Lord Hannon addresses the Margaret Centre dinner!

 Lord Hannon  made a brilliant speech  on Saturday 26 March at the Margaret Thatcher Centre dinner. He He asked the audience if they remembered Margaret Thatcher?  Then he said "No I am sure you are far too young, except John & Caroline Strafford! I am sure John raised Party democracy with Lord Salisbury!   Good humoured laughter from the audience!

A Question for William Hague!

 At the Oxford Literary Festival 25 March 2026 I put a question to William Hague!

Meeting with William Hague a few years ago. He had hair then, he doesn't now!

Caroline Strafford wrote:

JOHN AND I went to the Oxford Literary Festival yesterday and heard three different talks which were fascinating for assorted reasons. First David Starkey absolutely "slaughtered" Jeremy Hunt who has written a book which no one has heard of and there are two more to come! Then heard excellent informed talk about HS2 - poor Martin Tett was bad mouthed and then John spoke about lack of financial control and I recalled the huge unnecessary land grabs through Bucks. Finally heard William Hague (excellent) and John Sargeant reminisce together. Again we both got in questions. John's was whether the Conservative Party should unreservedly apologise for many un-Conservative policies made during their 14 years in office and have they learned any lessons. Mine was about the age of voting being reduced to non taxpayers still at school. Altogether an excellent literary festival well worth visiting. Day at home today - thank goodness. Oh and Oxford hates motorists and now have a congestion charge, but if you park in the Thornhill Car Park off the A40, you can catch a bus into the middle of Oxford.

William Hague agreed about the un-Conservative policies but did not answer the questions which followed!

Draft Conservative Party Constitution Phase 4

 

Here we go again!

Email from Julian Ellacott 19 Mar 26 to members of the National Convention

 To: members of the National Convention and other members participating in the Constitution Review

 Thank you to the many of you who provided your input in response to the first three phases of consultation on changes to the Party Constitution.  The responses have been analysed and draft text updated as a result.

 To recap on the process, we are reviewing the Constitution in phases, starting last year and running until later this year.  Each phase covers different topics, on each of which you will have the opportunity to have your say.  Once all sections of the Constitution have been covered all of the proposed changes will be put to a vote (in line with the Constitution).

 We have now moved onto to Phase 4, which covers provisions relating to Areas, Regions, the National Convention, and the party in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The document setting out suggested changes and questions for your consideration is here: Phase 4 - Discussion Paper.

Please review the document and then use the following online survey to submit your views on these topics: Complete Survey.

 We are also running a separate survey on broader questions about the allocation of responsibilities between different levels of the Party, and picking up some follow up themes from Phase 3: Complete Survey.

 The consultation will close on Sunday 10 April.

 There will be an online call at 7.30pm on Tuesday 31 March for you to discuss the Phase 4 topics and provide your input. Please use this link to register for the call in advance: Register Here.

 Association and Federation Chairmen are also encouraged to share this consultation with your fellow Officers, Executive Councils, staff and any particularly interested members, and host local meetings to discuss it and provide feedback (as some of you did for Phases 1, 2 and 3).

 If you wish to submit marked up text instead, please download the discussion document above, mark up the text in the first column, and email as an attachment to national.convention@conservatives.com, or if you prefer a freeform text response, just email it to the same address.

 Thank you in for your participation in this important task.

 Yours,

 Julian Ellacott

Chairman of the National Convention and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee

 To recap, the following are the members of the Constitution Review Committee:

• Julian Ellacott (Chairman, National Convention)
• Kevin Hollinrake MP (Party Chairman)
• Stewart Harper (President, National Convention)
• Gotz Mohindra OBE (former Board member)
• Bob Blackman CBE MP (Chairman, 1922 Committee)
• Baroness Pidding CBE (Chairman, Association of Conservative Peers)
• Cllr John Cope (Chairman, CCA)
• Cllr Tomos Davies (representing the Welsh Conservatives)
• Lord McInnes CBE (CCHQ Chief Executive Officer)
• Aimee Henderson (CCHQ Chief Operating Officer)
• Megan Tucker (CCHQ Nominating Officer)

Constitutional Review Discussion Paper

Phase 4 – Q1 2026

This Phase covers the following topics:

