Breakdown of BtL voting mechanisms

CCHQ has sent ConservativeHome the breakdown of how people voted in the Built to Last referendum.  65,889 people voted in total....

• 39,851 (60.5%) voted by postal ballot;
• 17,354 (26.3%) via the internet;
• 7,210 (10.9%) by telephone;
• 1,474 (2.2%) by SMS.

The CCHQ ballot paper suggested that a text vote would cost £1.50 and a phone vote about £1.20.

Comments

[Richard Weatherill]

Probably no great surprises in these figures, though it's good that CCHQ were so forthcoming. By my reckoning, the phone/SMS votes will have brought in just under £11,000 (before costs).

[Geoff]

I would have used "Analysis of..." as a headline, personally, as many people do think that the process 'broke down'. That's actually how I initially read it!

As I mentioned on another thread; my ballot paper only turned up yesterday which was rather unfortunate as I certainly would have voted.

[Henry Cook]

Surprised at how few voted by text - I did so as it seemed to be the easiest way to do it, and gave a small boost to party funds.

[cynic]

can't help but think your title is spot on 'Breakdown' it is!

Real result;

for 61,079 24.8%
against 4,810 1.9%
Abstentions 180,866 73.3%

frankly if we want to encourage people to vote then charging up tp £1.50 for the privilege seems a little bizzarre and sends out an odd message

[James Maskell]

Especially when these members pay for the privilege of voting when they pay their subs...why charge them twice for it?

[Richard]

"Surprised at how few voted by text - I did so as it seemed to be the easiest way to do it, and gave a small boost to party funds."

I'm a cheapskate student on pay-as-you-go and I find the internet convenient too.

[Chris]

I voted by internet, took all of a couple of minutes and didn't cost me a penny. In a way I'm suprised more didn't vote that way, only reason i could see for using phone or text over the internet or postal would be so that you were donating money.

[Wallenstein]

I couldn't be bothered to vote and didn't

Most Tories are over 65 and few are likely to be voting on the internet.

In the past franked envelopes have been provided. The replacement of this facility by premium rate lines was clearly a cynical ploy designed to rip off the Tory oldies bigtime.

[EML]

I didn't abstain, I just didn't receive anything through the post.

I suspect it all got sent to my old address, despite my changing it at least a few weeks in advance.

No great loss, I would have vote yes.

[David Banks]

i plain forgot due to fancying a girl.

[Geoff]

Is she on the A-List, David?

[James Maskell]

Wallenstein is right here...is the Party so tight? It cant be as it can afford 40k for a new logo which our own Chairman said they werent spending much time on.

OK, he wasnt lying about spending little time on it, but Im sure you get my point...

[Paul Kennedy]

David's (Banks) A-List that is. ;)

I have to admit guilt, by mistake the forms ended up in the recycling bin......I think, it would have been a "yes" vote, as I agreed with the majority of what it said.

Whether in the long term BTL will prove to be of benefit to us, time will tell. It was a wordy document for the electorate in general to take in.

Personally I'm looking forward to the time when we have some key policies to sell on the doorstep, but I do understand that the leadership want to keep our powder keg dry for as long as possible.

[tn1487]

It is possible that a low turnout could be attributed to none delivery of ballot papers.

I know of ppl across the country that can be found on bluechip-yet never received their papers even after contacting CCHQ and Electoral Reform Society.

[Adrian Owens]

Yes tn1487 (how about a better alias?)

I've heard of more than 10 people who didn't receive ballot papers in different parts of the country .

[C-lister]

Ah yes - voting. Knew there was something I had to do. Couldn't imagine how it slipped my memory, such an inspiring event it was. And I got my usual three ballot papers.

[Jamie Douglas]

i think Chris is spot on in what he says, and Wallenstein misses the point, in that you could quite easily post it back to them, at the huge cost of 1 stamp, and it WAS pointed out in the letter that voting by text or phone would save the party money (which is the same as donating in my opinion.)

oh and James Maskell, i didn't see any need to replace the old logo either. Until i saw the new one. when you look at them side by side, the new logo makes the old one look outdated, shouty, grumpy, and forceful.

the new one by comparison is fresh and friendly, and in the long term will do the image of the party the world of good.

[David Banks]

She's on my A list! She's just finished her A levels actually. ( Pretty massive age gap, but she 's pretty and well , i'm mass..ooh well i shouldn't boast :-)

[James Maskell]

Mmmm, the Guardian placing them both side by side does make the difference very apparent.

[hf]

Well on the plus side.

We had as many as the English Lib Dems have Members.

We had as many votes via the internet as UKIP has as Members.

And our membership has fallen by a far smaller number than Lab, LD and UKIP in the past year.

In my local group, Memberships have gone up.

[Matt Davis]

I myself didn't receive a ballot paper at all and so couldn't vote and I am a Councillor and an Area Officer. My Association Chairman didn't recieve a ballot paper either.

I suspect that the low turnout has a great deal to do with missing ballot papers. I understand that CPON (The Conservative Political Officers Network, i.e. Tory Council Group's research officers)have been collating numerous instances of members who did not get ballot papers as well as some examples of people who are not members calling CCHQ and being sent one.

All round, and whether it is as a result of cock up or conspiracy, the conduct of this ballot leaves a great deal to be desired and completely undermines the result, as does the low turnout.

[Ben Redsell]

I think the issue of non receipt of ballot papers appears to be down to the local associations. My association for instance is really good at telling CCHQ who the membership is, but absolutely crap at telling CF which members are theirs. So I got my ballot for Built to Last, but had to chase my CF ballot papers.

All this will change when we finally get a central membership list and BlueChip2.

The turnout doesn't undermine the result. If people were really unhappy with it they'd have voted against. It's only the doomsayers who argue thus. Don't forget more people voted for BtL than voted in the Labour NEC elections. In fact more people voted by post for in this ballot than voted for Labour's NEC.

I think the way a small number of headbangers are trying to pull the party down is depressing, despite the consistent lead in the polls, the trend towards an acceptance that the Conservatives have 38% to Labours 31% and the way in which the public are recognising the changing face of the Modern Conservative party, allowing us to actually be listened to for the first time in years.

We are changing, and we are on the road to victory. Please don't help the enemy by shooting yourself in the foot.

[Matt Davis]

Actually Ben perhaps if everyone had had a ballot paper then they might have voted against, who knows. That's the whole point because the ballot mechanism has been called into question it undermines the end result. None of us know what that result would have been if everyone eltitled to vaote had been able to and if some who were not, but apparently did vote, had not done so.

[Joanna Yelf]

Hi. I've been following these discussions for a while but haven't posted yet.

I voted for Cameron and I really want to like what he's doing, but to be honest I'm a bit unsure of things as they stand at the moment.

Personally I thought BtoL was a disappointment. I meant to vote but in the end it seemed so insignificent I didn't bother.

The state of my local party is very demotivating. Cameron raised my spirits for a bit but I'm not really very happy with the way things are going now.

Joanna

[christina speight]

It's a pity that Jamie D: doesn't like something that is "forceful". A real Cameroon then!

I'm not surprised so few voted. After all who wants to vote on a "Born to Lose" statement.

[Richard Weatherill]

Welcome on board, Joanna. I'm afraid I tend to agree with your analysis of BtL and your uncertainties regarding the leadership.

At least our local association here is in good spirits, having recently selected an excellent (A-list) candidate. Sorry to hear that yours is less satisfactory. Perhaps you should get in there and shake them up a bit? (I know it's easier said than done.) For example, could you and some like-minded friends form a local branch and organise some events that are a bit different from the usual run-of-the-mill stuff?

[CJ]

Only yesterday we were discussing language and today we get 'headbanger' and an insult about been a 'real Cameroon'

Grow up guys and gals

Hi Joanna. One problem we have in the Party is that the higher echelons have bought into Project Cameron but it's taking a lot longer for it to filter down the grassroots. However if we are serious about winning the next General Election we must keeping on pushing forward the Conservative Party agenda.

[David Belchamber]

Joanna @ 08.08:
"The state of my local party is very demotivating. Cameron raised my spirits for a bit but I'm not really very happy with the way things are going now".

