Locations edit
–1958: Abbey House? edit
Until 1958, Conservative Central Office was based at Abbey House, Victoria Street, London.[citation needed]
1958–2004: 32 Smith Square edit
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CCO then moved to 32 Smith Square. This was the scene of multiple televised historic moments and symbolic photographs, including for the election victories of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, though later began to be associated with party infighting.[1][2][3] In the 1980s, the Conservatives signed a lease for the property with a rent of £1 per year, which made the buildng unable to be developed into luxury flats or offices.[4]
The party initially announced it would sell the premises in 2003,[5] though in 2004 decided to keep its lease with plans to redevelop the building.[6] The party agreed to move to "new, more suitable premises as soon as possible", with then Shadow Home Secretary David Davis stating it had "got old and we need to find rather more purpose-built accommodation for modern use".[5] The premises and their adjoining building were eventually sold in February 2007, raising £15 million.[4][7] The European Commission and European Parliament jointly bought the house in 2010, renaming it Europe House,[8] and it has since acted as the delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom. In 2017, Conservative MPs and Brexiteers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Conor Burns called for the house to be returned to the party,[7] though a leaked memo from Klaus Welle suggested that Europe House would likely be kept by the EU.[8]
2004–2007: 25 Victoria Street edit
Party co-chairman Liam Fox announced in April 2004 that the CCO would move to 25 Victoria Street following the 2004 United Kingdom local elections in June for "modern, purpose-built accommodation and a superb working environment for staff to campaign and win forthcoming elections at a local, national and European levels." The move was initially planned to take place before the elections, but negotiations on the lease took longer than expected.[6] The offices were notably positioned above a Starbucks coffee shop,[9] and reportedly included a "war room" for the upcoming 2005 general election.[2] The building subsequently became known as Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).[citation needed]
2007–2014: Millbank Tower edit
On 6 March 2007, CCHQ moved again, this time to 30 Millbank, part of the property portfolio of David and Simon Reuben.[citation needed]
2014–: 4 Matthew Parker Street edit
On 10 February 2014, CCHQ moved to its current location at 4 Matthew Parker Street. They rent the ground and basement floors of the commercial property.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ Stamp, Gavin (2012-07-30). "Postcode lottery? How EU entered historic Conservative address". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b "Conservatives depart historic HQ". BBC News. 2004-07-22. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ Tempest, Matthew (2003-11-11). "Tories set to sell off Smith Square HQ". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b Hencke, David; correspondent, Westminster (2007-02-09). "Tories make £15m profit from sale of old Smith Square HQ". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b "Conservatives to sell London HQ". BBC News. 2003-11-11. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b "Tories set date for changing HQ". BBC News. 2004-04-21. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b Dallison, Paul (2017-02-27). "Tories call for EU to return Thatcher's old HQ as part of Brexit deal". Politico. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ a b Boffey, Daniel (2018-05-03). "EU defies Tory Brexiters in leaked plan to retain Westminster offices". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "Better latte than never for Tories?". BBC News. 2004-02-11. Retrieved 2024-01-24.