Resignation of Harold Macmillan; 2.2 The Lack of an Agreed Successor; 2.3 Bias in the Customary Processes of Consultation?; 2.4 The Outmanoeuvring of Butler; 2.5 The Customary Processes in Disrepute: A Failure of Process and Outcome; 2.6 Conclusion; 3 Edward Heath: The First Democratic Leader of the Conservative Party; 3.1 The Resignation of Alec Douglas-Home; 3.2 Three Candidates Emerge; 3.3 How and why did Edward Heath win?; 3.4 Conclusion; 4 The Peasants Revolt? The Election of Margaret Thatcher; 4.1 The Refusal of Edward Heath to Resign; 4.2 The Challenge of Margaret Thatcher; 4.3 The Ballots: Rejecting Heath and Electing Thatcher; 4.4 Explaining the Election of Margaret Thatcher; 4.4.1 The Influence of Personality: The Anti-Heath interpretation; 4.4.2 The Influence of Ideas: The Ideological Explanation; 4.5 Conclusion; 5 Treachery with a Smile on its Face: The Downfall of Margaret Thatcher; 5.1 The Lightweight Challenge of Anthony Meyer; 5.2 The Heavyweight Challenge of Michael Heseltine; 5.3 The Thatcher versus Heseltine Ballot. 5.4 The Resignation of Margaret Thatcher; 5.5 The Default Victory of John Major; 5.6 Why Thatcher lost and Major triumphed; 5.7 Conclusion; 6 Put Up of Shut Up: John Redwood Challenges John Major; 6.1 The Evolution of the Put Up or Shut Up strategy; 6.2. The Implementation of the Put Up or Shut Up strategy; 6.3 The Validity of the Put Up or Shut Up strategy; 6.3.1 The Vote of Confidence Thesis; 6.3.2 Another Default Major Victory; 6.4 Conclusion; 7 You Cannot be Serious: The Election of William Hague; 7.1 The Resignation of John Major; 7.2 Profiling the Multiple Candidates; 7.3 Evaluating the Multiple Ballots; 7.4. Identifying the Multiple Legitimacy Problems of Hague; 7.5 Conclusion; 8 The Quiet Man Emerges: The Election of Iain Duncan-Smith; 8.1 The Resignation of William Hague; 8.2 New Leadership Election, New Leadership Election Procedures; 8.3 The Candidates: Two Heavyweights, Three Lightweights; 8.4 The Parliamentary Ballots; 8.5 The Party Membership Ballot; 8.6 A Failure of Process and a Flawed Outcome; 8.7 Conclusion; 9 Back to the Future: Michael Howard becomes Conservative Party Leader; 9.1 The Credibility Gap: The Limitations of Iain Duncan-Smith; 9.2 The Procedural Dilemma; 9.3 The Brutal Execution of Iain Duncan-Smith; 9.4 The Unopposed Coronation of Michael Howard; 9.5 Conclusion; 10 The Triumph of the Modernizers: The Election of David Cameron; 10.1 The Prolonged Resignation of Michael Howard; 10.2 Four Candidates Emerge; 10.3 The Parliamentary Ballots; 10.4 The Party Membership Ballot; 10.5 Explaining the Modernizers Triumph; 10.6 Conclusion.

"'This book is characterised by scholarship and good sense. It will be a useful addition to students and scholars of British politics.' - Dr. Matt Beech, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Hull 'Heppell's book is to be welcomed because it provides both an overview and a detailed analysis of the politics of leadership in the Conservative Party but it goes further. It examines what mass democracy requires of its leaders and as such it contributes significantly to the study of leadership in democracies.' - Professor Andrew Taylor, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield"