In today's leader column The Times warns the Tories' money men to 'back off'. It is responding to suggestions from Lord Kalms and Stuart Wheeler that a Clarke leadership would be unacceptable. Stuart Wheeler, in particular, has provided crucial underpinning for the Tories' strained finances over recent years and the party should be very grateful. When donors say that Ken Clarke's views are unacceptable they should be listened to... but they should certainly not enjoy a veto. The Times urges the creation "of a party which can win the support of many small financial contributions and not merely a few extremely large ones".
This need for a broadly-funded Conservative Party is but one of the opportunities than can flow from last week's rejection of the Howard-Maude-Monbiot reforms. The alternative to that vision of a Conservative Party with MPs exercising centralised control of the leadership process, in hoc to a few big money men, is a mass participation Conservative Party. I emphasise participation because the age of mass membership organisations is over. It's hard to get people to join anything these days but they will sign up to individual campaigns or for targeted email briefings. Using the internet, in particular, we need to build a mass connections Conservative Party of the kind that George W Bush built for America's Republicans. 1.4 million new volunteers were recruited by Karl Rove's organisation and millions of email contacts were compiled.
Learning from America shouldn't stop there, however. We should also learn from what America's GOP have done badly. The whole Tom DeLay affair has exposed the GOP's unhealthy dependence upon big business. The connections with big business and multitude special interests have driven the porky bloat that now characterises America's fat government and is driving the shocking deterioration in the country's public finances. UK Conservatives have an opportunity to be different. It would be good to hear one or two of the candidates talk about how they might build a Conservative Party with connections with every section of society. Those connections could become flows for policy ideas, volunteers, third money endorsements and, yes, money.
Agree withe every word editor.Perhaps as a very small start the Conservative Party could send an introductory pack with names and addresses of local officials,encourage local officials to send a letter of welcome to new members and design a web-site which is interactive.A blog?!
My own experience of rejoining the party earlier this year was very negative.Joined via the web-site,it took my money twice,after a few weeks I got a card and...that's it.
This is hardly the way to attract and retain members.
Posted by: malcolm | 04 October 2005 at 09:20
I agree entirely with the above.The party should not only have its own blog which would be a useful vechile to discuss and put forward new policys and ideas for the future but I think the party should give members more avenues than they do at present to raise money and encourage new members into the party.
Local party`s should also automatically mail a welcome pack to all new members which they do not do at present.
When the party talks about change I don`t think this should just apply to policy and stragedy areas but also the way the party actually runs its affairs, raises money and encourages new members into the party.
Posted by: Jack Stone | 04 October 2005 at 10:45
Are you trying to pretend you're interested in the fortunes of the Conservative party Jack?
Posted by: malcolm | 04 October 2005 at 11:13
Let's not be nasty to Jack. He and I have our differences but the point he is making is a very good one. I let my membership lapse three years ago and didn't vote this May. Until the Tory Party (a) ends its rampant indiscipline and self-loathing at Westminster; (b) starts standing for something positive, aspirational and distinct from New Labour; and (c) treats its members better than dirt, I'm in no hurry to rejoin.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | 04 October 2005 at 11:44
As badly as our party has performed and behaved it is still better than this disgusting government Michael. Change is always easier to effect from the inside so my advice is to rejoin and get involved,you might be suprised at the number of warm,generous public spirited people you meet.
BTW Jack is a troll.
Posted by: malcolm | 04 October 2005 at 11:51
Firstly Malacolm I am a Conservative and will be voting in the coming election.
Secondly the differance between me and you is that I will be proved right by what I say is the route the party should go down you will not.
Thirdly anyone who believes for one minute that anyone but Ken Clarke or David Cameron is going to stand a chance of winning the next election is either deluding themseleves or putting there head in the sand.
Posted by: Jack Stone | 04 October 2005 at 15:29
Only Nixon could go to China.
Posted by: James Hellyer | 04 October 2005 at 15:39
If I have been rude to you unfairly Jack then I humbly apologise.However I have never met another Conservative who is as disparaging of our party as you have been.Are you sure that you don't prefer Brown or Kennedy to Cameron or Clarke?
Posted by: malcolm | 04 October 2005 at 15:48
No more 'troll' comments please. Let's keep the debate lively and direct but never personal.
Posted by: Editor | 04 October 2005 at 16:55
OK Editor sorry.
Posted by: malcolm | 04 October 2005 at 17:55
"No more 'troll' comments please. Let's keep the debate lively and direct but never personal."
But it's ok for Jack to gratuitously smear anyone who doesn't fit in with his rather blinkered view as a right-wing bigot without offering either justification or apology when he is challenged?
Posted by: Daniel Vince-Archer | 04 October 2005 at 23:12