Only one-third of Associations respond to membership enquiries

That is the disturbing finding of a CCHQ memo - leaked to The Observer.  The Observer's Gaby Hinsliff gives no indication of the size of the sample but she reports that a "'cold-calling' survey', in which party workers emailed local constituencies pretending to be members of the public interested in joining, found that only a third even got a response after the first attempt."  (The findings fit with the PS you'll find at the bottom of this post about Abigail Kay's repeated difficulties with joining the Tory Party).

The leaked report - overseen by party board member Simon Mort - was written to explore the alleged slowness of the party grassroots to buy into the leader's style and policy agenda.  The memo contains this explanation of the difference between direct marketing and branding:

"'You're at a party and see an attractive person across the room. You go over and say, "Hi, I'm fantastic in bed" - that's known as direct marketing... You're at a party and see an attractive person across the room, they walk over to you and say "Hi, I hear you're fantastic in bed" - that's known as branding.'"

Comments

[Ted]

I've obviously been to the wrong parties all my life :-(

[Monday Clubber]

When we moved house a couple of years ago my wife (a member of the Conservative executive in her former association) wrote twice to the new local conservative association to ask to be put on their list. The second time I hand-delivered the letter myself to the local association.

No response was ever received.

She then emailed CCO and got some stock reply thanking her for her interest in becoming a new member of the party she's belonged to for about 30 years.

Soon afterwards at a social function we met one of our local Tory Councillors. "Oh yes there's been a big problem at our offices. We were withour any staff for weeks and all the correspondence got unanswered. I'll come round and see you and we'll sort it out"

She's still waiting. Well actually she isn't because she's now given up on the Tories altogether and voted Lib Dem at the last council election.

'You're at a party and see an attractive person across the room. You go over and say, "Hi, I'm fantastic in bed" - that's known as direct marketing...

Actually it's called a sure way of getting a smack round the mouth. If this kind of puerile nonsense is typical of CCO's current thinking we are in deep trouble.

[Paul Kennedy]

But I guess the problem of communication etc is what is to be expected when asociations rely solely on voluntary staffing arrangements, and I guess might make the case for small regional offices handling communications and supporting local associations. My own for example is only open on a Friday morning for a couple of hours and I have now set up the email in such a way that I can receive them at home to action them more rapidly than was previously the case. Having a background in business where excellent service/communication/prompt responses were essential, I find it very frustrating. I applaud Central Office's concern about this matter.

[Alison Anne Smith]

"She's still waiting. Well actually she isn't because she's now given up on the Tories altogether and voted Lib Dem at the last council election"

How can you have been a member for 30 years and then vote Lib Dem ? Join the National Party.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"How can you have been a member for 30 years and then vote Lib Dem ? Join the National Party."

I think that a lot of people are now joining that. The British National Party, that is.

I had a similar experience with my local party. Paid my subscription to the new constituency to which I'd moved, with a covering letter - offering my services in terms of activism. Never heard another thing. Wrote and telephoned again, got nowhere. In the end I wrote to the local Council leader, explaining what I'd been doing. Only then did something actually get done in terms of providing me with information and contacts. If I'd been someone looking to join, having never been a member before, I'd have thought "Stuff 'em !". Like many do, no doubt.

[Monday Clubber]

"How can you have been a member for 30 years and then vote Lib Dem ? Join the National Party."

Easy.

The Lib Dem councillor called and discussed a number of local issues with her, including traffic calming measures. He then took immediate action to deal with the situation.

As I've said, the Tories couldn't even be bothered to contact her to change her membership.

As you'll guess from my ID I am a right-wing Conservative. My wife is more of a centrist. However, she doesn't like Cameron and sees little or nothing to choose between him and the Lib Dems. I agree with her, though I wouldn't vote for them.

I know other Tories of more than 30 years standing who are now supporting UKIP in protest against the Cameron line, so there is erosion going on at both wings of the party.

We keep hearing about new members allegedly attracted by Cameron. Do any post here? If not, why not? Where are they?

[Alison Anne Smith]

Monday Clubber,you might get your local roads "calmed" but the LibDems or UKIP are never going to form a Government. So splitting the Tory vote will just result in Labour staying in forever.
Is this what you want?

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

Alison, as Monday Clubber has already intimated, what's the point in voting for a party who offer no alternative policy direction than the current bunch of criminals. Better vote for someone else that simply hold power for power's sake.