· Part VI – Area Councils, Area Management Executives and Regional Officers

· Schedule 5 – Area Councils, Area Management Executives and Regional Officers

· Part V – The National Conservative Convention

· Schedule 3 – The National Conservative Convention

· Schedule 8 – The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party and the Welsh Conservative Party

 

The Conservative Party must revive the CPC

 

On 16 March the ConservativeHome web site published an article by

Xander West

The Conservative Party must revive the CPC

My response is as follows:

Xander, I totally agree with you that the Conservative Party must revive the CPC,  but you are not correct when you say “However, after nearly half a century of prominence in Conservative politics, the CPC appeared to atrophy in its final decade or so, with the idea of education becoming more top-down than grassroots. Perhaps its consolidation into a directorate with the Research Department in 1988 crippled whatever independence and authority it still enjoyed, forcing a greater orientation towards merely reviewing official policy directions.” 

In the 1990s the Conservative Political Centre was very active. It had Regional councils where the officers were elected by and accountable to the members. The Chairmen of the Regional Councils were part of a National Committee. I was Chairman of Wessex in the 1990s. Whilst Chairman we had annual conferences including one where the Research Department Directors attended and made speeches and answered questions. There was also an annual National CPC weekend conference held at different venues and universities. They were attended by government Ministers. The National CPC had a meeting in 1994 at 10 Downing Street with John Major. It was as a result of this meeting that the process began for the Party to move towards a Constitution. At his request I did a paper for Major on the subject. We “prioritised the two-way movement of ideas between the Conservative leadership and membership by circulating responses from local branches on specific topics, to which the relevant minister or senior party figure would be obliged to reply and consider in their decision-making. CPC pamphlets were also produced to reach a wider public who might be sympathetic to conservative ideas or arguments”.

The whole thing collapsed after 1999 when CCHQ took total control of the CPC and Oliver Letwin was put in charge. No meetings were convened by CCHQ.   For over a year Letwin did nothing and allowed the organisation to collapse.

I am afraid there is no comparison with the CPF which is effectively controlled by CCHQ.   Those that run it are not elected or accountable to the ordinary members of the Party.

 We should go back to pre 1999 and there should be a National CPC Advisory Committee with the Chairman, two Deputy Chairmen and Treasurer elected by the ordinary members of the Party at an Annual General Meeting of the Party to which all members are invited.   At such AGMs the Chairman would report and be questioned about the CPC activities during the past year, and what it would do in the future.

 

Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (8)

 Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (8)

Review of the Conservative Party Constitution - Phase 3

Document sent to Party members by the Chairman of the National Convention, Julian Ellacott 29 January 2026

Suggested changes:

Sch 7-24     15   SELECTION OF CANDIDATES

Proposal:

The Association shall be subject to rules set down by the Board in respect of selection of candidates for public election (including but not restricted to Parliamentary, Mayoral and local government), which shall be based on the principle of members being central to the choice of candidate, as set out in Part [X].

The remainder of Paragraph 15 – Selection of Candidates to be taken out into a new Part of the Constitution (covered in Phase 5 (which will make clear that the principle of member choice will apply).

This is appalling! Why should the unaccountable Board determine how candidates are selected?   Why do we have to wait for Phase 5 to know what is being proposed.   The way things are going Phase 5 might consist of one paragraph:

The Board will decide everything and the members can like it of lump it, and will be unable to do anything about it!

Proposed:

15.1 to 15.3.2 all deleted

Sch-25 16 TRUSTEES

Existing:

16.1     All the freehold, leasehold and other property of the Association and its Branches, save only cash in hand and monies on current or deposit account with the bank, shall be vested in not less than two nor more than four Trustees (who shall be members of the Party) appointed to hold office as Trustees by the Association at a General Meeting or in a corporate trustee approved by the Party Board.

Proposals:

All the freehold, leasehold and other property of the Association, including its Branches, save only cash in hand and monies on current or deposit account with the bank, shall be vested in not less than three nor more than four Trustees (who shall be members of the Party) appointed to hold office as Trustees by the Association at a General Meeting and to include a corporate trustee approved by the Party Board.

