Questions and Answers session on the Selection of Conservative Party Candidates

 View this session on the questions and answers at the Conservative Party Conference fringe meeting held on 3rd October and organised by the Campaign for Conservative Democracy and the Conservative Democratic Organisation.

View here!

What the process should be for the Selection of Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidates

A speech given by John Strafford at a fringe meeting of the Conservative Party Conference held on October 3rd 2023 organised by the Campaign for Conservative Democracy and the Conservative Democratic Organisation setting out the process agreed at the Conservative Democratic Organisation Conference in May 2023. To watch click here!

A "History of the Selection of Conservative Party Candidates"

 Speech given by John Strafford at a fringe meeting at the Tory Party Conference on 3 October 2023 organised by the Campaign for Conservative Democracy and the Conservative Democratic Organisation.

See here to view

Conservative Party Conference Dates for your diary - updated

 CONFERENCE FRINGE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED!!! 

The meetings will be held at Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS

MESSAGE FROM CDO PARTY CHAIRMAN, David Campbell Bannerman

 Dear CDO Members,

 RE: CDO FRINGE PROGRAMME NOW ANNOUNCED!

I am delighted to let you know that as well as the excellent Black Tie Gala Dinner coming together so well for Sunday 1st October (don’t be disappointed – please book now as selling out fast!) we can now announce an impressive Fringe.

CDO is offering a full Conference Fringe Programme, and we can now reveal the details. All these events are hosted in what we are calling the ‘Democracy Zone’, which we are sponsoring, in cooperation with the Bruges Group.

This is our Fringe:

Monday 2nd October 6pm to 7.30pm – we are honoured to be hosting one of our CDO Patrons, and now a TV star presenter through GB News and the ‘State of the Nation’ Programme, Jacob Rees Mogg MP to talk about the importance of democracy to the Conservative Party. This will be at 6pm-7.30pm Monday, with questions afterwards. Jacob as you know is a highly principled and intelligent MP who served as Business Secretary and was Chairman of the ERG (European Research Group) at a key moment. Chaired by David Campbell Bannerman.

Tuesday 3rd October 11am to 12.30pm – ‘Selection of Candidates – All You Need to Know’ – Joint session with COPOV (Campaign for One Member One Vote). A Question and Answer briefing session useful for those standing as candidates or those involved or interested in selecting candidates, especially Parliamentary candidates. Hosted by Constitutional Expert John Strafford, Chairman of COPOV and CDO’s Constitutional Adviser, and CDO’s Mike Rouse, who has overseen a number of candidate selections and is an expert on the rules of Candidate Selection. 

Tuesday 3rd October 1pm to 2.30pm – ‘How Democracy can save Conservatism’. Panel session with top journalists Allison Pearson a senior columnist at the Daily Telegraph, Author and Presenter, Emily Carver, Presenter with GB News and formerly of IEA, and our CDO Patron Priti Patel MP, former Home Secretary, International Development Secretary, Employment and Treasury Minister and a great believer in backing the members. Chaired by David Campbell Bannerman.

NOTE: These fringe meetings are all outside the Party Conference area, so that means you do not need a Conference security pass to get there. Which may save you quite a bit of cost; especially at this late stage. You can just turn up and support us there. If you do have a pass, the venue is very close to the Conference Centre so it is easy to pop in and out of Conference to attend.

Please do support CDO at these four major events at Conference – it is important to show backing for our aims and objectives to take back control of the party democratically and to support our excellent Patrons, supporters and members. I look forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes

 David

 David Campbell Bannerman

Conservative Democratic Organisation Newsletter No. 3

 Read here the latest newsletter from CDO.   It includes a link to John Strafford's speech to the Party Conference in 1997.   Relevant today!

Letter from the Party Chairman to CDO!

 Here is the latest news from CDO including a letter from Greg Hands, Conservative Party Chairman, also save the date October 1st for our next Gala Dinner.

Conservative Democratic Newsletter

 

Keep up to date with the Conservative Democratic Organisation newsletter

See Here

Speech by John Strafford about the Conservative Democratic Organisation

 Speech made by John Strafford on July 8th to the Taplow Branch of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association about the Conservative Democratic Organisation.   Watch Here!

