Expanded coverage over the next few weeks

Throughout the next six weeks this blog will be providing coverage of every important development in the Tory leadership race.

From Monday I'm delighted to say that we'll also be posting regular reports from inside the leadership teams.  Paul Goodman MP will blog for the Davis campaign and Michael Gove MP will blog for the Cameron campaign.  Their contributions will appear on the Platform blog.

Party Chairman Francis Maude MP will also be posting a weekly report with information on the election process and opportunities for members to meet and quiz the two candidates.

I'm keen to receive reports from as many of the hustings meetings as possible and will be posting 'open threads' once every regional event is held for attendees (and others) to discuss what happened... Be warned, however, the threads will be adjudicated by people who have been there!

Comments

[kris]

WOW, Editor, what an amazing job. I think next time i'll vote for you as leader, you've obviously got the party contacts (and you were a Fox supported as i was). ED, please can we have an article on who won the two prediction competitions? I was close the first time and got it totally wrong the second. Who were the closest ones and who actually got the coveted prize?

[Editor]

Thank you Kris!

I'll get out my abacus on Sunday and announce the winners. I'm sorry I've got behind. There is just too much to do!

[Kris]

Thanks ED, and next week, when my pay cheque comes in I will put my money where my mouth is and give a donation.

[James Maskell]

Fantastic news. Cheers Editor. While its on my mind and to start the ball rolling, what does everyone think of the webcast earlier today? I sent in a question (about the CF and reforming it) and listened hard, not being Camerons greatest supporter. He did OK for what the webcasrt was worth. He spoke well, as expected. Sounded like he got a little caught out near the end but I know he wants to avoid the drugs question now and to be honest I think Itll die down now. The Media have tried and failed to nail him on it. Theyll bide their time.

Hopefully he will hold more webcasts in the next 6 weeks and flesh out some policy on it. His language still sounds very standard and doesnt elaborate too far. Theres still time though to do that. One little request for any of the Cameron team members reading this post...could you have the webcast for an hour not half an hour? We'll understand if its not possible but I think it would give the members more time to talk to "work Cameron out".

[James Maskell]

What is this about not every member receiving a ballot paper? The Guardian has this on their site"

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/toryleader/story/0,16473,1597754,00.html

[Sigh] All that is needed is to have an update list of members who have been a member for 3 months...is it really that difficult? I am not amused.

Id like to point out one line which has cheesed me off the most..."Members who pay less than £15 a year to the party or have joined since 1998 may not get a vote, while husbands and wives who have joint membership may receive only one ballot paper, according to the BBC". The first Party specifically relates to the Conservative Future. They pay 3 pounds if 22 or under. 15 pounds kicks in when you turn 23.

This is one of my "red line issues". Every member of the Party with 3 months filled must have the vote.

[Sean Fear]

All CF members who pay the CF minimum sub of £3 and are aged under 23, and have been party members for at least 3 months will get the vote.

[Sean Fear]

Couples can opt to pay one subscription between them, and if they do, will get one vote between them.

Husbands and wives who pay separate subs get one vote each.

[James Maskell]

Exactly Sean. I was just pointing out which members that part of the line refered to. Those aged under 23 when signing up for membership. We were saying the same thing I think.

[Matthew Oxley]

Good Job Editor, please tell Francis not to lay into us too much that, we're not that bad after all.

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

Any member who joined 3 months before the 05/12/05 and has paid the minimum membership fee of £15 (£3 for under 22s) within the last year is entitled to a vote.

In addition those with "founder member" status (that is, those who were members prior to 1998 when the minimum membership fee was introduced) who have agreements to pay less than the £15 (there are a few in my association who pay £10 or £5) will also get a vote.

Joint members will both get a vote providing their memberships total £30 (or less if they are founder members). If their membership do not total £30 but are above £15 then their fees will be combined to ensure that one of the pair are enfranchised.

In summary, the Grauniad story is nonsense.

[David Walker]

I am disappointed that Michael Gove will be posting on here. He is not a likeable sort. Why not a more media friendly individual from camp Cameron like the delectable George Osborne, yum yum? Gove is not the sort of man we should let the electorate see. He often comes across as supercillious and is not half as clever as he likes to think. Osborne on the other hand is honest and funny (did I mention he is also drop dead gorgeous).

[James Maskell]

Here is a quote from CCO.

"Anyone who has joined since 5th September 2005, anyone who has joined since 1998 and pays less than £15 (£3 if they are under 22) and anyone who was a member before 1998 but lapsed and has rejoined since and pays less than £15 (£3 if they are under 22) doesn’t qualify for a ballot paper under the Party’s rules."

Thats the offical line. Paying less than 3 pounds though for a CF membership...didnt know you could do that anyway. In a way though does it mean that you buy a ballot rather than being treated equally? If you dont give the Party enough money you cant vote?

[Jack Stone]

If married couples want two votes then they should pay for the eqvalient of two memberships.
Anything less would make us single members in the party second class members and in my book that is just not on!

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

If you dont give the Party enough money you cant vote?

Nonsense. All political parties are membership organisations with a membership fee - if you don't pay the fee, you don't get membership rights.

Incidentally, having looked on the website the Labour minimum fee is £24 (£2 per month) unless you are unemployed or a student, the Liberal Democrats have a minimum fee of £5 (presumably to try to boost their membership figures!) although their recommended fee is a staggering £42!

[Henry Fitzpatrick]

Michael Gove *and* Francis Maude? Kinda weighted towards one side, non?

[Editor]

I have no doubt that FM's contributions to this site - as Chairman - will be entirely balanced.

It's very good of him to write for this site after all the (deserved) agro we gave him over the disenfranchisement of grassroots members.

I'm normally accused of bias against Mr Cameron - so it's refreshing to be accused of the reverse, Henry!

[James Maskell]

The point I was trying to make was that you could get member status by not paying the full amount of money, but to vote you had to pay in full? Im trying to get over that point there. Either you are a member or you arent. Members should get a vote for being with the Party for 3 months prior to the end of the vote. That doesnt sound like what Im hearing.

[Selsdon Man]

Messrs Gove and Goodman are experienced journalists and are therefore logical choices. Mr Walker's personal criticisms of Mr Gove are unfair - possibly malicious.

[Nelson, Norfolk]

Good on you Editor. Gove,Goodman and Maude will I am sure make good contributions to the coverage of the race.

Your site is better than the official candidates. Although Mr Fox did not win it is good to see that you plan to keep the site going.