Re: Party
Reform
The disappointing result of the
General Election has demonstrated beyond doubt that urgent changes are needed
in the structure of the Conservative Party.
I have never known such a badly organised campaign. It showed the danger of too much power being
held in too few hands and the ground campaign highlighted the severe
deficiencies in our membership.
The
main changes needed are:
- Replacing
the National Convention with an Annual General Meeting to which all
members are invited.
- Party
Chairman, One Deputy Chairman, Party Treasurer, Chairman of the Candidates
Committee and the Chairman of the Conservative Policy Forum to be elected.
- Changing
the way in which the Party’s Constitution can be altered.
We must now start to reform the
Party to make it more inclusive and for those running the organisation to be
accountable. I attach hereto some alterations
to the Party Constitution to start this process, which I hope the 1922
Committee will endorse. I am sending a
copy of these proposals to Rob Semple (Chairman of the National Convention).
Detailed changes shown below:
Detailed changes shown below:
Constitution of the Conservative Party – alterations
Page 3 Delete: PART V
THE NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION
Insert: PART V
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Page 3 Delete: Schedule 3
THE NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION
Insert:
Schedule 3
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Page 6 12.1 Delete: “appointed by the Leader”
Insert: “elected at the Annual General
Meeting”
Page 6 12.2.1 Delete:
“Chairman of the National Conservative Convention”
Insert:
“ elected at the Annual General Meeting”
Page 6 12.3 Delete: “National Conservative Convention (in
addition to the Chairman of the National
Conservative Convention)”
Insert:
“Annual General Meeting”
Page 6 12.9 Delete:
“appointed by the Leader”
Insert:
“elected at the Annual General Meeting”
Page 6 15 Delete
“and shall be Secretary of the National Convention.”
Page 7 17.11 Delete:
National Conservative Convention”
Insert:
“Annual General Meeting”
Page 8 PART V
Delete: The whole of “PART V”
Insert: PART V
THE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
20 The Annual General Meeting of the Party
shall be held before the end of
March each year, being within three months of
the Party’s financial year, for
the following purposes:
20.1
To receive and adopt the audited accounts of the Party;
20.2
To receive and adopt the Party Report prepared by the Chairman of the Party
20.3 To receive and adopt
the Report by the Chairman of the Candidates
Committee.
20.4 To receive and adopt
the Report by the Chairman of the Conservative Policy Forum.
21 The Annual General Meeting shall elect in
accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3 the following officers: President,
Party Chairman, One Deputy Chairman, Party Treasurer, Chairman of the
Candidates Committee, Chairman of the Conservative Policy Forum.
22
The Annual General Meeting will also elect four further members to the Party
Board in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3
23
The Leader of the Party shall be invited to attend the Annual General Meeting.
Page 11 44 Delete
“National Conservative Convention and on”
Page 13 63 Delete
“National Conservative Convention”
Insert
“Party Board”
Page 14 66.1 Delete “appointed by the Leader”
Insert “elected at the Annual General
Meeting”
Page 15 80.2 Delete “National Conservative
Convention”
Insert “Party”
Page 16 80.3 Delete “the President for the
time being of the National Conservative Convention”
Insert “the President of the Party”
Page 17 90
Delete
91.1 Delete “Constitutional College voting”
Insert
“Party in attendance and voting in General Meeting”
91.2 Delete “Constitutional College eligible to vote”
Insert
“Party in attendance and eligible to vote in General Meeting”
92 Delete
Page 20/21 Delete the whole of Schedule 3
Insert Schedule 3
Annual General Meeting
1
A
meeting of the Party shall take place annually, arrangements for such
meetings shall be organised and
administered by the Party Board.
2
Not
less than 56 days prior to the Annual Meeting, the Secretary of the Party Board
shall communicate with all Party members by e-mail and by notice on the Party’s
official web site.
2.1
Giving
notice of the date of the Annual Meeting
2.2
Inviting
nominations from the Party members for election of the President, Chairman, One
Deputy Chairman, Party Treasurer, Chairman of the Candidates Committee,
Chairman of the Conservative Policy Forum and four members of the Party Board.