Priti Patel MP speaks for real Conservatives!

 Priti Patel MP made a great speech at the Conservative Democratic Conference on May 13th at the Bournemouth International Conference centre.   Here is an extract from the speech.

The CDO Award to John Strafford

 

Watch a full account of the Conservative Democratic Organisation Cleithenes Award to John Strafford on May 13th 2023 at the Bournemouth International Convention Centre.

CDO - Getting noticed! Courtesy of "Private Eye"

 

Update on the Conservative Democratic Organisation

 Update on CDO

Dear John This is a brief update on the ‘Next Steps’ for CDO after our highly successful Conference in sunny Bournemouth on 13th May.  Can I thank all of you most warmly again for your contribution to that remarkable official launch of CDO; which was carried on national TV and radio and was ‘national news’. Thank you to the speakers, the organisers – most notably Claire Bullivant, our CEO, and team, and all those attending. We had attendees from all over the UK, many of who made huge and often difficult journeys to attend as a result of shameful train strikes nationwide. Our numbers were very impressive particularly given hundreds were unable to attend thanks to the lack of trains.    Post Conference, CDO Officers and the Regional teams have been considering ‘Next Steps’ and we are actively implementing these now. We have needed to wait until the result of the Privileges Committee report to understand what implications there are for CDO from the point of view of democratic processes – and we have had grave reservations with the conduct and behaviour of that committee which has earned it the name of an undemocratic ‘kangaroo court’ and what it could do to shut down free expression of all ministers, MPs and advisers as a result – and for the subject of the inquiry, that of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. We will update you on how CDO may offer support to Boris in later communications.   On the ‘next steps’ measures, these are what we are now working on:

Next Steps

As a direct result of those members attending CDO Conference, we have agreed a ‘7 Step’ approach to reforming the Conservative Party’s Constitution. This was voted on, Step by Step, with John Strafford convening the session. Lord Cruddas was particularly delighted by the engagement of the members, the quality of interventions and questioning, and how refreshing it was to return to voting at a Conservative Conference! We owe Peter a great deal of thanks for his support. I confirm that CDO has now written to Party Chairman Greg Hands MP formally requesting that the CDO’s 7 Steps are incorporated into their constitutional reform process, which we understand has been announced through the National Convention. We are now sending on that letter to the Chairman to all Tory MPs and to Conservative association Chairmen. Work is still progressing to finalise a ‘full’ new Constitution, which will actually incorporate Conservative values and beliefs – a remarkable hole in the current Constitution. This is still the work of the Constitutional Working Group.     Again, as a follow through from what was agreed at CDO Conference, we will be establishing working groups on Policies and Polling – where we use polling of Conservative members, such as through Conservative Post and of 2019 Conservative voters through polling organisations – to ascertain Conservative members’ and Conservative voters’ preferences for policies, which can be fed into a future Conservative Party manifesto.   We are also establishing a working group on Candidates and Candidate Support, having debated the candidate process, good and bad, at Conference and reinforcing the principle that local associations should select candidates not Central Office, whose role is important but should focus on removing the bad, the mad and the sad as candidates. We will monitor candidate selections, not just for Westminster MPs, but others such as the London Mayoral selection, and help candidates where we can with advice and support including on the ground.   Any information you have on candidates and selections please send an email FAO the Chairman of the Candidate Working Group, Mike Rouse to Democracy@Conservativedems.co.uk We will continue, as always, to seek to build the CDO Network across the UK. We have a great structure of Regional and Deputy Regional Chairmen/women established but we are looking now for Area and local association CDO Chairmen to argue for the CDO reforms at the local level, to help manage events and speakers, and to liaise with the local Conservative Party associations.   Please contact your local Regional or Deputy Director for your region to volunteer and expand CDO for all of us. A full list of CDO Regional Chairmen and Deputies is shown below:   South East Andrew Buchanan - southeast@conservativedems.co.uk East Midlands Annunziata Rees-Mogg - eastmids@conservativedems.co.uk Thames Valley Benedict Swann - thamesv@conservativedems.co.uk Northern Ireland Frank Shivers - northire@conservativedems.co.uk West Midlands Martyn Punyer - westmids@conservativedems.co.uk Wales Matthew MacKinnon - wales@conservativedems.co.uk Scotland Michelle Ballantyne - scotland@conservativedems.co.uk North West England Milly Skriczka - northwest@conservativedems.co.uk Devon & Cornwall Richard Cuming - devoncorn@conservativedems.co.uk North East England  Joshua Clark northeast@conservativedems.co.uk Youth CDO Kane Blackwell ycdo@conservativedems.co.uk London Lord Stephen Greenhalgh london@conservativedems.co.uk East of England Lord Stewart Jackson eastengland@conservativedems.co.uk West England Scott Richardson westeng@conservativedems.co.uk CDO is looking to a major event, or series of events, at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester and details of these will be circulated. A ‘Democracy Zone’ is a good theme.