The process for election of Trustees shall be the same as that for election of Officers, in relation to nomination and balloting.

Should Trustees have a fixed term of more than one year (given the heavy administration required to register new trustees)? 

or 5 year term with a cycle?

Majority control of the corporate trustee shall comprise members of the National Convention, nominated by the Chairman of the National Convention and ratified by the Board.

All assets held in trust must be specifically identified in the Annual Constituency Report and Accounts.

Should there be a restriction that trustees cannot be current or recent Association Officers?

How should this be broadened to include limited companies which own assets on behalf of Associations?

The Trustees should be elected annually with a five limit to their term in office.

It is not clear whether the “corporate trustee relate to a National position or a Constituency position.   If a Constituency corporate Trustee a majority of members should be Constituency Trustees.

A majority of the Directors of limited companies which own assets on behalf of Associations should be Association trustees.

Constituency Trustees should not be current officers of the Association.

Existing:

16.2     All property of the Association for the time being vested in the Trustees and the proceeds of sale and the income thereof shall be held upon trust for the Association absolutely, and the Trustees shall execute a trust deed in such form as the Board shall from time to time determine and such form as from time to time so determined shall form part of the Mandatory Rules under this Schedule.

Proposed:

All property of the Association for the time being vested in the Trustees and the proceeds of sale and the income thereof shall be held upon trust for the Association absolutely, and the Trustees shall execute a trust deed in such form as the Board shall from time to time determine.

In order to protect the Association’s assets and ensure their use in line with the objectives of the Party the Trustees must keep the trust deed up to date and in line with any model trust deed approved by the Board from time to time.

The latest version of Associations’ trust deeds must be lodged with the corporate trustee.

The Board may set out mandatory training for Trustees.

The Executive Council shall have the power to issue Directions to the Trustees.

Any leases or licences between Trustees and elected representatives of the Party must include provisions which require termination upon such representative’s membership of the Party being resigned or terminated.

Agree with the proposals.   They seem sensible safeguards.

That’s it folks!   As yet we have not seen the final draft of the rule book or Phases 4and 5   The Selection of Candidates is still to be reviewed.   What is abundantly clear is that if these proposal all go through the Conservative Party as a members organization is finished.   The Party will be run and dominated by the large donors.   Inevitably this will lead to the gradual decline of the Conservative Party as a political organization.

New Constitution - General Meetings, Voting at Meetings

 

Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (7)

Review of the Conservative Party Constitution - Phase 3

Document sent to Party members by the Chairman of the National Convention, Julian Ellacott 29 January 2026

Suggested changes:

Sch 7-18    11  General Meetings

Proposed:

11.4 The deadline for nominations for any role to be elected at a General Meeting shall be 7 days before the day of the meeting. 

Those being nominated, and those making the nominations, must be Qualifying Members as at the date of close of nominations.

Nominations from a proposer and seconder, and consent from the nominee, must be received in writing or by email, by the Area Chairman (or another member of the Area Management Executive, nominated by the Area Chairman), for the Area in which the Association is situated, in order to be valid.

Only where there is no nomination for a particular role shall nominations made at the meeting itself be valid. 

Delete: , by the Area Chairman (or another member of the Area Management Executive, nominated by the Area Chairman), for the Area in which the Association is situated, in order to be valid.

Insert: after by email “by the Constituency Chairman”

Existing:

9.1.1    To receive and adopt the audited or certificated accounts of the Association prepared in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 5.10.1 above;

9.1.2    To receive and adopt the Constituency Report prepared by Officers of the Association in accordance with Paragraph 5.10.2 above;

9.1.3    To elect the Officers in accordance with paragraph 5.4 above;

9.1.4 To confirm the appointment of trustees for the following year.

9.2        Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to each member of the Association at least twenty-one days before the date of the meeting and shall require nominations for Officers and other vacancies to be made and seconded not later than seven clear days before the day of the meeting; provided that if no nomination for a particular office or vacancy is so received, nominations made for that office or vacancy at the meeting shall be valid.

 

Proposed:

To receive and adopt the accounts of the Association, having been audited as necessary and approved by the Executive Council, prepared in accordance with the provisions of clause [X] and any direction from the Board

To receive and adopt the Constituency Report, prepared by Officers in accordance with clause [X] and any direction from the Board

To elect Officers in accordance with clause [X] and any direction from the Board

To elect trustees for any property in accordance with clause [X] and any direction from the Board.

