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.

 At present the ordinary Party member has no say in the Party Constitution.   The Party Board is unaccountable to the  members.   If the Conservative Party  is to be a genuinely democratic Party this has to change.

                   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.