Sadly the shocking loss of two-thirds of our seats at the general election was not the sudden visitation of something entirely new. We had been losing councillors in successive local elections for years. A lumpy jarring drumbeat of decline just saw July 4th as its latest deafening thump.
In the past, the Conservative Party’s huge advantage was not just trust and competence. It was that we were an institution of sorts built up over generations with deep roots in communities right across the nation. Those memories make it all the more painful when I speak to members who nowadays feel too often ignored or abandoned by an over-centralised party machine that, while undoubtedly staffed by some brilliant hardworking people, is nonetheless clunky, out of date, and spluttering as an engine for electoral success.
The withering of those vital local networks of organisers and volunteers, candidates and councillors, should be setting off the loudest of alarm bells. Weakness on the ground means millions of people missing out on effective local Conservative leadership. But it also means losing at Westminster. Hollowed out locally means we don’t get to run the country. And whilst we have five years to develop our policy offering for the next general election, we have very little time to get back into the game for the locals in May.
If I am elected as our next leader my top priority will be the immediate overhaul of our party’s structures and practices. And I mean a complete revolution. As someone who grew my businesses from scratch building teams here and in the United States and who came into parliament aged 48 with all that real-world experience, I know how to get things done.
The most important thing I know is that fundamental change means bringing people with you in a joint and inclusive effort. We must now involve as many of our members, councillors, MPs, and volunteers as possible in a great surge of renewal. Those out on the front line know the most. We must harness their wisdom and experience. But here, as a starter, are some of my thoughts and those of people who have shared their hopes with me.
We must make membership worthwhile. An end to excessive mailshots asking for cash. Fundraising yes, but value too. We can learn from Labour and some of the most effective member-facing trade unions they do some things well) as to how to add value for those who sign up – access to services, discounts, and other benefits. Members should have a stronger voice in policy formulation and within the party organisation, including voting in a deputy chairman responsible for the voluntary party.
Target our resources with a far stronger focus on local campaigning. Other parties often do this better than we do (we rightly reject many of their tactics but let’s not be too proud to learn from them). This should include far more targeted local campaigning via a larger professionalised digital operation staffed up with activists who have demonstrated a track record in effective campaigning and which is closely integrated with well-resourced research and rebuttals teams.
They will then lead our national messaging with informed and targeted social media advertising. Critically they will be missioned to provide advice and digital ammunition to local campaigns in a more highly targeted way. I will want them to be able to tell us exactly what our competitors are doing in every county across the country right down to the positions and actions being taken by individual opposition councillors and MPs. Sharper, more localised, and more effective messaging will follow.
We must also create a ‘Best Practice Team’ of our greatest campaigners from across the country to monitor, feed in new ideas and improve our performance right across our operation. These activists are pure gold but too often overlooked. Let’s leverage that talent so all can benefit from it.
Regional and county focused campaign centres also need to play more of a role in providing strategic leadership. There is an existing regional structure but it is underutilised and under-resourced. I will raise a dedicated fund for next year’s local elections for enhanced regional / county centres responsible for key target identification, association support and resourcing.
Finally, the candidates list and process must be revisited. All candidates must be in place well before elections – preferably years before and local members must select them.
There will be many other great ideas. And we need to find them fast. The rebuilding of our party cannot wait for the end of this leadership contest. Those local elections are breathing down our neck – right now. So let’s get started! Join me for the revolution – at melforleader.com
Sadly the shocking loss of two-thirds of our seats at the general election was not the sudden visitation of something entirely new. We had been losing councillors in successive local elections for years. A lumpy jarring drumbeat of decline just saw July 4th as its latest deafening thump.
In the past, the Conservative Party’s huge advantage was not just trust and competence. It was that we were an institution of sorts built up over generations with deep roots in communities right across the nation. Those memories make it all the more painful when I speak to members who nowadays feel too often ignored or abandoned by an over-centralised party machine that, while undoubtedly staffed by some brilliant hardworking people, is nonetheless clunky, out of date, and spluttering as an engine for electoral success.
The withering of those vital local networks of organisers and volunteers, candidates and councillors, should be setting off the loudest of alarm bells. Weakness on the ground means millions of people missing out on effective local Conservative leadership. But it also means losing at Westminster. Hollowed out locally means we don’t get to run the country. And whilst we have five years to develop our policy offering for the next general election, we have very little time to get back into the game for the locals in May.
If I am elected as our next leader my top priority will be the immediate overhaul of our party’s structures and practices. And I mean a complete revolution. As someone who grew my businesses from scratch building teams here and in the United States and who came into parliament aged 48 with all that real-world experience, I know how to get things done.
The most important thing I know is that fundamental change means bringing people with you in a joint and inclusive effort. We must now involve as many of our members, councillors, MPs, and volunteers as possible in a great surge of renewal. Those out on the front line know the most. We must harness their wisdom and experience. But here, as a starter, are some of my thoughts and those of people who have shared their hopes with me.
We must make membership worthwhile. An end to excessive mailshots asking for cash. Fundraising yes, but value too. We can learn from Labour and some of the most effective member-facing trade unions they do some things well) as to how to add value for those who sign up – access to services, discounts, and other benefits. Members should have a stronger voice in policy formulation and within the party organisation, including voting in a deputy chairman responsible for the voluntary party.
Target our resources with a far stronger focus on local campaigning. Other parties often do this better than we do (we rightly reject many of their tactics but let’s not be too proud to learn from them). This should include far more targeted local campaigning via a larger professionalised digital operation staffed up with activists who have demonstrated a track record in effective campaigning and which is closely integrated with well-resourced research and rebuttals teams.
They will then lead our national messaging with informed and targeted social media advertising. Critically they will be missioned to provide advice and digital ammunition to local campaigns in a more highly targeted way. I will want them to be able to tell us exactly what our competitors are doing in every county across the country right down to the positions and actions being taken by individual opposition councillors and MPs. Sharper, more localised, and more effective messaging will follow.
We must also create a ‘Best Practice Team’ of our greatest campaigners from across the country to monitor, feed in new ideas and improve our performance right across our operation. These activists are pure gold but too often overlooked. Let’s leverage that talent so all can benefit from it.
Regional and county focused campaign centres also need to play more of a role in providing strategic leadership. There is an existing regional structure but it is underutilised and under-resourced. I will raise a dedicated fund for next year’s local elections for enhanced regional / county centres responsible for key target identification, association support and resourcing.
Finally, the candidates list and process must be revisited. All candidates must be in place well before elections – preferably years before and local members must select them.
There will be many other great ideas. And we need to find them fast. The rebuilding of our party cannot wait for the end of this leadership contest. Those local elections are breathing down our neck – right now. So let’s get started! Join me for the revolution – at melforleader.com