The going is a bit tough at the moment, Joanna, but hang in there for a while. There are plenty of us who feel like you but know that we must get this shambolical and duplicitous government out.
Let us hope that the conference makes it crystal clear to the nation exactly what is meant by a conservative government in the 21st century.
There are bound to be things that we as individuals still will not agree with but I hope that, by the end of the conference, we will be able to decide which of the two major parties to support - or decide to stay at home!
If the tories come out fighting and sound good for the nation, then get some friends to join your association and, all of you together, start to motivate it.

[christina speight]

What's the point of getting this "shambolical and duplicitous government out" to replace it with a clone which is at least as duplicitous. (See the broken promise on the EPP.)

[Jamie Douglas]

christina speight wrote: 'It's a pity that Jamie D: doesn't like something that is "forceful". A real Cameroon then!'

i was merely making the point that being forceful these days is more likely to turn people off than attract them.

[Derek]

The problem with the new logo is that few will recognise it at the moment, which is why we intend to use both the new and the old on our papers. We need to lead as well as listen.

[Derek]

Returning to B to L, the vote proved nothing, except that 3 out of 4 members were not prepared to back it, which is exactly what I predicted back at the Spring Conference. The whole thing was an unnecessary distraction.

[christina speight]

Jamie D: - "being forceful these days is more likely to turn people off than attract them"

Evidence please ? Or is this just a Cameroon mantra / excuse??

[Chad]

This is the statement currently on the Conservatives.com site on the B2L page:

"The ballot is now closed; thank you for voting, we will be announcing the results soon."

D'oh. Bit late. Is Dave too embarassed to publish the turnout?

[Monday Clubber]

The Mail's Andrew Alexander has this to say of the low-turnout for "Built to Last"

“The Built to Last vote among Conservative Party members got a 73% abstention rate. For many of us this is good news. Waffle isn’t working.”

22.9.2006

[Greg Lance-Watkins]

BtL
I read the document and 'thought' behind it dull, drab, pointless - a sandwich with boring bread and tasteless filling was BtL an abreviation for Bread tomatoe & Lettuce or did I miss the point and BtL was in fact By the Left?
No meat on the bone, little flavour and a very sound way to lose activists & core supporters and replace them with vapid transient poll figures.
Just imagine trying to dupe the electorate without one word about our subservience to the EU.
Vapid CommieRon understood the importance and addressed the EU issue with lies to get elected - Surely to ensure election the EU must be addressed alternatively watch BLT Better Leave the Tories!

Regards,
Greg L-W.

[Wallenstein]

Too true Greg.

My money's on the Tory comeback having peaked. BtL is a nail in its coffin. It's an insipid nonentity of a mission statement

What we need now are fighting Tory policies including withdrawal from the EU, tough immigration regulations, and a tax-cutting, red tape cutting bonanza.

It's the way to victory.

[Greg Lance-Watkins]

Was BtL Bloody terrible Leadership?
As a Conservative_Patriot Wallenstein has located the elephants in the room but as a Patriotic conservative I can not vote for Vapid CommieRon's lack of integrity, lack of policies of substance, lack of leadership or the fundamental desire of the Tories who are making a grab for populism at the expense of principle and at the cost of committed activists.
I fear we can expect a further collapse in turnout and return of yet another EU puppet government under Labour as the Tories are far too Vapid to attract back the 5,000,000 who want to vote for them.
Tell the truth about the EUropean soviet and the fact that Westminster no longer has ANY authority. Explain the Treaty of Elysee, Explain Section 2 Part II of the ECA and explain the EU is steadily salamie slicing Britain into destruction.
Explain that you will tell the truth, back the people, fight for liberty and restore democracy, whilst merely keeping services ticking over and that once liberated from vassal status in the EU you will invest the £1,800,000 per hour we currently squander on membership of the EU on restoring self respect, controlling crime, cutting QUANGOs, reducing non jobs, re-establishing Justice, repairing the NHS (with a massively increased budget for training BRITISH medical staff and firing Managers).
What do you rekon? I would guess at a 2 to 1 majority for the Conservatives.
However with the present crano rectally retentive pandering to populism the Tories will emulate the Whiggs within 10 years. Finally vanished up their own hubris and smug self importance with not an activist in sight.

Sad isn't it when there are at least 5,000,000 of us who want to GET BRITAIN BACK and would like the responsible socialism of a Tory Government not the vapid and insipid Bun tomato and Lettuce of CommieRon and his clique and handlers.

Regards,
Greg L-W.