Thank you again for your interest and support. CDO has come a very long way in just 6 months and established a remarkable presence and reputation at the highest levels. Now we intend to go further and faster in our range of activities.   Thank you.     Best wishes,    David Campbell Bannerman Chairman

Copyright (C) 2023 Conservative Democratic Organisation. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website, or signed up as a CDO volunteer. Our mailing address is: Conservative Democratic Organisation C/O The Conservative Post Webb House, Church Green East Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8BP United Kingdom

Conservatives, Hope for the Future!

 At the Conservative Democratic Organisation Conference on May 13th 2023 John Strafford moved the motions for debate to make the Conservative Party a democratic organisation.   All were passed by an overwhelming majority.   Here is his winding up speech>

Democracy in Action - Motions for Debate

At the Conservative Democratic Organisation Conference on 13th May 2023 seven critical changes to the Conservative Party Constitution were proposed and passed overwhelmingly.   Time for the Conservative Party to act! 

Conservative Democratic Organisation Conference

 Watch this first speech by John Strafford at the CDO Conference in Bournemouth on 13 May 2023.   This is the start of the revival of the Conservative Party and will be welcomed by all those who believe in democracy

Join us at the Conservative Democratic Conference in Bournemouth on May 13th

 

At last the voice of the members of the Conservative Party will be heard.

Come to the Conservative Democratic Organisation Conference on 13th May.   I look forward to seeing you.

How the Tory Party members were misled!

 The Birth of the Tory Party Constitution.

Click here to see the video.

Launch of the Conservative Democratic Organisation - complete article!

  The complete article as published in the Sunday Express Online 11 December 2022

22:00, Sat, Dec 10, 2022, | UPDATED: 10:16, Sun, Dec 11, 2022

The coronation of Sunak as PM ended faith in the Tory MPs - members must take back control

The appointment, or ‘coronation', of Rishi Sunak as British Prime Minister, without a vote being cast by Conservative Party members, and just a month after Sunak was rejected in a comprehensive member voting process has finally ended members' faith in any party democracy existing within the Conservative Party.

By LORD CRUDDAS, AND DAVID CAMPBELL BANNERMAN

As one member aptly put it: “There’s a deficit in party democracy, what they’ve said is we want your money, your time, and resources but we don’t want your opinion. After 40 years, I’m out. I won’t vote and I won’t forgive.”

The members’ vote led to many MPs rigging the voting process so that neither candidate was put to members for a vote – Boris had 102 and Mordaunt 98 – with media reports of threats and incentives to MPs supporting non-Sunak candidates to switch taking place all weekend before the vote.

Some of these MPs are reported even to be crowing over how successfully they blocked party members from having any say.

It is extraordinary to agree with the Daily Mirror when its front page asks: ‘Who Voted For You?’ and the Scottish Daily Record concluding this was the ‘Death of Democracy’.

It is the influence of these MPs that has robbed members of a vote on the Leader – which is hailed in membership literature as a right: saying ‘choosing candidates and vote in leadership elections - you can choose the people you want to represent you.’ This for an unwise hike in membership fees of 55% - to £39.