Stick with the existing Constitution.   Why should the Board have the ability to interfere with the procedures at General meetings?

Sch7-21   12 QUORUM

Existing:

12.1     For all General Meetings of the Association the quorum shall be not less than 50 members or 10% of the total membership of the Association (whichever is less).

Question:

Should it be based on Qualifying Members at date of notice or date of meeting?

Stick with existing rule based qualifying members at date of notice.

Existing

12.3     In the event that a General Meeting of the Association be or becomes inquorate, another meeting shall be called not less than 7 nor more than 14 days from the date of the inquorate meeting. Any nominations submitted to the inquorate meeting shall stand as nominations for elections at the quorate meeting.

Question

Should there be provision for (at least) the elections of Officers at an inquorate initial meeting to stand, eg if a re-run is also inquorate?

Stick with existing rule.   Answer to question: No.

Sch7-22    13 VOTING AT MEETINGS

Existing:

13.1.3 Proxy voting is not permitted at any Association meeting.

Proposed:

Proxy voting shall not be permitted at any meeting, and postal voting shall only be permitted in circumstances set by the Board.

Stick with the existing rule.

Existing:

13.2      Except where expressly provided otherwise, any motion at any meeting of the Association, including meetings of the Executive Council and its Committees shall be carried on a majority vote.

Proposed:

A motion at any meeting of the Association shall be carried on a majority vote, unless provided for otherwise by the Board.

Stick with the existing rule.

13.3     The Chairman (or chairman of the meeting) shall have a second or casting vote in all cases where the voting is declared to be equal.

Proposed:

A motion at any meeting of the Association shall be carried on a majority vote, unless provided for otherwise by the Board.

The Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote in any cases where the voting is declared to be equal, except in the matters of candidate selection.

Stick with existing rule.

Sch 7    14    Disputes

23

Existing :

14.1     The Executive Council may and, if so requested by any Branch of the Association, shall submit any dispute or difference arising in connection with the Association or any of its Branches to the Area Management Executive for the Area within which the Association is situated with a view to the Area Management Executive bringing about a settlement of such dispute or difference. Such submission shall be made within 56 days of notification of the said dispute to the Executive Council.

14.2     If the Area Management Executive fails to bring about a settlement acceptable to all parties to the dispute or difference, the Executive Council may and, if so requested by any Branch of the Association, shall submit any such dispute or difference to the Board which shall give a decision upon, or take such steps as it thinks fit to bring about a settlement. Any decision given in writing by the Board shall be final and binding on all parties to the dispute or difference and not subject to review of any kind.

Proposed:

The Board shall set rules for the resolution of disputes

Stick with the existing rule.   Another power grab by the Board.   The problem with all these Board power grabs is that the ordinary member never gets to hear of their decisions.   The unaccountable Board can do whatever it likes and the ordinary member is no wiser.

Meeting of minds with Michael Gove!

 Meeting with Michael Gove and Bruce Goodwin at the Pharos meeting about Brexit. I told Michael that the old Tory Party had three separate autonomous elements to it. They were The Parliamentary Party, the Leader's office at CCHQ and the voluntary Party, (the Constituency Associations). Because they were autonomous they had to work together by trusting each other! After 1998 under the new Constitution CCHQ took control and tried to run the Party like a business. Trust broke down because whereas in a business you can contol people by fear(do it or lose your job) or by incentive (do it and you get a pay rise) with volunteers if you place to many onerous conditions on them they just say I have had enough of this and walk away. Trust is lost. That is what has happened with the membership and what will happen with candidates! Michael said he hadn't thought of it like that!

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (6)

 

Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (6)

Review of the Conservative Party Constitution - Phase 3

Document sent to Party members by the Chairman of the National Convention, Julian Ellacott 29 January 2026

Suggested changes: 6 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

6.5.3

Proposed:

The Association’s representatives on its Area Council shall ex officio be the Chairman, Deputy Chairman Political and Deputy Chairman Membership and Finance.

