Grassroots reject special favours for defectors

Two-thirds of the 1,284 members who answered ConservativeHome's November survey rejected the idea of "special favours in Conservative Party selection processes" for individuals who defect from other parties.

Just 17% thought that the need to encourage future defections meant that rewarding defectors "in sometimes uncomfortable ways" was justified.

ConservativeHome asked the question following the defection of a LibDem MEP to the Conservatives last week. Some leading Tory activists in North West England have approached us to register concern that Sajjad Karim might leap-frog over established Conservatives in the region when it comes to ranking candidates for the 2009 European Elections.  Fiona Bruce and Jacqui Foster are oft-mentioned favourites of grassroots members.

Mr Karim's views on Europe will be controversial to many activists but they are unlikely to get the opportunity to rank him because of changes to selection procedures that were introduced by Don Porter and the Party Board earlier this year.

Mr Karim defected a few days after North West Liberal Democrats gave him 23% of their first preference votes in a contest with the region's other LibDem MEP Chris Davies - who won 63% of first preferences.

Comments

[Pisaboy]

I thought we'd gone off defectors since Quentin Davies?
I've seen it mentioned in letters etc in the NW even recently that the third-placed candidate will have to be a woman. Which means that, short of him getting an operation or Ratkins doing us favour and retiring, Karim may be looking to Westminster or a different region.
It was disappointing that Jacqui Foster lost last time after some old-school busing in tactics on the part of one of the MEPs, but I'd go for fresh blood with Fiona Bruce. She's lived and worked all around the NW and we need to make use of her talents.

[Mike A]

This is mental.

[Malcolm Dunn]

Not suprised by these results at all.The value of defectors is in my opinion rather overrated.No doubt I'll get shot down in flames by Mr Archer for saying that!
Very cryptic, Mike A.

[Chad Noble]

Is it fair to say that the latest defection appeared, imho, to simply be an attempt by Kirkhope to enlist a europhile to help swing the MEP election in his favour?

[Old Hack]

There some people whose defection would be welcome. Kate Hoey, Frank Field to name but two generally respected MPs who probably haven't defected because they are people of integrity.

Then there are the opportunists, the wobblers and the nutters.

We need to be more discerning about who we welcome and offer support accordingly.

[Jennifer Wells]

It's long been true that the Party Board doesn't represent volunteer members.

[Tony Makara]

This is a very emotive issue with the cries of 'Turncoat' aimed at anyone who changes their political allegiance. However we have to understand that it is no different than a voter changing his allegiance. Sir Winston Churchill crossed the house to sit as a Liberal, yet is remembered as one of the most noted Conservative prime ministers of all time. Sometimes the original ideals of a party change and an MP feels he can no longer support that party, so he leaves. The right to change our mind is an essential pillar of democracy. The area of contention surrounds the seat being represented and it would be fair play if a defecting MP were to step down and call an immediate bi-election, and stand representing his new party. I'm not sure what the exact procedure is on this sort of thing but if a sitting MP resigned to re-fight the seat under his new banner then no-one could surely object?

[sjm]

I'm always suspicious of defectors who cross the floor almost immediately after their attempts to gain a position or officership collapse.

And I've been proved right more often than not.

[Vernon]

Sir Winston Churchill crossed the house to sit as a Liberal, yet is remembered as one of the most noted Conservative prime ministers of all time.

No he is not. He is remembered as one of the greatest prime ministers of all time, probably the greatest, but not as a Conservative. He led a National government, with a Labour deputy in Attlee and he regarded Bevin as one of his most able ministers. He was by the end of the 1930s a "semi-detached" Conservative, to coin a phrase, and having held senior posts in both Liberal and Conservative governments in the previous 35 years he was thus perfectly placed to be an above-party national leader for a time of crisis.

By contrast, his later period of office, when he was Prime Minister of a purely Conservative government, is generally regarded as a failure and a wasted opportunity.

Churchill's wife Clemmie always regretted his decision to leave the Liberal Party, and tried hard to dissuade him from accepting the leadership of the Tory party when Chamberlain died. Despite everything, the Liberal party certainly treated him better than the Tory party ever did during his long career.