Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is the name given to a group of individuals that have donated significant sums to the British Conservative Party, typically in excess of £250,000. By February 2022 members of the board had donated £22 million to the party. Members are asked for their opinions on government polices and regularly meet with government ministers including Prime Minister Boris Johnson. History The advisory board was created and developed by Ben Elliot, the chief fundraiser and co-chairman of the Conservative Party. The idea for the advisory board is believed to have originated with either the former chief executive of the Conservative Party Mick Davis, or the party's former treasurer Ehud Sheleg. The Times wrote that under Theresa May's leadership of the party " ... donors, especially wealthy Eurosceptics, had felt sidelined, their proposals ignored at the top of government" and that with the election of Johnson as leader " ... it was time to bring them back into the fold. By forming the advisory board, the Conservative Party was creating a space where those donors who had contributed vast sums of cash would frequently and formally be brought into contact with ministers and advisers". The Conservative Party's membership group for elite donors had previously been the Leader's Group to which attendees must contribute £50,000. The Leader's Group offers its members " ... scheduled drinks receptions and meetings with the entire cabinet" including the Prime Minister. The board is not mentioned on the website of the Conservative Party.