[Wallenstein]

Hi Alison. Didn't Monday Clubber say that it was his wife who voted LD but he never would himself.

Presumably that means you're one of those Tory Ladies who believe that wives should always vote the way their husbands tell them.

"Dave" will be proud of you. You will be an icon of changetowin.

Pip!Pip!

[Alison Anne Smith]

Stephen, the LibDems would give all power to Europe. UKIP would have the UK stand alone and fail in the World economy. Labour under Brown will let the Unions take control again. This leaves the Tories, I know which Party I would rather have running the UK that's why I vote Tory. I might not agree with everything the cuurent Leadership is doing but you can only change the Party if you stay involved and vote to get it elected.

[Alison Anne Smith]

Wallenstein are you one of Dave's girls I can't tell from your name. Perhaps Mondayclubber's wife asked him to post for her as she's not allowed in the study ?

Changetowin and the like are an excuse to have meetings and committees instead of getting on with winning elections by good oldfashioned methods which don't fit the current way of thinking.

Your assessment of me couldn't be more wrong sorry.

[Wallenstein]

There's a problem Alison.

An increasing number of Tories don't agree with ANYTHING Cameron is doing since he hi-jacked our party.

However I agree personally that we should stay in and work towards Cameron's replacement and that's what I am doing.

I believe that David Davis will eventually lead this party to victory, but there's work to be done to make that dream reality.

[Ted]

Alison,
Best not to feed Monday Clubber & Wallenstein with any attention.

[Alison Anne Smith]

"Alison,
Best not to feed Monday Clubber & Wallenstein with any attention"

Its a good Sunday morning sport though ! I'll stop soon as there's football to watch on the tv which is more entertaining. I suppose I could go in to town to have a look at the LibDems' annual "get-together"

[Richard Carey]

Why would it "irritate local constituency organisations", as the original article said?

Aren't we grown up enough to accept facts? Some of us need a kick up the rear, if we can't get simple stuff like replying to email right!

I think this is good stuff, we all here (well, the Conservatives) need to rise to the challenge and get to grips with these niggling little problems in our own organisations.

This is something *we* can fix here on the ground in local Associations - let's get stuck in.

This is a "hobby-horse" of mine in fact, so I may write more later (cue groans...)

[Off Message]

Why don't we privatise membership management? A dozy regional office would probably be worse than a dozy constituency office. The party machine is like a lower grade civil service and most of its functions could be privatised in order to save money, improve efficiency and encourage innovation. Membership management would be a great place to start as there are companies who specialise in this area already.

Next could be production of newsletters. Having a Reisograph in every office is a nonsense.

[Wallenstein]

>>Best not to feed Monday Clubber & Wallenstein with any attention<<

Is that right Ted?

On the basis of ignore the problem and it will go away, I suppose?

[James Maskell]

Cameron thinks its our fault that people arent joining the Tories and that we should have more Canmeron shoved down our throats...what planet are these people on. The political reality is not in the plush offices that they hang around in...its in the streets.

The leadership is stupid if it thinks its the Associations fault for not persuading people to join. The people need something to join for. Weak watered down so-called policy is not it.

[Richard Carey]

Membership management would be a great place to start as there are companies who specialise in this area already. Next could be production of newsletters. Having a Reisograph in every office is a nonsense.

I wouldn't rule anything out in terms of improving this situation. However, I think the fact that the membership database and our campaigning voter database are a single entity might make this difficult, but not beyond the wit of man. Certainly perhaps putting specific membership recruitment projects outside is worth thinking about as an interim solution, but the issue here appears to be with our day-to-day operations, not just the implementation of specific campaigning projects.

I tend to think a better solution would like with the establishment of more of the "regional resource centres" that the party is already launching to provide services to constituencies. Literature printing, that you refer to, is indeed an are where clubbing together to provide facilities works well in some areas. In others, geographical constraints make it slightly more difficult, but certainly not impossible, to have so many shared resources. More floating members of professional staff would be a good example.

[Richard Carey]

The leadership is stupid if it thinks its the Associations fault for not persuading people to join.

Are you really saying that these one-third of Associations are ficticious?

Why should we not fix what we can fix in local organisations, and project a more professional and competent image as a Party? Let's focus on that. And yes, of course we should reflect and embody the Party's brand in what we do.

I'm a bit sick of hearing this repeated from people inside the Party over the years who aren't taking positve steps to do what we do better. "It's always someone else's fault" doesn't chime with a commitment to personal responsibility.

