History

About Us |  Constitution |  Who’s Who

CUCA was founded in its present form in 1921, although Conservative groups in Cambridge have existed since at least 1882. Since then, the Association has nurtured the talents of a great many men and women who have gone on to become leading figures in Conservative politics and thought.

Twenty-two former chairmen have been elected to Parliament since Lent 1950, including eight in a row from Michaelmas 1959 to Lent 1962, many of whom served in the cabinets of Thatcher and Major. These include Kenneth Clarke (Home Secretary 1992-93, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1993-97, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice 2010-12), Douglas Hurd (Home Secretary 1985-89, Foreign Secretary 1989-95), and Norman Lamont (Chancellor of the Exchequer 1990-93). The current President, The Lord Howard, served as Home Secretary under Major and went on to lead the Party. He was never chairman, having resigned in protest at Kenneth Clarke’s decision to invite Sir Oswald Mosley to speak. Nevertheless, he remains intimately connected to the Association and continues to address CUCA regularly.

Four chairmen from the 1970s have since become MPs, among them Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, who is our current vice-president.

Recent CUCA additions to the Conservatives’ Parliamentary ranks include Greg Hands and Graham Stuart, both of whom were chairmen in the 1980s. A full list of former chairmen can be found elsewhere on the website, but look out for Tam Dalyell, Labour MP from 1962 to 2005!