Editing Michael Ancram (section)

===Shadow Cabinet and failed leadership bid===
Following the Conservatives' defeat at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 election]], Ancram served in the [[Shadow Cabinet]] as [[Shadow Cabinet of William Hague|Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson]] from June 1997 to June 1998. He then served as [[Chairman of the Conservative Party]] from December 1998 to September 2001.

In 2001, he ran against [[Iain Duncan Smith]], [[Michael Portillo]], [[Kenneth Clarke]] and [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] in [[2001 Conservative Party leadership election|the election for the party leadership]]. In the first poll of Conservative MPs he and [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] were tied for last place, leading to a re-run in which Ancram was placed bottom. He was eliminated, and Davis withdrew. Both swung their support behind [[Iain Duncan Smith]], who went on to win, beating Clarke in the final vote of party members. Duncan Smith made Ancram Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party and [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]] in September 2001. He remained in this position after [[Michael Howard]] took over in 2003.

In the reshuffle following the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 election]], Ancram was moved to [[Shadow Secretary of State for Defence]] but remained deputy leader. He stood down from the Shadow Cabinet in December 2005, following the election of [[David Cameron]] as Conservative Party Leader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=125517 |title=Ancram to stand down from Shadow Cabinet |date=4 October 2005 |access-date=1 November 2006 |work=Conservative Party |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060418235701/https://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=125517 |archive-date=18 April 2006 }}</ref> In January 2006 he was appointed to the [[Intelligence and Security Committee]], replacing [[James Arbuthnot]].