With the loss of a real say over MP selections, and now the Party Leader, and Party Conferences losing the ability to meet Ministers and influence policy through debates and resolutions, the ‘product offering’ of party membership is fast dying out.  

Membership has fallen from 500,000 when the new 1998 Constitution was introduced to 172,000 members who voted in the 2022 Leadership election.

That figure itself had been boosted when Boris Johnson became Leader and is now falling fast.

The 56 percent rise in the cost of membership announced earlier this week will undoubtedly reduce membership numbers even further.  

Members are overwhelmingly feeling ignored, steamrollered, and held in utter contempt by party leaders – feeling that their views count for nothing; and yet MPs expect them to do most of the work at elections.

This is a natural consequence of the demolition by CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) of lines of communication between the members and the Parliamentary Party since that 1998 Party Constitution was enacted by William Hague. All the checks and balances which existed prior to 1998 were abolished.

It is little wonder now that a huge number of resignations have followed – the Telegraph suggesting at least one fifth of members left.

The member cancelling page on the Party’s website crashed. Comment groups are still alive with angry members resigning and attacking the lack of democracy.  

The constitutional expert and party democracy campaigner John Strafford helped draft the 1998 Constitution, but saw the democratic elements subsequently removed. He also wrote the Conservative Women’s Organisation (CWO) constitution.

A dismayed Mr Strafford explains that the situation today is that “the Chairman and Treasurer of the Party are appointed by the Leader so are unaccountable to the membership; there is no Annual General Meeting of members, so there is no formal forum for members to raise questions about the Party’s organisation, and the annual accounts are not tabled for approval at an AGM.”

“Selection of parliamentary candidates is controlled centrally, and the Party Board can take control of any constituency association which does not toe the line – and has done so. Basically, the Conservative Party is now a self-perpetuating oligarchy.”

But the solution is not for party members to create yet another new party, in an increasingly crowded field; especially when in a first-past-the-post system such parties are lucky to reach one per cent or two per cent vote share; and tend to win no seats.  

Instead, loyal Conservative Party members should come together to create – or indeed recreate – a truly democratic Conservative Party.

This is best done by a return to the successful pre-1998 model of a National Union of independent democratic Conservative Associations, to whom a smaller Central Office reports, and the end of the centralising 1998 Party Constitution, which has brought in excessive centralised control and social engineering at the expense of merit and democracy.

It is time for ordinary Conservative Party members to ‘take back control’. That is why we are establishing the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO), a new membership organisation to revitalise the current Conservative Party, shape its future values and structure and, crucially, eliminate its serious democratic failings.  

Over the next few months, we will begin the formation of independent CDO Conservative associations across the UK and launch a new Party Constitution to propose to the Conservative Party.

David Campbell Bannerman is the Chairman of The Freedom Association

Our proposals include:  

Directly electing the roles of Conservative Party Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Treasurer, Chairman of the Candidates Committee and Chairman of the Policy Forum.

Giving constituency associations the right to determine who their Conservative parliamentary candidate is with minimum interference by CCHQ. This includes both selecting and deselecting candidates.  

Scrapping the National Convention and replacing it with a General Meeting of the Party. This will stop the Party hierarchy from rubber stamping decisions.

The Spring Conference becoming a Policy Conference, located in a more affordable place, where Ministers would listen to members’ ideas on policies in their subject area, selected by motions submitted through local associations, as used to be standard.

The full October Party Conferences should be restored to their original glory, with the membership back in control, including motions for debates and votes.  

The Conservative Party is the most successful political party in the world. We do not need to replace it with a new centre-right party.

We need to revitalise it and reposition it back where it belongs - representing core conservative values. This is only possible by long overdue, serious, revolutionary reform of the way the Party functions.

Conservative Members should lose their vote for the Leader but regain control of the Party!

 

The following article was published on the Conservativehome web site on 11 November 2022

David Campbell-Bannerman speaks about Tory Party Democracy

 Essential Viewing for any Tory Party member.