A Brief History
The first version of CUCA was created 140 years ago in 1882, but disbanded after a few months. In 1884, the Cambridge University Carlton Club was established as a conservative dining society which existed for 20 years, dissolving soon after the 1906 general election wipeout.
In 1921, the modern Cambridge University Conservative Association was founded with our first annual dinner being held on the 24th of January in 1921. Despite occasional journalistic criticism, the alumni of the Association have had a profound effect on conservative philosophy and Conservative politics ever since our foundation.
In the 1980s and 1990s, CUCA’s influence in the Conservative Party peaked with many CUCA alumni serving in important government positions such as Kenneth Clarke. Front-rank Conservative Party politicians who had studied at Cambridge in the early 1960s subsequently came to be known as the “Cambridge Mafia” – all of whom served as CUCA Chairmen.
Currently, many CUCA alumni sit in the Houses of Parliament, including Attorney General Victoria Prentis, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.
The Committee
Treasurer
Oliver Howes
Trinity College
Chairman
Sam Spiri
Clare College
Vice-Chairman
Thomas Pate
King's College
Speakers Officer
Owen Cooper
Selwyn College
Speakers Officer-Elect
Szymon Sawicki
Christ's College
Social Events Officer
Jason Singh
St Edmund's College
Secretary
Toby Noskwith
Hughes Hall
Campaigns Officer
Jeff Lilley
Lucy Cavendish College
Communications Officer
Imran Hassan
Partners
As is standard with Conservative student associations, CUCA is in no way affiliated with the nationwide Conservative Party. Despite this, membership of the party (or not having membership of any other party) is required to stand for election to offices in the association. We also regularly engage with local Conservative Associations for campainging, joint socials and events, and even to run students as candidates in local elections!
CUCA also regularly engages with the Pinsker Centre, a non-profit think tank and educational organisation designed to educate students across the United Kingdom about foreign policy and the Middle East. They run a presitigious annual policy fellowship, as well as a free trip to Israel which our Committee highly reccomends.
CUCA members campaigning with Anthony Browne MP and Lucy Frazer KC MP, Secretary of State for DCMS.