Introducing the candidates for the chairmanship of the National Conservative Convention

Nominations close today in the election for chairman of the National Conservative Convention, the person who is the most senior volunteer in the Conservative Party, with a seat on the Party Board - a body of which that person is also deputy chairman.

Three candidates are being nominated to succeed Don Porter in that role:

• Sir Graham Bright
• Jeremy Middleton
• Simon Mort

The 850 or so members of the Convention will on Wednesday be posted ballot papers which they can either fill in and post or retain until the hustings at the Spring Forum in Cheltenham, after which the count will take place.

Several people have asked in comments who these 850 people are. They are as follows:

• The Chairman of each Constituency Association within England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (or a Deputy);

• The representatives elected by party members to serve on the Board of the Party, the Scottish Executive of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party and the Board of the Welsh Conservative Party; 

• Members of the Area Management Executives;

• Regional and Deputy Regional Chairmen;

• 42 CF Representatives and 42 Representatives of the Conservative Womens’ Organisation;

• The 3 past Presidents of the Convention;

• The 2 immediate past Chairmen of the Convention;

• The immediate past Area Chairmen for one year only;

• The immediate past Regional Chairmen for one year only.

ConservativeHome invited each of the candidates to provide a brief biography, contact details and complete in 150 words or less the phrase "I want to be chairman of the National Conservative Convention because..." and we publish their responses here.

We also posed ten questions based on the responses received to our invitation for questions last week. The candidates' answer to the first question, asking why they are best suited to be the voice of the grassroots, is below and the remaining answers will be published in several tranches today and tomorrow. The first tranche is here, the second is here and the third is here.

Sir Graham Bright

Biography: I have been National Young Conservative Vice-Chairman, CPC Regional Chairman, a Borough Councillor and Group Leader as well as a County Councillor and was M.P. for Luton East then Luton South for 18 years. I was PPS to the Prime Minister, Sir John Major, for 4 years, Vice-Chairman of the Party for 3 years, Area Chairman for Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and at present, Chairman of the Eastern Region.

"I want to be Chairman of the National Conservative Convention because... I believe the volunteer in the Party must have more influence and more say in the Party organisation as well as more input to policy. Colleagues are supporting me because they feel that I have the authority and respect of both the political and professional sides of the Party to be listened to and get the voluntary view over at all levels and at all times."

Website: www.grahambright.com

Email: [email protected]

Jeremy Middleton

Biography: Currently President of the National Convention, Jeremy was first elected to the Party Board in March 2005, serving as Chairman of the Membership committee in 2006-2007 (when he introduced the membership reforms abolishing Central Membership and establishing the per member levy) and was Party Conference Chairman in Newcastle/Gateshead and Birmingham in 2008. Married with three children, he is an entrepreneur with interests in a range of businesses in the North East, where he was a parliamentary candidate in 1997 in Newcastle East and Wallsend, in the 2004 European Election in the North East, and in the 2004 Hartlepool By Election; he was Constituency Chairman in Newcastle East between 1995 and 1998, and active in the “North East says NO” Campaign against the Regional Assembly.

"I want to be Chairman of the National Conservative Convention because... I believe we are at a crossroads for the Voluntary Party and I believe I am the right man to make sure the Voluntary party grows in scale and influence. I believe we need to unite with our Parliamentary and Professional colleagues to build a modern, outward looking, campaigning machine.  I want people to see our party as active, vibrant and growing. The alternative is to accept a slow decline, where the Voluntary Party turns inwards and becomes ever more shrill about our declining status. If elected my intention is that we take even more responsibility for our party, that we find new ways to reach out to a wider range of people and that we challenge ourselves to once again become a growing movement."

Website: www.telljeremy.com

Email: [email protected]

Simon Mort

Biography: Half-Welsh half-English, grew up in farming family;  Regular Army office (9th/12th Royal Lancers); founder of successful international consultancy business;  author of five books and countless articles on management written communications.

"I want to be Chairman of the National Conservative Convention because... I want to put the Voluntary Party back centre-stage where it belongs.  I will vigorously resist attempts to marginalise the Voluntary Party.  The Voluntary Party are the Party."

Website: www.simonmort.com

Email: [email protected]

Question: Why does your experience make you best suited to be the party's most senior volunteer, the voice of the grassroots?

Sir Graham Bright: I first joined the Party in Thurrock, a very tough seat, as a Young Conservative and then became a Branch and an Association Officer. One had to fight all the way.  I developed myself along with a good team to be a winner. I won a Borough Council seat from Labour.  I won an Essex County seat from Labour and I went on to win Luton East from Labour.  I held the seat when it changed name to Luton South, for 18 years with just a small band of enthusiastic volunteers.  I have been an active volunteer at Branch, Area, Regional and National level.  I have never forgotten my roots, which is why having lost my Parliamentary seat in 1997, I returned firstly as Area and then as Regional Chairman as I felt the answer to winning a General Election was a strong and enthusiastic voluntary Party membership.

