The Iron Lady - 1991 Conservative Leadership

September 1991 - Gilmour has served well as Acting Leader, but a new election is needed

The Conservatives had fought long and hard after the 1981 disaster, staging a massive comeback in 1986 that ended in sheer disappointment in 1990. With Michael Heseltine in no state of health to continue serving as an MP after his heart attacks, it was left to Sir Ian Gilmour to lead the Tories are Acting Leader for over a year, unable to hold a leadership election due to the General Strike, the coup and the first months of Goldsmith in power. Gilmour, controversially, had refused to grant legitimacy to Goldsmith, insisting Parliament should rule.

Finally, two months after the referendum, the time had come. Initially closed to just three candidates (described by many as "unspiring"), the race had been turned upside down by the appearance of a new challenger. With Heseltine having changed the rules so non-MP's could be leader (in case the Conservatives were wiped out again), public pressure had persuaded the former Mayor of London (suspended after the coup) to put his hat on the ring. Could a celebrity turned politician be elected leader of a major party in an upset?

The Candidates:

Douglas Hurd: Coming from the One Nation, "Gilmourist" wing of the party, the aristocratic and expert diplomat Douglas Hurd runs as the "safe pair of hands" choice, arguing he is the best man suited to govern should the Conservatives return to power. Supporting Gilmour's stance to not back Goldsmith and continue to demand Parliament to be sovereign, Hurd's platform includes staunch pro-Europe views, a tough law and order stance on crime and a degree of social liberalism. However, Hurd has been criticized for not being particularly charismatic.

Kenneth Baker: Standard-bearer of the moderate right (as Thatcherism remains dead in the water), Baker is attempting to pull the Conservative Party into a more traditional and social conservative position without going overboard, and is the candidate that pushes the strongest for collaborating with Prime Minister Goldsmith. Famous for his mannerisms and his characteristic smirk, some fear Baker's lack of appeal on television could prove an issue.

David Hunt: The less known candidate, Hunt is the heir of sorts to Michael Heseltine, promising to champion his brand of caring capitalism and compassionate conservatism. Confident and friendly, more moderate than Heseltine in Europe, Hunt also argues the Conservatives need to soften their stance towards unions and build a stronger partnership with them, as well as pursue a tough on crime agenda as others have suggested.

Michael Caine: Serving as Mayor of London from 1987 to 1990, the celebrity turned politician had not been truly considered as leadership material, but his popularily and a "draft Caine" effort has brought him into the ring, casting himself as the outsider against three "unspiring candidates". A soft Eurosceptic (unusual for the party), Caine is an unrthodox Tory who argues that the party needs to abandon its high-class image and turn into the party of the working class, fighting for an economic agenda which includes radical tax cuts across the board.

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