The following bodies received funding from the Government or Local Authorities in 2012. They also lobby the Government!
ActionAid £4,466,000
Action on Smoking and Health £150,000
Alcohol Concern £209,336
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development £9,034,000
Christian Aid £12,240,000
Child Poverty Action Group £90,000
Disability Rights UK £517,965
Family Action £14,654,000
Fresh North East £713,000
National Children's Bureau £1,572,118
Oxfam £23,700,000
Save the Children Fund £54,255,000
Shelter £2,569,000
Stonewall £79,000
War on Want £162,544
Some of these bodies campaign as political lobbyists. All spend some of their monies on campaigns or lobbying. Is this right?
Ben Harris-Quinney
Below
is a list of 11 recommendations that the Bow Group, Conservative Voice and
Conservative Grassroots have published in order to help the Conservative Party
reconnect with its base...
1.
More Dialogue between Members of Parliament and Senior Volunteers
There
needs to be real and regular dialogue between senior volunteers and Conservative
Members of Parliament. We passionately believe in the concept of ‘one party’ –
volunteers and parliamentarians working together for electoral success. During
his time as Chairman of the Conservative National Convention, Don Porter was
delighted to pioneer the election of three additional MPs to the Party Board.
This simple change, overwhelmingly endorsed by both senior volunteers and MPs,
allowed those with different roles within the Party to work together more
closely to deliver a single vision and such initiatives could be rolled out in
other more localised structures.
2.
Party Board Chairman – Let Volunteers Decide
The
Chairman of the Party Board should not be appointed by the Party leader. The
Conservative Party website states that the Chairman’s role is to “bring the
Conservative family together” and to “connect” the Voluntary and Parliamentary
branches of the Party. To achieve this, the Chairman of the Board should be
elected by Party members.
3.
Empower the National Convention
The
National Convention is the Parliament of the Voluntary Party. It comprises all
Association Chairmen and Regional Offcers, along with representatives from the
Conservative Women’s Organisation and Conservative Future. This body, whose
members bring with them so much campaigning, experience and understanding of the
Conservative grassroots should be given real powers and authority.
For
example, National Convention members should have a real say about how the money
they raise for the Party is spent. Volunteers raise over £28 million annually –
more than even the most generous individual or corporate donors. They keep the
blue fag fying at the local level by campaigning in local elections, fundraising
and producing literature. Locally, they decide how to spend the money they
raise. It is only right that they should have a say in how the money they raise
for the national Party is spent by CCHQ.
4.
Hold a Conservative Annual General Meeting
There
should be a Conservative Party AGM which is open to all members. In addition,
biannual regional meetings of the Party, to which all members in the region are
invited, should also be resurrected nationwide. All MPs and MEPs should play a
role in these sessions.
5.
Let Volunteers Choose Candidates
Every
Party Board committee should be led by an elected and experienced volunteer.
Similarly, there must be no dilution of the involvement of members in the
selection of their local and national candidates. This is an essential component
in the fabric of our party.
To
that end, open primaries should be scrapped in favour of closed primaries. They
de- motivate Conservative activists and members. Loyal activists should not be
overlooked by people with no history of commitment to the Party in favour of
candidates who may feel that they owe no loyalty to the Party. Closed primaries
offer a better alternative, and CCHQ should have no involvement in pushing
forward an ‘approved list’ that has been centrally picked. The role should be
reduced to one of very basic background checks.
6.
Build a Broader Base of Support
The
days of vast membership politics may be over. Therefore, we need an enlightened
approach which allows the Conservative Party to reach out to groups which share
our values, and to mobilise their support for the Conservative cause. We need to
learn lessons not just from the American political parties but also from major
charities, and to become more professional in our retention of members and
supporters.
Both
the Republican and Democrat Parties seek support from other like-minded
organisations, political or otherwise, as a core part of their engagement
activities. They use these ‘affnity groups’ to build up the level of trust in
their party; they fundraise or gain volunteers for specifc issues that voters
relate to and then ‘grow’ them into regular activists over a period of time. In
an age where voters are more likely to support a single issue campaign than to
join a political party, it makes sense for the Conservative Party to seek
support amongst members of other groups which share our values.
7.
Let Volunteers Drive the Conference Agenda
Volunteers
should be given more chances to choose motions for debate at the annual Party
Conference. These debates should be held away from television cameras and the
media. By allowing members to speak in the main hall once again and vote on
party policy as well as election manifestos, the conference can be reformed into
a democratic, open and less stage-managed occasion.
8.
Recognise and Reward Volunteers
There
should be a real emphasis on recognising and rewarding loyal volunteers across
the Party. Volunteers do not give up their time because they expect fnancial
reward. However, some form of recognition – even a simple letter showing that
the Party is aware of and appreciates a volunteer’s efforts – would be hugely
appreciated and could raise grassroots morale.
Trusting
the electorate to make decisions about local issues must be matched by trusting
our local activists and members to have a greater say in the organisation of our
Party and in the development of policies based on our values and principles. The
time is now ripe for a real engagement of volunteers and parliamentarians in the
running of our Party.
9.
Revolutionising Online Communications
Digital
has opened a whole array of options to interact with a politically curious but
disaffected population. This requires a less centrally managed approach based on
the delivery of a static message, and greater interaction by being open to
petitions and motions to be debated. This is done successfully by pressure
groups such as Avaaz and 38 degrees but needs to be mimicked by political
parties in order to remain relevant.
10.
The break-up of the Coalition Government
The
Coalition should dissolve in the lead up to the 2015 general election, followed
by a commitment not to enter into coalitions with non-conservative parties going
forward. With the Coalition’s reason for coming in to existence – namely, the
stabilising of the economy – now achieved, there is little reason to justify its
existence. The normal shelf life of a government is four years, and the most
signifcant aspects of the legislative agenda have been delivered.
By
seeing out the rest of this parliament as a minority, the Conservatives can put
clear night and day between themselves and their opponents and showcase
themselves as the only choice for right wing voters in 2015. With a recent
ComRes poll suggesting support for right wing parties (UKIP & Conservatives)
is at over 50%, the notion that chasing this vote is a road to nowhere is a
fallacy.
11.
Say No To State Funding
No
public money should be given to political parties. This would further damage
levels of engagement among activists and reduce the incentives for the
leadership to engage with them and place the beat traditions of British
democracy under threat.
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