[Cllr Chris Buckwell]

I am the membership officer for Medway constituency (329 members as at today), and keep a rather obsessive interest in the same. The party is nothing without local members, belonging where they live. Indeed, I have just got in the Sunday post letters to all our national members telling them of the new constituency association which will form from 1st Jan, and to pay locally then. Although I've been a local cllr for years - retiring below the age of 50 next May, so as to devote more time to real party activism! - many cllrs are not sufficiently interested in the party machine, even in their own wards, so are frequently, I regret, not always the best people to whom membership enquiries should be directed (even council leaders!). We have adopted mandatory re-selection for local elections - it does wonders in that respect! I suggest each association appoints a key activist as membership officer, acting under the DC (Membership and Fundraising). That works really well here. We also ensure subs are paid in the first three months of the year, with any brand new member who joins after 1 Oct in any year being counted as a member until the end of the next year. Due to problems with blue chip not liking us having national members on our local list (unfavourable technology!), we maintain both manual and blue chip records.
Chris Buckwell - Medway CCA

[Editor]

Let's keep this thread focused on membership issues please and not Mrs Monday Clubber's politics.

[Richard Carey]

Due to problems with blue chip not liking us having national members on our local list (unfavourable technology!), we maintain both manual and blue chip records.

Sounds like you've got a comparatively well-oiled machine there, Chris! I hope that a combination of the abolition of the distinction between local and national membership and the overdue retirement of BlueChip will make one or two of these tasks easier for you.

[Alison Anne Smith]

ed.

"Let's keep this thread focused on membership issues please and not Mrs Monday Clubber's politics"

I thought that was the Membership issue. Trying to keep the Mrs Mondayclubber's paying their subs to the Tory Party ? Then the associations would have the funds to keep their staffing and technology up to the levels required to respond to all enquiries.

My apologies to the Blog Police if you think I've gone off the subject.

[James Maskell]

Richard, what are you talking about? Ive not questioned the existance of a single Association.

[changetowin]

I am really worried at how the change that we have seen in the centre is not filering down to the local level. I know a young woman who joined the party after being attracted by its new direction. The first invitation she invited was to a black tie event at the Carlton Club - a club notorious for its segregationist policy towards women. As a young professional and Oxbridge graduate she had never been treated as second class because of her gender and she expected more of her new political party - particularly given the things the new leader had been saying.

We cannot go on with a situation in which we get new members because of the excellent change happening at the national level and then switch them off by being the same old Tories at a local level. Change needs to sweep every cobweb away from every level of our party. Nothing else will deliver a mass membership party again. We all need to be the change.

[Denis Cooper]

"A dozy regional office would probably be worse than a dozy constituency office"

Absolutely - a dozy constituency office can only knacker that one constituency, but a dozy regional office could knacker up to 80 constituencies.

[Alison Anne Smith]

"the Carlton Club - a club notorious for its segregationist policy towards women. As a young professional and Oxbridge graduate she had never been treated as second class "

Pots & Kettles springs to mind consisering the "women only candidate lists" being pushed by CCHQ.

[Wallenstein]

>>The first invitation she invited was to a black tie event at the Carlton Club - a club notorious for its segregationist policy towards women<<

That's interesting

What happened to her at the Carlton Club? Did they make her wear a head-to-foot burkha, or was she put in a gallery with a dry biscuit and a glass of water and forced to watch the men feasting below?

The few times I have been to the Carlton Club the women seemed to be getting much the same treatment as everybody else. I think there may be some bar that's men only , but it's a private members' club anyway, albeit with a ancient link to the Conservative Party.

What is most telling is that you seem to imagine that black tie events at the Carlton Club are everyday events in the lives of grassroots Tories.

Mightn't it just be you who is out of touch?

[Wallenstein]

Further to last...

Please can changetowin explain in what sense the Carlton Club can be described as representing the "local level" of the Conservative Party?

Unless things have changed even more dramatically than the Conservative Party's commitment to Conservative principles, the Carlton Club remains a very grand and expensive dining/drinking/overnight establishment located in St James's, Central London.

If changetowin considers the Carlton Club to be in some sense equivalent to a constituency Conservative Associatio he/she has clearly blasted off into an alternative universe.

[Andrew]

"....found that only a third even got a response after the first attempt."

That's utterly shoddy. Probably not that surprising though, given the pervading sense of hopelessness about the party in the Major/Hague/IDS/Howard years.

