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.