ConservativeHome contacted just under Conservative MPs a month ago, and asked them about the Conservative Democratic Organisation, which is holding a conference next weekend.
We asked them: do you have any evidence of activity by the CDO in your Association or area? Below are the replies that we received.
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MP with northern constituency
“Not that I know about.”
MP with midlands constituency
“Nope.”
MP with southern constituency
“Not really any evidence. I have a gut feeling there is one individual member who may be involved.”
MP with Welsh constituency
“None that I know of.”
MP with northern consituency
“There’s one member, there might be two in my association, but they’re not doing anything on the ground as an organisation.”
MP with midlands constituency
“Nothing at all. I read about them in the papers but I’ve seen nothing.”
MP with southern constituency
“No none at all”
MP with Welsh constituency
“I hadn’t heard that name until your message.”
MP with northern constituency
“No activity from them whatsoever. Those unhappy about the direction of the Party have just dropped out.”
MP with midlands constituency
“Not to my knowledge.”
MP with southern constituency
“No evidence of anything or Reform UK either tbh.”
MP with Scottish constituency
“No.”
MP with northern constituency
“No.”
MP with midlands constituency
“Not in my constituenty to my knowledge.”
MP with southern constituency
“One of my members has mentioned that he’s going to their conference in Bournemouth to hear Jacob Rees-Mogg speak. That’s it really. He just likes Jacob Rees-Mogg. So what? I don’t see anything very sinister in that.”
MP with northern constituency
“Zero.”
MP with midlands constituency
“No activity so far.”
MP with southern constituency
“The answer is not really, no.”
MP with northern constituency
“Not that I’ve seen.”
MP with southern constituency
“I haven’t see any evidence of it in my patch. I don’t feel there is a Boris backlash per se.”
MP with northern constituency
“None.”
MP with southern constituency
“I’ve seen nothing of them in my area. But then they are unlikely to want to make any moves against me given a) I backed Boris all the way and b) I am on record as supporting their aims of more Party
democracy.”
MP with southern constituency
“I know of some people supporting them but I don’t know of any activity locally. There are some members who feel taken for granted and let down by MPs. So I think the CDO could do well as a campaign for members to have more power. But is that really what it is? Or is it a Boris fan club? Or is it a right wing faction? That’s different again as Boris isn’t particularly right wing. I think CDO needs to work out what it is for.”
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Some caveats:
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