[Ian Lewis, Wallasey, Wirral]

Erm...have these people never heard of the Internet? Join online if your local association isn't quick enough. Bit of competition never hurt anyone!

[malcolm]

Very sadly this is not a suprise to me as my own experience was little better. Membership should be the first priority for expenditure ,I doubt whether it is in the top 10. Each constituency should have a member whose first responsibility is to welcome new members and make them aware of what's happening in the constituency.That costs nothing!

[Off Message]

Malcolm - I don't think the first priority for expenditure should be membership as that honour should belong to campaigning (which will, hopefully, lead to more people wanting to join). In most associations membership doesn't seem to be a priority at all however.

The Party seems to have no idea what a membership is (or should be) worth. If entrepreneurs were running it they would soon work out a lifetime value (based on annual membership payment and estimated additional spends) and then plan recruitment and retention strategies accordingly.

It's no wonder nobody spends any money on recruitment when they haven't the faintest idea what return they are likely to get.

[Brian Jenner]

If you wanted to know what was wrong with the Conservative Party you only needed to phone up my local Association. The answering machine would crank into action and a voice said something like, 'Leave a message, if you must, we'd prefer you to call back.' Then there was a crash, and you weren't sure if it recorded anything anyway.

A brand is created by the number of interactions you have with a person representing the organisation. So if you phone up the Tory Party and they say, 'How can we help?' - you are building a postive brand image. The 'brand' has to have integrity and it only has integrity if by far the majority of interactions with members and representatives of the Party are positive.

The way people operate is that they are well disposed towards an organisation until such time as they have a bad experience, then they will take out their vengeance. If an M&S assistant was rude to you, you would go to Gap next time.

The fact is that if you are part of a well-run and disciplined organisation everyone realises standards have to be maintained.

The problem of the Tory Party over the past ten years is that they've got into some shocking bad habits at all levels. This is beginning to change, but there is still lots to sort out.

[Richard Carey]

Richard, what are you talking about? Ive not questioned the existance of a single Association.

James, sorry, that was poorly worded. I was referring to the fact that you were seemingly placing the cause of all this at the door of the leadership, rather than acknowledging the existence of the local problems pointed out in this survey.

I was really wondering if you felt that all membership woes were caused by national party direction, or if those two-thirds of Associations couldn't be helped to help themselves to some degree. We do have some expertise on this forum (as well as a heck of a lot of wingnuts!), hopefully after this discussion some of that will be channeled to help these struggling Associations with improving their organisation.

[malcolm]

You are, of course right 'Off message', campaigning is the no.1 priority. Who does the campaigning?Mostly the members.So attracting new blood and keeping them enthused should be the no.2

[matt wright]

One of the other problems is that people who join nationally fill in a form that includes tick boxes to opt out of being contacted. They trouble is that they tick a box saying they don't want to be contacted by the local association. This makes it very hard for local associations,

Matt

[Sean Fear]

ChangetoWin,

What on Earth had the Carlton Club got to do with her local association?

If her association had a function there, then I fail to see how she would have been treated any differently from any other guest at the function.

[changetowin]

Sean,

Her local association invited her to an event at the Carlton Club. She thought she had joined a modern, forward thinking party. Instead she was invited to a black tie event at a club which treats women as second class.

This is just an illustration of a wider point - the rhetoric from the centre is sadly not filtering down to a local level. This needs to change.

[Gareth]

I've had similar experiences joining different assocs over the years, most recently only 2 years ago.

In addition to the obvious (and serious) explanation of administrative incompetence, I wonder whether we have to consider a second. Some assocs., to put it at its lowest, attach a very low priority to attracting new members. I suspect some are downright suspicious of new members, particularly those who want to be immediately active.

I wonder whether this is because the core of most assocs. are still those people who kept the ship afloat (just) in the 1990's and now find it very hard to get out of the siege mentality that existed back then?

[Hoots]

Re the Carlton Club woman. Did she go? What happened that upset her? Was she treated in an unequal fashion?

Whould you have preferred she was given the cold shoulder and not invited?

If it's your association what did you do to complain about what you see as some kind of blunder?

[Robson S Leeds]

Hmmm... my experience has been similar. Both in Bradford North in the 1990s and Pudsey more recently.

CCO took the money out of my account immediately when I rejoined in January but has only sent me one single letter of acknowledgement, no card or information pack or anything like that. Lots of emails though which are interesting and readable - suppose we are saving paper for reasons of cost and environmental concerns. I've not really seen a lot for my subs - however I'm not yet ready to burn effigies of Dave and Francis over this!!!! Others might be rather put out I should imagine.

