Conservative Way Forward

Conservative Way Forward (CWF) is a British campaigning group. It is a Thatcherite group in outlook and agenda, and Baroness Thatcher herself was the President.

CWF was founded in 1991 to "defend and build upon the achievements of the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher's leadership, and to adapt the principles of her era in government to modern concerns and challenges".

Their core stated aim is "to provide a forum for all those who share our philosophy, from Parliament to the constituencies and helping in the eventual restoration of people's freedom and rights". They organise speaker meetings, seminars and receptions, supported and attended by Government Ministers past and future.

Although still a predominantly Thatcherite grouping, CWF has in recent years, with the decline of the left-leaning Tory Reform Group, become an integral and mainstream part of the Conservative Party; although according to one source CWF is not even affiliated to the party. In all leadership elections since 1997, the candidate supported by CWF has ultimately won.

On 14 April 2013, the group announced that it was setting up a Margaret Thatcher Library as a permanent memorial to the former Prime Minister. The project will be based on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, and has the support of several current and former Conservative cabinet members. It is expected to run training courses for young Conservatives and exchange student programmes to the US and elsewhere, as well as house artifacts from her premiership.

In December 2015 Paul Abbott resigned as chief executive, and Donal Blaney resigned as chairman, following the suicide of Elliott Johnson soon after being made redundant as an employee of Conservative Way Forward. This followed the resignations of Minister of State for International Development Grant Shapps, and the expulsion from the Conservative Party of Mark Clarke, following allegations of bullying of Elliott Johnson.

Executive director:

Founding President:

Honorary Vice Presidents:

Chairman:

Deputy Chairman:

Former Honorary Chairmen:

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