Michael Howard

**Michael Howard** (born Michael Hecht, 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was the Leader of the Conservative Party from November 2003 to December 2005. He was also a cabinet minister in both Margaret Thatcher's and John Major's governments. He was a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Folkestone and Hythe from 1983 to 2010. In 2010, he entered the House of Lords as **Baron Howard of Lympne**.

Michael Howard was born in Gorseinon, a town in Swansea, Wales.   He is of Jewish descent. He studied Law at the University of Cambridge and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He then became a Member of Parliament at the 1983 General Election. His cabinet jobs included Secretary of State for Employment (1990-1992), Secretary of State for the Environment (1992-1993) and Home Secretary (1993-1997). When the Conservative Party lost the 1997 General Election, Michael Howard became a member of the shadow cabinets of William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith.

In 2003, the Leader of the Conservative Party Iain Duncan Smith was made to resign and Michael Howard was elected unopposed to become the Conservative Party leader. 'Unopposed' means that no-one other than Michael Howard was a candidate. Michael Howard was the Conservative candidate to become Prime Minister at the 2005 General Election. The Conservatives did not win the election, however they had 33 more seats in Parliament than they did before. Michael Howard resigned shortly after this and David Cameron replaced him as Conservative Party leader.

He was made a Companion of Honour in the 2011 Birthday Honours.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: The Lord Howard of Lympne
- **image**: Official portrait of Lord Howard of Lympne crop 2, 2023.jpg
- **caption**: Howard in 2023
- **office**: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition
- **monarch**: Elizabeth II
- **primeminister**: Tony Blair
- **deputy**: Michael Ancram
- **term start**: 6 November 2003
- **term end**: 6 December 2005
- **predecessor**: Iain Duncan Smith
- **successor**: David Cameron
- **office1**: Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party
- **deputy1**: Michael Ancram
- **term start1**: 6 November 2003
- **term end1**: 7 October 2005
Acting: 7 October – 6 December 2005
- **predecessor1**: Iain Duncan Smith
- **successor1**: David Cameron
- **office2**: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
- **leader2**: Iain Duncan Smith
- **term start2**: 18 September 2001
- **term end2**: 6 November 2003
- **predecessor2**: Michael Portillo
- **successor2**: Oliver Letwin
- **office3**: Shadow Foreign Secretary
- **leader3**: William Hague
- **term start3**: 11 June 1997
- **term end3**: 15 June 1999
- **predecessor3**: John Major
- **successor3**: John Maples
- **office4**: Shadow Home Secretary
- **leader4**: John Major
- **term start4**: 2 May 1997
- **term end4**: 11 June 1997
- **predecessor4**: Jack Straw
- **successor4**: Brian Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney, Brian Mawhinney
- **office5**: Shadow Cabinet of John Major, Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson
- **leader5**: John Major
- **term start5**: 2 May 1997
- **term end5**: 11 June 1997
- **alongside5**: William Hague
- **predecessor5**: Position established
- **successor5**: Michael Ancram
- **office6**: Home Secretary
- **primeminister6**: John Major
- **term start6**: 27 May 1993
- **term end6**: 2 May 1997
- **predecessor6**: Kenneth Clarke, Ken Clarke
- **successor6**: Jack Straw
- **office7**: Secretary of State for the Environment
- **primeminister7**: John Major
- **term start7**: 11 April 1992
- **term end7**: 27 May 1993
- **predecessor7**: Michael Heseltine
- **successor7**: John Gummer
- **office8**: Secretary of State for Employment
- **primeminister8**: Margaret Thatcher
John Major
- **term start8**: 3 January 1990
- **term end8**: 11 April 1992
- **predecessor8**: Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler, Norman Fowler
- **successor8**: Gillian Shephard
- **office9**: Department for Communities and Local Government, Minister of State for Housing
- **primeminister9**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start9**: 25 July 1989
- **term end9**: 3 January 1990
- **predecessor9**: Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness, The Earl of Caithness
- **successor9**: Michael Spicer
- **office10**: Secretary of State for the Environment, Minister of State for the Environment
- **primeminister10**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start10**: 25 July 1988
- **term end10**: 25 July 1989
- **predecessor10**: Malcolm Sinclair, 20th Earl of Caithness, The Earl of Caithness
- **successor10**: David Trippier
- **office11**: Department for Communities and Local Government, Minister of State for Local Government
- **primeminister11**: Margaret Thatcher
- **term start11**: 13 June 1987
- **term end11**: 25 July 1988
- **predecessor11**: Rhodes Boyson
- **successor11**: John Gummer
- **office12**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Folkestone and Hythe (UK Parliament constituency), Folkestone and Hythe
- **term start12**: 10 June 1983
- **term end12**: 12 April 2010
- **predecessor12**: Albert Costain
- **successor12**: Damian Collins
- **office13**: Members of the House of Lords, Member of the House of Lords

- **term start13**: 13 July 2010
Life peerage
- **birth name**: Michael Hecht
- **birth place**: Swansea, Wales, UK
- **party**: Conservative Party (UK), Conservative
- **children**: 2
- **alma mater**: Peterhouse, Cambridge
City Law School, Inns of Court School of Law