Greg Hands is Chairman of the Conservative Party, and is MP for Chelsea and Fulham.
Over the summer recess, I announced that the Board of the Conservative Party has re-established the Constitutional Review Committee.
But before we get on to what that means for the party – we need to talk about the thing we plan to review.
For those readers who don’t know, our party has its very own constitution – an important set of rules, first introduced in 1998, that determine how our party is governed.
From laying out the responsibilities of the Party Board to covering how our associations work, it allows us to make these decisions whilst ensuring we stay true to our fundamental Conservative values – the very values that have made us the most successful political party in the world.
The Constitution also protects the framework of how the Party Board works and makes decisions. It ensures there is always a balance of representation from the voluntary, elected and professional party. From dedicated grassroots activists such as Peter Booth, representatives from the 1922 Committee such as Sir Graham Brady, to the elected Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers, Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association (CCA) as well as the Chairmen of the Party in Wales and Scotland.
This balance helps to ensure that we are always connected to our roots, and that we protect the very fibre of what makes our party great. It means that differing viewpoints are heard, and healthy debate is encouraged.
But that is not to say that our Constitution is rigid to a fault – quite the contrary. Since its first introduction, it has seen various changes over the years, with the last amendment coming in January 2021. This process is always led by a sub-committee of the Party Board who consider all recommendations and feedback from across the Party and weave them into the existing Constitution.
If we are to continue to thrive in a rapidly changing political, digital and media environment, we need to ensure our processes and structures fit the demands and the capacity of the party at the time. These reviews facilitate just that, allowing us to evolve successfully as a party, adapting with the times and rising to the challenges of the day.
However, since entering government in 2010, the Board has only commissioned one review of the Constitution; understandably the focus of the Board, CCHQ and politicians has been on ensuring we stay in government and deliver on our priorities.
I fear this has allowed us to become a little too conservative by our own nature, meaning we have put sticking plasters on problems, whilst never really opening ourselves to new ideas. This is why the Board has agreed to re-establish the Constitutional Review Committee to ensure we are continually looking for opportunities to cut bureaucracy and improve the way we campaign and grow our party.
I want to be clear, as Chairman of our Party my undivided attention is on winning the next general election. But, alongside this objective, I also want to ensure that we are laying the foundations to create an even stronger Conservative Party for the future. A party which embraces advancements in technology, which strives to continually grow our membership base substantially and a party which is fundamentally in the hands of a strong and empowered voluntary party.
And it is the Constitutional Review Committee which will help make this happen. The Committee will take no resources or attention away from our General Election preparations, allowing the Party Board to safeguard this commitment.
The committee will report directly to the Party Board and be overseen by our most senior volunteer, the Chairman of the National Convention, Peter Booth. It will seek to ensure that the party is continually looking for positive change and making incremental improvements long into the future.
This is not a process that can be or should be rushed. The Board has made clear that the Committee should allow time for broad consultation, including the opportunity for Members to contribute – after all, the Constitution belongs to all of us in the Party.
There is no pressure on the Committee to deliver ahead of the general election, and it is likely that this process will not conclude until the next Parliament. This is only the second review in the last 14 years, so it is important that we get it right. This will be a long process of listening and reviewing recommendations from members, politicians, and party professionals over an extended period whilst ensuring we double down on our campaigning efforts across parliamentary constituencies around the UK.
I am confident that the Committee will play a positive role, helping us to move rapidly and ensure there are never internal barriers to the challenges we face, creating a vibrant and healthy political party.
Once established, further details will be circulated to all Party Members as to how they can contribute to this process and share their innovative ideas with us.
Greg Hands is Chairman of the Conservative Party, and is MP for Chelsea and Fulham.
Over the summer recess, I announced that the Board of the Conservative Party has re-established the Constitutional Review Committee.
But before we get on to what that means for the party – we need to talk about the thing we plan to review.
For those readers who don’t know, our party has its very own constitution – an important set of rules, first introduced in 1998, that determine how our party is governed.
From laying out the responsibilities of the Party Board to covering how our associations work, it allows us to make these decisions whilst ensuring we stay true to our fundamental Conservative values – the very values that have made us the most successful political party in the world.
The Constitution also protects the framework of how the Party Board works and makes decisions. It ensures there is always a balance of representation from the voluntary, elected and professional party. From dedicated grassroots activists such as Peter Booth, representatives from the 1922 Committee such as Sir Graham Brady, to the elected Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers, Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association (CCA) as well as the Chairmen of the Party in Wales and Scotland.
This balance helps to ensure that we are always connected to our roots, and that we protect the very fibre of what makes our party great. It means that differing viewpoints are heard, and healthy debate is encouraged.
But that is not to say that our Constitution is rigid to a fault – quite the contrary. Since its first introduction, it has seen various changes over the years, with the last amendment coming in January 2021. This process is always led by a sub-committee of the Party Board who consider all recommendations and feedback from across the Party and weave them into the existing Constitution.
If we are to continue to thrive in a rapidly changing political, digital and media environment, we need to ensure our processes and structures fit the demands and the capacity of the party at the time. These reviews facilitate just that, allowing us to evolve successfully as a party, adapting with the times and rising to the challenges of the day.
However, since entering government in 2010, the Board has only commissioned one review of the Constitution; understandably the focus of the Board, CCHQ and politicians has been on ensuring we stay in government and deliver on our priorities.
I fear this has allowed us to become a little too conservative by our own nature, meaning we have put sticking plasters on problems, whilst never really opening ourselves to new ideas. This is why the Board has agreed to re-establish the Constitutional Review Committee to ensure we are continually looking for opportunities to cut bureaucracy and improve the way we campaign and grow our party.
I want to be clear, as Chairman of our Party my undivided attention is on winning the next general election. But, alongside this objective, I also want to ensure that we are laying the foundations to create an even stronger Conservative Party for the future. A party which embraces advancements in technology, which strives to continually grow our membership base substantially and a party which is fundamentally in the hands of a strong and empowered voluntary party.
And it is the Constitutional Review Committee which will help make this happen. The Committee will take no resources or attention away from our General Election preparations, allowing the Party Board to safeguard this commitment.
The committee will report directly to the Party Board and be overseen by our most senior volunteer, the Chairman of the National Convention, Peter Booth. It will seek to ensure that the party is continually looking for positive change and making incremental improvements long into the future.
This is not a process that can be or should be rushed. The Board has made clear that the Committee should allow time for broad consultation, including the opportunity for Members to contribute – after all, the Constitution belongs to all of us in the Party.
There is no pressure on the Committee to deliver ahead of the general election, and it is likely that this process will not conclude until the next Parliament. This is only the second review in the last 14 years, so it is important that we get it right. This will be a long process of listening and reviewing recommendations from members, politicians, and party professionals over an extended period whilst ensuring we double down on our campaigning efforts across parliamentary constituencies around the UK.
I am confident that the Committee will play a positive role, helping us to move rapidly and ensure there are never internal barriers to the challenges we face, creating a vibrant and healthy political party.
Once established, further details will be circulated to all Party Members as to how they can contribute to this process and share their innovative ideas with us.