In June 1997 the Conservative Party set out to elect a new Leader after the General Election defeat. A Constitution for the Party had been proposed, but the Establishment closed ranks to stop it! Archie Norman sets out his views. John Strafford responds!
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (13)
Draft
New Conservative Party Constitution (13)
I have given many comments on Schedule 7 of the
Constitution (see below), so I will not repeat them, other than to say that the
Establishment have maintained their grip on control of the Party. However there are a few points that ought to
be looked at again. They are as follow:
Proposed by CCHQ:
Schedule VII-7 Refusal of membership or
expulsion from an Association
To be removed, subject to legal check – it most likely
duplicates material in Membership section.
How can you put forward something that requires a
legal check? What if it doesn’t
duplicate material in the Membership section? Sloppy!
Schedule 7- 7 Officers
Proposed by CCHQ:
A Treasurer
Agreed good common sense
Proposed by CCHQ: An individual shall not be eligible for
election as Association Chairman where they are, in relation to any part of the
geographic area covered by the Association:
(a) a councillor of a principal local authority;
(b) an elected Mayor;
(c) a Member of Parliament;
(d) a Member of the Welsh Senedd;
(e) a Member of the Scottish Parliament; or
(f) a candidate for any of
(b) to (e) above.
Where an Association Chairman, after election
as Chairman, is elected or selected to any role listed above, and that role
relates to any part of the geographic area covered by the Association, they
must stand down as Chairman at the next Annual General Meeting.
This is an improvement on the Party Constitution and
should be applauded subject to the following:
Insert: after (e) “a member of the Northern Ireland
Assembly; or”
Delete: “(b) to (e) above”
Insert: “(a) to (f) above”
Delete: “at the next Annual General Meeting”
Insert: after stand down as Chairman “and a meeting of
the Executive Council called to elect a new Chairman as per Schedule 7-8 5.6.
If you are a Candidate for any of the above there is a conflict of interest in your role as a Candidate which is a political role, and and accountable as such to the Party and the role of Chairman responsible for the Party organisation.
Existing Constitution
Sch 7 -13
6.5.11 The Executive Council shall have the power (subject
to any resolutions of the Association made at an Annual General Meeting or a
Special General Meeting) to deal with all matters affecting the Association and
its membership, and to exercise control over all Branches and specialist
committees or groups.
Proposed by CCHQ:
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 meet the purpose of the Association
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”
The Board could direct anything. Why should it have that power?
Proposed by CCHQ:
6.5.3 The Association’s representatives on its Area Council
shall be the Chairman, Deputy Chairman Political and Deputy Chairman Membership
and Finance. For Associations covering more than one constituency, the
Constituency Officer (for each constituency) plus two further representatives
living in each constituency, elected by the Executive Council, shall also be
members of the Area Council.
Delete: entire clause.
Insert “All members of the Association shall be members
of the Area Council and the Regional Council”
If we want a democratic Party then ordinary members
should be able to attend and vote at Area and Regional meetings. The Conservative Party abolished pyramid
democracy in the Trade Unions. Why
allow it in the Conservative Party?
Sch 7 22
Proposed by CCHQ
A motion at any meeting of the Association shall be carried
on a majority vote, unless provided for otherwise by the Board.
Delete: “unless provided for otherwise by the Board”
What is the point of voting if the Board can overrule it?
Proposed:
Sch 7 23
14.1 The Board shall set rules for the resolution of
disputes.
What Rules?
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (12) - the Rulebook!
As this is the third draft of Schedule 7 I was hoping that many of the suggestions made on the first draft would have been taken up. Not a chance! Once again we have the undemocratic Party Board increasing its power. The bureaucracy gets worse. In addition to this large chunks of Schedule 7 have been moved to the "Rulebook" - whatever that is. I will make some detailed comments later but in the meantime just what is the "Rulebook?" Has anyone seen it? Is it part of the Constitution? Who controls it? Can it be changed and if so how and who by? Will ordinary Party members have any say in it or will it just be changed by the Party Board or the National Convention without the ordinary members being informed? Will every member get a copy of it?
I think we should be told!
Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (12)
Email sent by Julian Ellacott: 23 May 2026:
Finally, following the consultation on Schedules 7/7A earlier in the year, the comments received have been analysed and an updated draft produced.
Given its significance, we are circulating the draft to enable any further comment – if you have any comments, please email national.convention@conservatives.com.
Thank you in for your participation in this important task.