Jeremy Middleton: I combine experience at every level in the Party built over the last 30 years with an understanding of the challenges we face, having been on the Board for the last 4 years.  I have been a street campaigner in some of our toughest areas in the North East of England over a prolonged period.  I am very aware of the huge effort and foot slogging required to win seats in some of the areas where we most need to. However, I also have experience developing and implementing new ideas to improve the Party organisation.  For example, I championed a review of our organisation in the North of England and proposed the creation of Volunteer led Boards in the North bringing together all wings of the Party including professionals, parliamentarians and fundraisers as well as Volunteers. This has led to a dramatic improvement in our fundraising, level of professional support, campaigning capability and ultimately polling support in the North.

Simon Mort: I believe that I have the best spread of relevant experience and EXPERIENCE MATTERS. I have done just about every job which it is possible for a volunteer to do between Branch Chairman and Conference Chairman; when on the Party Board I had a 100% attendance record; I have sat on a District Council (including Deputy Group Leader) and thus understand Councillors; and I have stood as a candidate in all four levels of election - Europe, Westminster, county and district - and thus understand very well the relationship between candidates and volunteers. Experienced volunteers tell me that I will be the most robust in standing up for the Voluntary Party and I am geographically well placed to deliver, living in the South Midlands, two miles off the motorway network and thus able to get to most constituencies in little over two hours.  I can also get to CCHQ for sudden meetings at antisocial hours (One former Chairman was keen on meetings “7 o’clock tomorrow morning”: we do not all live within the Division Bell!)

As I stated above, repsonses to the other questions - covering, amongst other things, candidate selection, the role of the membership in policy-making and the role of ConservativeHome in communication with the grassroots - will be published later today and tomorrow.

On behalf of all ConservativeHome readers, can I thank all three candidates for taking the time to respond to our questions.

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[Rupert Matthews]

I have worked with Jeremy and can confirm both the hard work and dedication that he has put into the Party and the innovative and original ideas that he has come up with for promoting the Conservative cause in less than ideal areas. Let's see how the candidates answer the questions tomorrow, but right now I'd back Jeremy.

[Lee Martin]

Good luck Jeremy. You're the right man at the right time.

[Jonathan Morgan]

Graham Bright offers great experience from the ground up - and is taken seriously by the professional and parliamentary parts with the Party - he's the only one who'll give the voluntary party a voice that will be listened to - and the only one who'll be able to make the changes we want.

[The Bishop Swine]

Jeremy Middleton gets my nod. I met him once a while ago, and I was impressed by his quite confidence, and his passion for the "party", " street campaigner in some of our toughest areas in the North East of England over a prolonged period" Exactly the sort of chap to make a good national chairman.

[Simon Card OBE]

Simon Mort in my view is by far the best candidate, he has without doubt the most experience in the voluntary party. The 2007 Conference which he chaired was a turning point in our fortunes. He has the experience, robustness, listening ability, commonsense and humour that is required - he is a consumate communicator !Simon is exactly the chairman that we need to drive the party forward at this crucial time in our history. He will also encourage us to enjoy ourselves as Conservatives again !

[bobchilts]

Speaking from the point of view of an Activist, I have always found Simon Mort an engaging and sympathetic mediator between our local Association and the Regional Office. He would be an asset to this position as he truly understands that local volunteers need to feel motivated, cheerful and valued, in order to be an effective campaign force.
Good luck Simon!

[Chris Martin]

Jeremy Middleton would make an excellent Convention Chairman. I have worked with him on numerous campaigns in the North East and he is a hard working activist with coal face experience of campaigning for our party.

Best of luck, Jeremy!

[Freddy]

Why doesn't the ORDINARY party member get to vote for the Chair of the NCC?

[Ross Warren]

"Why doesn't the ORDINARY party member get to vote for the Chair of the NCC?"

There are no ordinary members of this party, all of them are extraordinary individuals.
There you have a good political answer to your question.

[LJ]

MORT for me because he will deliver for the voluntary party.

Jeremy is a good guy but LACKS that VITGAL experience that he clearly showed when he took up the President role at the last Conference.

[Conand]

Jeremy gets my vote.

I've filled out the canvass form on his website, and volunteered to help. What this will involve I don't know. :)

[Malcolm Dunn]

As an ordinary activist I still do not feel qualified to have a view as to who would be best.My impression is that the party still largely takes its activists for granted now and anyone who would be able to change that perception would have my vote.(If I had one!).