Lib Dems are notoriously more proactive on a local level (and dirtier campaigners!) which is just as well because nationally they are pretty damn weak.

Again though, I'm staggered at the way certain posters (and its always the same ones) drift off the subject almost immediately to nurse pet grudges.

Monday Clubber especially continues to amuse:
"There's a problem Alison.

An increasing number of Tories don't agree with ANYTHING Cameron is doing since he hi-jacked our party.
THAT WAS A DEMOCRATIC VOTE WITH A VAST MAJORITY
However I agree personally that we should stay in and work towards Cameron's replacement and that's what I am doing.
YOU AINT KIDDING - HOW VERY GENEROUS OF YOU. YOUR EFFORTS WILL BE IN VAIN THOUGH
I believe that David Davis will eventually lead this party to victory, but there's work to be done to make that dream reality
OH DEAR, WHAT WORK IS THAT? LYING AND PLOTTING? MY DEAR M.C. WE HAVE TO BACK CAMERON TO THE HILT NOW - A FIFTH NEW LEADER IN SIX YEARS - THAT WOULD IMPRESS THE ELECTORATE!!!"

Hope you dont think I am SHOUTING but merely using capitals to differentiate.

I merely warn that resentment is a corrosive emotion and has been proven to contribute to cancer. If you have to be overwhelmingly negative write to Simon Heffer - doubtless he'd build a 1000 word article around these antediluvian rages!

[Nicholas Bennett]

As a new constituency chairman I've read the comments in this thread with great interest. Chris Buckwell's right about the lack of interest of some councillors in their ward and constituency organisation. Without good roots the new Tory tree will wither.

Beckenham Association has put in place this year a number of measures to retain and recruit new members.

1. 4 page members' newsletter with photographs sent to each member 4 times a year. The National Trust and other organisations recognise that you must first retail your existing members (removals and the grim reaper excepted). Most businesses spend 80% of their time on getting new customers when the first port of call should be the existing customer base.

2. Birthday cards addressed and signed to each new voter by the MP in the week of their birthday.

3. Letter from Association Chairman & MP to all new voters as they come on rolling register.

4. Association wide professionally printed In Touch with advertising (front and back ward specific)being launched to coincide with new boundaries at the start of next year (partly financed by advertising).

5. Ward Contact cards with details of all local, regional, national and European elected Conservatives including pictures with perforated section which includes reply slip and survey.

6. We are looking at moving our HQ into a modern office block to get away from the 19th century run down building we currently own.

7. Still to come webpage.

It is also important to welcome all new members. Just because someone refuses to canvass or deliver doesn't mean that they should be cast into the outer darkness. We have sent a survey form to all members (96 replies from 780 members so far)asking about what they want from the party, what their skills are (computer etc) what sort events they would like, whether they would like to be a school governor, councillor, MP etc.

We are also keen to enroll those who won't join the party as 'supporters'. Gillingham gets more money in terms of raffle sales, attendance at events from some supporters than it does from some members. In my wife's ward most of her 30 deliverers aren't members. Becoming a 'member' puts a lot of people off they think it entails a lot of commitment in terms of work and meetings but they are prepared to pay a £5 to be sent details.

We should also offer 'life' membership to people over 60 on a graduated scale as is done by many organisations.

[Jonathan M Scott]

Do what I did and join on the Conservative website.

Constituencies with paid Agents or Organising Secretaries will almost certainly deal efficiently with membership enquiries. However, if it is a target seat without staff (the very sort of seat that needs as many activists as possible) then this may not happen.

Otherwise, maybe Area Campaign Directors need to have a greater overview role in ensuring that Officers of Associations do their duty, and follow up membership enquiries!

[malcolm]

Sounds like you have an excellent Association Nicholas.
I'm not sure about Jonathan Scotts advice though.I joined via the website and although they took my money (twice) I never heard another thing. I'd only do that if there is no constituency office to call. The constituency office can put you in touch with the most active members who will (hopefully) welcome new members.

[James Hellyer]

By contrast, I renewed via the website and have currently been sent five membership cards this year, along with two letters saying tow of the cards were defective. CCO efficiency at its best!

[Voice from the South West]

How can the membership card be defective? It's only a piece of card, last time I checked they didn't have micro-chips in them.

[James Hellyer]

Apparently there was a printing error. One I still haven't noticed.