Yours sincerely,
Julian Ellacott
Chairman of the National Convention and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee
Email sent by Julian Ellacott: 23 May 2026:
Finally, following the consultation on Schedules 7/7A earlier in the year, the comments received have been analysed and an updated draft produced.
Given its significance, we are circulating the draft to enable any further comment – if you have any comments, please email national.convention@conservatives.com.
Thank you in for your participation in this important task.
|
Constitutional Review Post-Consultation Paper –
Exposure Draft 2 (May 2026)
Phase 3 (consulted on in Q1 2026;)
This Phase covers the following topics:
·
Part VII – Associations
Monday, July 6, 2026
Draft New Conservative Party Constitution (11)
Draft
New Conservative Party Constitution (11)
Review of the Conservative Party Constitution - Phase 6
Document sent to Party members by the Chairman of the
National Convention, Julian Ellacott 23
May 2026:
We have now moved onto to Phase 6, which
covers the following sections:
- Part I – the Party’s Purpose
- Part XIII and Schedule 9 – Changes to
the Constitution
- Part XIV – Commencement Provisions
- Part XV and Schedule 1 – Interpretation
Proposals:
Part XIII
Changes to the Constitution - these continue the totally undemocratic ways in which the Constitution is changed.
My
Proposed Changes, Delete: the whole of Part XIII
Insert: PART
XIII
CHANGES
TO THE CONSTITUTION
90 Subject to the provisions of Article 91
below, this Constitution may be amended or changed provided that the amendment
or change is approved by
90.1 not less than 60% of Party members
voting in favour of the amendment or
change at an Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting to which all Party
members have been invited.
90.2 not less than 50% of Party members present
and voting at the Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting to which all Party
members have been invited.
91
Notice of the proposed adoption,
amendment, change, or repeal of the Constitution shall be given with the notice
convening the meeting of the Party at which such proposed adoption, amendment,
change or repeal is to be considered.
92
The provisions of Schedule 9 to this
Constitution shall have effect.
The
Current proposals by CCHQ give huge powers to the Party Board, who are
unaccountable to ordinary Party members.
Proposal:
My
Proposed Changes, Delete: The whole of Schedule 9
Insert:
Schedule 9
1 Any
proposal to amend this Constitution may be initiated by the following:
1.1
A resolution of the National Conservative
Convention;
1.2
A petition, delivered to the Chairman of
the Board, signed by not less than 10,000 Party members.
1.3
A resolution of the Board;
1.4
A resolution of the Executive of the 1922
Committee.
1.5 A resolution of an Annual or Special General Meeting to which all Party members have been invited. This shall be submitted in the form of a Notice of Motion provided it has first received the endorsement of either a Regional Council to which all Party members in the Region have been invited, or the Executive Councils of ten Constituency Associations and authority has been given for it to be moved at the meeting by a representative nominated for that purpose.
2 Upon receipt of the resolution, the Chairman of the Board shall notify all members in writing of a proposed ballot on a motion for the change of the Constitution. The notification shall:
2.1
state the terms of the motion;
2.2
state the return date, time and address
for ballot papers, not being a date less than 28 days, nor more than 56 days
from the date of notification of the ballot. This notification shall be given
with the notice convening the meeting of the Party at which such proposed
adoption, amendment, change or repeal is to be considered.
3 This Constitution
may be amended or changed provided that the amendment or change is approved by
3.1
not less than 60% of Party members
voting in favour of the amendment or
change at an Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting to which all Party
members have been invited.
3.2
not less than 50% of Party members attending the meeting, voted
at the Annual Meeting or Special General Meeting to which all Party members
have been invited.
There are parts of the
Constitution which are changed without the members having any say or having any
knowledge of the change until that change is published. For example, the Rules on the Selection of
Candidates are changed every year by the
Candidates Committee and members have no say in these changes. Similarly the Rules for the Leadership
election are changed without the members knowing about the change until it is
published as a fait accompli. Sub-Committees
of the Party Board or indeed the Party Board itself should not be allowed to change
the Constitution. They can make
recommendations, but it should be up to the members of the Party to agree rule
changes.
Friday, July 3, 2026
Draft Conservative Party Constitution Phase 6
Here we go again. Comments to follow in due course!
Dear John, Thank you to the many of you who provided your input in response to the previous 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, covering different topics, starting last year and running until later this year. 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 6, which covers the following sections: - Part I – the Party’s Purpose - Part XIII and Schedule 9 – Changes to the Constitution - Part XIV – Commencement Provisions - Part XV and Schedule 1 – Interpretation The document setting out suggested changes and questions for your consideration is here. |
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)