Conservative Party Reform

At the COPOV meeting held on 18th July the following changes to the Party's constitution were agreed unanimously:

•           The Conservative Party constitution may be amended or changed by the members of the Party at a General Meeting of the Party on the basis of one member one vote provided there is a majority voting in favour of amendment or change and not less than 50% of the members have voted.   Proxy voting shall be allowed.
•        There should be an Annual General Meeting of the Party to which all members are invited. (Note: this meeting should not always be held in the same location so as to prevent it being skewed in favour of members from a particular Region.)
•          The Chairman of the Party should be responsible for the Party Organisation.
•        The Chairman and Treasurer of the Party should be elected by the members of the Party.
•          The Chairman of the Party should present an Annual Report on the Party organisation at the Annual General Meeting of the Party for adoption by the members.
•        The Treasurer of the Party should present the Annual Accounts of the Party to the Annual General Meeting for adoption by the members.
•         The Chairman of the Committee on Candidates should be elected by the members of the Party and should present a report on candidate selection at the Annual General Meeting of the Party.
•        The Chairman of any policy groups should be elected by the members of the Party and should present a report on their workings at the Annual General Meeting of the Party.
•          Motions for debate on policy should be allowed at the Party’s Conference and voted upon.   If due to time constraints all motions submitted cannot be debated the members at the Conference should be able to choose at least three motions for debate.
•           All motions duly proposed and seconded should be put on the Party’s web site.
•               Regional/Area/Constituency officers should be directly elected by the members of the Party.
•         Should the Leader of the Party enter into a Coalition Agreement or Arrangement with another Party the Agreement must be endorsed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Party and a Special Meeting of members of the Party within seven days of the Agreement or the Agreement will lapse.

 We hope that all Party members will support these changes so that the Conservative Party will have a Constitution fit for the 21st Century.

Party Reform - Conservative Party Constitution

If anyone would like to see a copy of the Conservative Party Constitution please send your request to John Strafford

Party members banned from observing National Convention

Tomorrow there will be the Annual Meeting of the Conservative Party's National Convention.   It should be an interesting meeting as the Officers of the Convention are up for election.   The Convention consists mainly of Regional,and Area officers together with Constituency Association Chairmen.   One of the biggest weaknesses of the Convention is that Association Chairmen only serve three years so few of those attending have any great knowledge of the history of the Party.
When Raymond Monbiot was Chairman of the Convention, he agreed, after some lobbying, that ordinary members of the Party could attend the Convention as non-voting observers.   It is in this capacity that I have attended meetings of the Convention for the last ten years.   I am particularly disappointed that this year observers have been banned from attending the Convention.   Why?
The Spring Forum for members was a half hearted effort this year.   We no longer have motions at the Party's conference.   The voluntary Party no longer run the Conference.   If the Party no longer wants ordinary members to be involved why not say so and we can stop paying our subscriptions for what is now a charade called membership!
I am hoping that out of the Party Review by Lord Feldman we will get a more open, transparent democratic Party.   It does not augur well when established processes are abandoned.   Perhaps the control freak tendency in Central Office is still alive and well.

Review of the Conservative Party

Do come to the COPOV Forum on 18th July . Details shown in "Events"
What do we need to create a democratic Conservative Party?
Should we have an Annual General Meeting of all members?
Should the Party Chairman be elected by the members?
Should the Party Constitution be capable of being changed by a clear majority of Party members?
These and other issues will be discussed and debated at the meeting.
Have your say.   Join in the debate.