2.3
Stating
the date by which nominations must be returned, being not less than 28 clear
days from the date of the notice, nor more than 21 clear days from the date of
the Annual Meeting
2.4
Stating
the address to which the nominations must be returned.
3
Only
those members of the Party that are fully paid up not less than 28 days prior
to the Annual Meeting shall be entitled to vote.
4
Any
nomination for any such office or post referred to in Paragraph 2.2 herein must
be submitted on Official Nomination
papers signed by not less than twelve members of the Party together with a
signed letter from the nominee accepting nomination.
5
Any
nominee for any such office or post referred to in Paragraph 2.2 herein shall
have been a Member of the Party for not less than two years.
6
Any
nominee for the office of President shall have been an elected member of the
Board for one year.
7
No
member of the Party may hold office
7.1
as
one of the elected representatives of the Board (other than as President
or Chairman) for more than five
consecutive years;
7.2
as
Chairman of the Party for more than five consecutive years;
7.3
as
President for more than one year.
8
At
the Party’s Annual Meeting the members shall receive, prior to elections
reports from the elected Officers referred to in Paragraph 2.2 herein, such
Area Management Executives and Recognised Organisations as the Meeting shall
determine. The Meeting shall also
consider any proposed changes to this Constitution in accordance with such
procedure as the Meeting shall determine.
9
The
Secretary of the Party Board shall act as Chief Returning Officer in any
election at any Annual Meeting of the Party.
10 An Officer of the
Party who is not standing for re-election shall assume the chairmanship of the
Meeting during the election of Officers.
If all the Officers are standing for re-election, then the Secretary of
the Party Board shall assume the chair.
11 Elections shall
take place at the Annual Meeting of the Party and shall be held by secret
ballot. Provision may be made at the discretion of the Party Board for voting
to take place prior to the meeting.
12 Upon a petition
signed by not less than sixty Constituency Chairmen to the Secretary of the
Party Board the Chairman of the Party shall call an Extraordinary Meeting of
the Party.
13 The Secretary of
the Party Board shall give not less than 28 clear days notice of the
Extraordinary Meeting by email to Party members and by notice on the Party’s
web site together with an Agenda for the meeting.
14 Subject to the
provisions of this Constitution the Board shall be advised of the rules
governing the conduct of General Meetings and rules of Procedure to be adopted
at the Meetings.
Page 22 1
Delete “ National Convention”
Insert “Party”
5 Delete “National Convention”
Insert “Party”
6.1 Delete “National Convention”
Insert “Party”
6.2 Delete
6.3 Delete
6.4 Delete
Page 69 1.2 Delete
“National Conservative Convention”
Insert “Annual Meeting of
the Party”
1.5 Delete
Page 71 1.1 Delete
1.2 Delete “10,000”
Insert “1,000”
2 Delete
3 Delete
4 Delete
The following letter was sent by Cllr. Allan Glass:
ReplyDeleteAfter the fiasco of the last election I felt I had to comment on the naivety of the campaign and disregard for anyone outside the M25. At CPF we have put forward as party members many ideas and commented upon ideas by Central Office to make the ideas firstly acceptable to PARTY MEMBERS and most of the people in the country. We need a good communicator who will both rebuff BBC questions from the left wing and let the electorate know that we are not voting for a President, we are voting for our local MP and Party. We need to listen to the PARTY MEMBERS not some paid nonentity adviser, who to keep a well paid job will say what you want them to. To create a live party we need to give the members the voice they join the party to use. We need to set a manifesto, cost it, and stick to it come hell or high water. Let the members who agree with Conservative principles vet ideas or come up with them. CPF is free to the party and has lots of fine minds considering the ideas. These ideas would give people a good reason to pay to join the party they follow. I think also we must realise that the UK expands past the ring of the M25. There is life out there.
Any good manager should use the available talent and give a reason for the workforce to want to do their job. I hope that we can learn, listen and win with a large majority next time, not kick own goals at election time.
Cllr Allan Glass