Abstract
In December 2005, the British Conservative Party chose a new leader for the fourth time since 1997. In this article, I explain and assess the impact of the ‘democratisation’ of Conservative leadership selection over time. First, I explain the informal procedure, known as the ‘magic circle’, which existed until 1965. Next, I examine the period between 1965 and 1997, when the leader was elected by the party’s MPs. Finally, I assess the impact of the ‘Hague rules’, according to which party members have the final say, between their adoption in 1998 and the election of David Cameron in 2005.
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