For Associations covering more than one constituency, in addition to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman Political and Deputy Chairman Membership and Finance representatives on the Area Council shall comprise the Constituency Officer for each constituency plus two further representatives living in each constituency, elected by the Executive Council.

Where an Association straddles the boundaries of more than one Area, representation on the respective Area Councils will be determined by agreement of the Association and the respective Area Management Executives.  If no such agreement can be reached the Board shall make a determination.

Delete in entirety.

Insert:   All members of the Association resident in the Area shall be members of the Area Council.   Constituency Associations shall constitute Area Councils as determined by the Board.

Sch 7-14 6.6 Funds of the Association

6.6.2 Proposed:

The Executive Council shall appoint no fewer than 3 signatories for Association bank accounts, with cheques or other payments always requiring authorisation by at least two of those signatories, to the extent possible. The Board shall set out further rules in this area as necessary.

Delete: “The Board shall set out further rules on this area as necessary.”

Existing:

6.7.3    In an emergency, and at the absolute discretion of the Chairman of the Association, the Chairman may summon a meeting of the Executive Council at shorter notice to deal only with the business stated in the notice convening the meeting.

Proposed:

To deal with a pressing matter the Chairman or a quorum of members of the Executive Council may summon a meeting of the Executive Council at shorter notice, with the consent of the Area Chairman.

Such meeting may only discuss the business stated in the notice of the meeting, relating directly to the pressing matter.

Stick with the existing rule Why should the Area Chairman be involved. He/she can attend the meeting.

Sch 7 -15 Committees of the Association

Existing:

6.5.2    The Executive Council may, pursuant to paragraph 6.8 below, establish such committees of the Association as it shall think fit, for example a Political Committee, a Women’s Committee, a Local Government Committee, and Youth Committee, where there are sufficient numbers of members of the Association who would wish to take part in the activities of such Committee to warrant its establishment.

Proposed:

The Executive Council may, pursuant to clause [X], establish such Committees as it sees fit, provided that any Committee is chaired by a member of the Executive Council appointed by it. 

The Executive Council must set out clear terms of reference for and membership of any Committees so established, and review the same at its first meeting after each AGM.

Where a Committee is established to promote activity in a constituency within an Association covering more than one constituency (ie a Federation), it is to be referred to as the “[Constituency Name] Constituency Committee”, and be chaired by the relevant Constituency Officer. 

Where a Committee is established to promote activity in a defined area smaller than a constituency (eg a ward), it is to be referred to as a Ward or Branch Committee, and be chaired by a relevant Ward Representative.  This is a simplified alternative to having separate provisions for Branches, as currently in section 7 below) – views are welcomed on which route is preferred.

Committees may be established for other purposes, for example running specific election campaigns, policy development, promoting women, young people or other sub-groups of the membership.  Where relevant, these Committees should liaise with any nationally recognised or affiliated groups within the Party with similar objectives.

This provides a structure within which Committees can be developed for any purpose, including to cater for local CWO, YC, CPF groups, etc.

The Board may direct the Executive Council to establish a Committee for a particular topic or purpose, or may set other rules governing Committees.

The Board may lay down Rules which apply to any Committee established by the Executive Council pursuant to clause [X].

Stick with the existing wording.   This is bureaucracy gone mad.   Why does a Committee have to be chaired by a member of the Executive Council?   Why does the Executive Council have to set out the membership of the Committee and review this after each AGM?   Committees should not be set up to promote activity outside the Association!   Why should the Board direct the Executive Council to establish a Committee or set other rules governing Committees?

This is another power grab by the unaccountable, unelected Board.   It is killing the voluntary Party.   With all this bureaucracy imposing all these conditions no one with any sense will want to be a Officer of an Association.   CCHQ will then achieve what it wants, no voluntary Party will exist!

Existing:

6.6.2    The Executive Council shall appoint not less than three signatories for Association bank accounts, bank drafts or cheques or similar documents which shall always require authorisation by at least two of those authorised signatories. This shall include the written authorisation to control electronic, online or digital banking and all payments made in such forms.

Proposed:

The Executive Council shall appoint no fewer than 3 signatories for Association bank accounts, with cheques or other payments always requiring authorisation by at least two of those signatories, to the extent possible. The Board shall set out further rules in this area as necessary.

