The November 2025 Unionist Party Conference was the eighth and last Unionist Party Conference. It was held throughout the month of November; the first two weeks of the conference at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth, and then, following the resignation of prospective Leader Madeline Somerset, at Escot House in Devon.
Originally convened to consider a successor for the incumbent Leader, Josephine Somerset Carew, and set out continuing party policy for the term ahead, the gathered members of the party unanimously voted in support of Madeline Somerset, wife of HRH The Duke of Somerset (also a member of the party), to take over at the next General Election. However, Somerset's inclusion in the Frontbench began to create tensions throughout the conference, owing to significant differences in opinion on how to manage the growing electoral threat of the party's main opponents, the Progressive Commonwealth Party. Concurrent events in Westminster and Whitehall, including contentious debate and surrounding issues on Somerset's landmark Slave Trade Acknowlegement and Apology Bill continued to create further problems. Twice crisis talks were held, mediated by the new Chair of the Party, Thomas Carew (who had also been elected as such at the Conference), which appeared to solidify the resolve of the party: both the Chief Whip, Ruben Carew, and the incumbent Leader, The Duchess of Bedford, expressed significant reservations over Somerset's ability to govern: the two were the proposer and seconder to her nomination as Leader.
Further issues continued to mount, resulting in an ultimatum from the Chief Whip, much to the particular dismay of the Chair of the Party: Somerset was forced into either resigning as Party Leader or be faced with a barrage of international and diplomatic censures. She chose the former, sending the party into further turmoil. Somerset would ultimately resign from the party overall. It was the only time an elected Leader of the Party had never formally taken on the position.
With a new leader now needed as soon as possible, The Duchess of Bedford announced she would wish to continue as Leader into the next election, reversing her previous stance. However, her position as Prime Minister had become significantly weakened over the past week, following a diplomatic faux-pas over her attitude towards the annexation of Anglosphere regions, something ultimately leading to the resignation of all non-Unionist politicians from cabinet. August Carew, former Leader, Chair, and Chief Whip, announced his surprising decision to also contest the leadership, quickly after Bedford's own announcement: Bedford had previously done the same at the February 2025 Unionist Party Conference, by announcing her intention to stand as Leader against the-then Viscount Clare. Instead, August Carew was seen as the bookie's favourite when news leaked. The third contender, Thomas Carew, had previously entertained sudden returns to the position of Leader in August 2024 and in January 2025, but had felt that it would be unnecessary. However, the former Prime Minister was significantly interested in returning some sense of normality, and felt that several figures in the party had failed to uphold its principles.
Somerset Carew, sensing the changing tides, elected to withdraw her candidacy, and, not knowing of her husbands plans to potentially run, immediately left for Buckingham Palace to resign as Prime Minister, recommending August Carew as her successor. Considering it in the best interests of the region, and the party, Thomas Carew did not contest, and as Chair, announced that August Carew was to be acclaimed as Leader of the Unionist Party. He would go on to lead the party to its record ninth electoral victory at the Second December 2025 General Election.