[Steve Bell]

Simon Mort is the only one who will have the determination not to roll over in the face of pressure from others within the Party ensuring that Volunteers will have a voice.

We have seen the Party Conference over the Years turn into the Parliamentary Conference, where are the MEP’s, Professionals, CCHQ and Volunteers at Conference? Simon is the man to bring about One Party.

[Freddy]

Unfortunately, I don't have a vote. If I did it would go to Jeremy Middleton.

I think he might, just might, sort out our party structure!

[KL]

Simon Mort the man fo rthe job now.

[Ross Warren]

"Unfortunately, I don't have a vote. If I did it would go to Jeremy Middleton."

But you are able to express an opinion here. I agree with your choice. I do believe that this is not an issue that all party members need to vote on.

"My impression is that the party still largely takes its activists for granted now and anyone who would be able to change that perception would have my vote.(If I had one!)."

The wound inflicted by the election of IDS and the fallout from that event is still very sore. As it currently stands our party is far from Democratic. I think that needs changing but not to the extent of expensive votes being taken on every appointment.

[David Head]

To all those who DO haved a vote. elect Mort and you will not be Disappointed. Elect Middleton and you will regret as he is a yes man.

[Ross Warren]

"Elect Middleton and you will regret as he is a yes man"

Could you give an example of Jeremy being a yes man? I think he is a fine and very principled politician.

[Paul Swaddle]

Don't forget that there is also an election for the Vice-Presidents of National Convention (3 vacancies).

You can read more about the election process & who get to vote here http://www.voteswaddle.com/?page_id=30

Paul Swaddle
Candidate for Vice President
www.voteswaddle.com

[Jonathan Isaby]

I have now added details of exactly who is entitled to vote to the post above!

[Peter O]

Simon Mort: what a excellent candidate to be Charman. He has my vote.

[Jake Tomlin]

It has got to be Simon Mort. Jeremy says the correct things but has never delivered.

[Rahid]

I have a vote and its is going to Mort.

[Paul H Valerio]

Though all are good, at this time Simon Mort is best placed to be the the leader of the voluntary party.He leads by example!
Paul Valerio
Swansea West.

[Super Blue]

Good luck, JM.

PS The future's Bright.

[John Prendergast]

After thinking of backing Jeremy Middleton, I am now backing my old friend Simon Mort.

I have not seen Simon for over 40 years. He has not changed much, thank goodness.

[Harry]

Go on Simon!

PS the Future is not the "middle"

[Ross Warren]

Mort or Middleton? Jeremy Middleton had the early running in the thread but later posts favour Mort....isn't anyone running a book?
Clearly I am jesting, it would be very wrong to bet on the outcome but odds?

[Derek Green]

Which of those standing will promise to bring back democracy to the party. The way that the current MEPs were given prime positions in the forthcoming EU elections was a complete disgrace. We should have been allowed to get rid of those who have gone "native". They do not speak for the real members of the party.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

I am supporting Simon Mort. He is a principled man, one who has fought hard for the party even in the dark bad old days. I have never heard anything bad about him - all good feedback from those of my colleagues who have actually worked with him in Oxfordshire.

Jeremy, too, is a good man and I have been enormously impressed by his monthly Board updates to Convention members. Pity that I only have two votes.

For the VP (of which there are 3!), I will back Charles Barwell, who has already been doing sterling work. I do not know
Mr Swaddle, Lady Hodgson or Mr Walsh.

[Marjorie Baylis]

I well remember Simon Mort visiting the West Country to explain the changes the party wanted to introduce just after the last election. The main alteration being that members would not get a vote in the election of the party leader. He stood before us, full of confidence and bluster and assured me that only 5% of the members wanted to retain that right. Well, he was incredibly wrong and was voted down by the Constituency Chairmen shortly afterwards.

Anybody who can espouse views like that, which come down from the party grandees and MPs and not defend the ordinary party member has no place as head of the voluntary party.

My vote, if I had one (and golly that is another vote I would like to have had) would go to one of the other two candidates.

[John Barnes]

When I had a vote it went to Simon Mort and he never let me or the voluntary side of the party down. He speaks his mind and fights our corner.

[Iain McGill]

Simon Mort took the trouble to come up to Scotland and travelled round meeting as many people as he could very recently and outlined his plans. That impressed me. He is clearly very serious about the role.

[Bob Jenkins]

I would vote for anyone but Sir Graham Bright, the most unremarkable MP we have ever had in the history of the party.

If Graham Bright by some miracle took over from Don Porter who has been an amazing Chairman of the National Convention it would be a disaster.