Delete: “The Board shall set out further rules in this area as necessary”.

More power grab by the Board!

Sch 7-16      7 Branches

7.1 The Executive Council may establish Branches of the Association, in wards, polling districts or other geographical areas in the Constituency or Constituencies, consisting of all members of the Association resident in that geographical area.

The Board may set down further rules in relation to the operation of Branches.

 

Delete “or Constituencies”

Delete: “The Board may set down further rules in relation to the operation of Branches”   Another power grab!

7.4        Each Branch shall consist of the following Officers: Move to Rulebook (in substantively the same form)

Where is this Rulebook?   Is it part of the Constitution?

Sch 7-17     8   AGENT, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, OR OTHER STAFF

Existing

8.1        The Executive Council shall have power to appoint a member of staff who shall be responsible to the Executive Council for supervising the work of the Party organisation throughout the constituency.

Proposed

The Executive Council shall have power to appoint staff, who shall be responsible to the Executive Council for undertaking activity in pursuance of the Objective of the Association throughout the constituency or constituencies, in line with a role specification which the Executive Council shall approve.

This applies to staff employed directly and those employed via a consultancy contract.

The Board may issue guidance or directions on the employment of staff, including template employment contracts and the handling of disputes, which Associations may be required to adopt.

Delete: “or constituencies”

Delete: The Board may issue guidance or directions on the employment of staff, including template employment contracts and the handling of disputes, which Associations may be required to adopt.

More power to the Board!

 

Executive Council Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (5)

 

Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (5)

Review of the Conservative Party Constitution - Phase 3

Document sent to Party members by the Chairman of the National Convention, Julian Ellacott 29 January 2026

Suggested changes:

6 Executive Council

Sch 7-11

6.1.3

Existing: 6.1.3 [One or more – which number must be defined] representatives from each ward, The Association may list the wards in order to vary the number according to the size of the ward. if the ward is covered by a single branch, that branch may elect the representative(s) at its AGM;

Proposed

[NUMBER] representatives from each ward, who shall be on the electoral roll in that ward

Should we clarify what “ward” means, in two tier council areas? (Eg the higher tier)

Should this remain a variable, or be fixed at (for example) 1 per ward, regardless?

Or should it be tied to the number of elected councillors (regardless of party) per ward (so that there is some reflection of underlying electorate size)?

Or should there be greater flexibility but with second line agreement by Area, eg “The number and distribution of ward representatives shall be agreed immediately after each AGM between the Management Team and Area Management Executive, and must balance the need for broad equality of electors covered by each representative with the need for the Executive Council to be of an appropriate total size to fulfil its role effectively, taking into account any guidance issued by the Board

Should there be substitutes for ward representatives?

Should they be required to be on the electoral roll in the relevant ward, or is this too restrictive?

Should the Management Team be able to appoint ward representatives if they cannot be filled otherwise (and in such cases these roles could be made non-voting)?

Agree that representatives should be on the electoral roll in that ward

Otherwise Stick to the existing rule.   Why get into more bureaucracy and why should once again .”taking account of any guidance issued by the Board”   A Constitution should be certain, not subject to alterations which ordinary members never get told about.

6.1.5. Proposed

An elected member of the principal local authority or authorities in which the Association operates, nominated by the Conservative Group Leader;

Should the provision about living within the constituency be retained (especially in an era of larger unitaries)?   Yes

Existing

6.1.11 Up to four further persons co-opted by the Executive Council

Proposed

The Executive Council shall cease to exist at the start of each Annual General Meeting, and shall be re-formed immediately following the Annual General Meeting.  The Management Team shall oversee the re-election or re-appointment of all positions except those which are ex officio.

A full list of the Executive Council membership shall be provided to all members of the Association annually, following its formation.

Stick to existing clause but add proposed addition to it.

Sch 7-13

6.5.1

Proposed: . The Executive Council shall have all powers necessary (subject to any resolutions of the Association made at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting) to manage the affairs of the Association and its membership, including any Committees, provided that their actions do not contradict the purpose of the Party or objective of the Association, or any direction from the Board.

Delete “or any direction from the Board”   More interference by the Board!