DEADLINE FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024/5 ELECTIONS - 13/05/2024 12:00
❝Openly gay Conservative candidates fighting for really winnable seats. They’re Conservatives selected by the grassroots, and I’m proud of how they show we have changed.❞
Lord David Cameron, Former Prime Minister
The Conservative Party has a proud record of electing “out” MPs. In 2019, it elected the most LGBT+ candidates ever in the UK's Parliamentary history.
It elected more openly LGBT+ MPs than Labour, more than the SNP and more than any other party - in any other national legislature - in the world. The Conservative Party elected more LGBT+ MPs than the entire LGBT+ population of Congress and more than entire combinations of countries in Europe. It was world-leading. Now, in 2024, we want to ensure even more LGBT+ candidates represent us in elections, and have established a campaign fund to support them.
Money raised will go into a separate account, and will be used exclusively to provide the financial support our candidates need to spread the Conservative message in their constituencies. Your donation will help them hold and win seats and ensure that we have great representatives who are backed, not only by the LGBT+ community, but also by local activists and, ultimately, voters.
- At the 2015 General Election, we supported 19 candidates including Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrew MP, Ben Howlett and form LGBT+ Conservatives Deputy Chairman Iain Stewart MP who were elected to parliament.
- In the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections we supported 6 candidates including Baroness Davidson, Annie Wells MSP and Ross Thomson who were returned to Holyrood.
- At the 2017 General Election we supported 12 candidates including Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrew MP, Lee Rowley MP and Iain Stewart MP who were elected to parliament.
- At the 2019 General Election, we supported over double the 2017's list, including Elliot Colburn MP, Gary Sambrook MP and Peter Gibson MP.
- This year, in 2024, we have an additional 17 LGBT+ Conservatives who are standing for election - from former LGBT+ Cons Chairman John Cope in Esher and Walton or Chris Carter-Chapman in Cambs all the way up to John Wheeler in Aberdeen South and Shane Painter in Orkney and Shetland.
To comply with Electoral Commission Rules we require your name and address, and for larger donations you may need to be a UK voter. Donations are made to LGBT+ Conservatives and kept in a separate bank account solely for the use of the LGBT+ Conservatives Candidates' Fund.
Candidates
Candidates wishing to apply for funding must be:
- A member of the Conservative Party
- A Member or Patron of LGBT+ Conservatives
- Standing for election in an eligible election
- Identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans and be willing to be identified as such
For further criteria please see the LGBT+ Conservatives Candidates' Fund Guidelines. To apply to the fund, please complete the Application Form. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Please note that the Candidates' Fund is not open to council candidates.