History of the Conservative Party Constitution - Episode 10

 Nov 1999 Selection of Candidates. The ugly faces of Money and Ethics were raised in the selection of Candidates for the London Mayoral Election. There was a democratic process, however CCHQ allowed the Candidates to spend £80,000 each in their campaigns. Jeffrey Archer spent that on his campaign. This is an obscene amount of money to be spent on an internal Party election and was the forerunner of even larger amounts being spent on future elections. Once again money talks in the Conservative Party. Sensible limits should be imposed for each candidate but you will not find that in the Party Constitution. Archer was a controversial Candidate with a dubious background. CCHQ responsibility is to conduct due diligence. Did they, and if not why not? Why was Archer not referred to the Ethics Committee? Many people thought he should not have been allowed to be the Candidate. Were lessons learnt?

History of the Conservative Party Constitution - Episode 9

 Should the vote on the re-selection of a sitting MP be by secret ballot?

    The Conservative Party Constitution was implemented in 1998, but the arguments as to what should or should not be included in the Constitution continued and are still continuing! A major issue was whether the Executive Council of a Constituency Association should vote on the re-selection of their existing MP by show of hands or by secret ballot. This became an issue in March 1999 when the Henley Constituency Association had to decide on whether Michael Heseltine should be re-selected.

    In 1997 I moved a motion at the meeting of the National Union Executive Committee that "On the re-selection of an MP by the Executive Council of a Constituency Association the vote should be by secret ballot". The motion was carried overwhelmingly. At which point Archie Hamilton who was then the Chairman of the 1922 Committee objected. He said that part of the deal whereby the members of the Party had a vote in the Leadership election, as a quid pro quo the vote on the re-selection of a sitting MP should be taken by a show of hands. (It would be interesting to know who participated in this deal!) The result was that in the new Constitution the decision was taken by a show of hands.

    In 1999 Bryony Bethell who was Chairman of the Buckingham Constituency Association moved a motion at the National Convention that the decision should be taken by secret ballot. The motion was passed and the MPs accepted it. The then MP for Buckingham John Bercow was so annoyed by her action that he ensured that she did not continue as Chairman of the Constituency Association.

This result was a win for the grass roots of the Party, but a loss for Briony Bethell!

History of the Conservative Party Constitution - Episode 8

 At last the Constitution of the Conservative Party is published, but is it a democratic Constitution? See how many assertions were made which turned out to be wrong!

History of the Conservative Party Constitution - Episode 7

 In February 1998 William Hague launched a paper setting out the principles of a democratic Conservative Party Constitution - it was called "Fresh Future".   It raised the hopes of ordinary Party members, only to see those hopes later annihilated.