He describes the authoritarian and grossly under-reported way in which our future MPs, and ministers, are being chosen.
The cat of Tory tax rises has fewer than nine lives. Especially if these breach manifesto pledges and are generationally unfair.
This book tells you more about the demographics of party members than anything you will hear from the usual commentators.
A new study asks good questions without providing good answers.
Raising national insurance, fewer “sin taxes”, public sector pay rises, more schools spending – all are part of his programme.
Our Executive Editor discusses disillusioned members, internal democracy, and allegations of UKIP infiltration on BBC Radio Four.
There are some differences, which merit examination – but the overall findings are in agreement.
There are clearly questions about what’s happening in relation to voting, membership, and representation — and what the Party should or might want to do.
Fresh research bolsters ConservativeHome’s case for a new Chairman and urgent Party reform – and offers a glimmer of hope.
Our “Registered Supporter” scheme has enrolled 2,000 people; another example of how people are willing to commit, but not to join.
On Saturday morning, the Today Programme brought together the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn and the Guardian’s Polly Toynbee – a couple of journalists who don’t normally see eye-to-eye, to put UKIP’s stunning result in Thursday’s local elections into some kind of perspective. One hare set running by presenter Evan Davis was a comparison with the […]
Tim Bale is Professor of Politics at Sussex University and is the author of The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron, an updated version of which was recently published in paperback. Normally I'm more than happy to sneak a peek over the paywall to read Rachel Sylvester, but today I think she's got it wrong. […]
Tim Bale is Professor of Politics at Sussex University and is the author of The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron, an updated version of which is published in paperback this week. It should come as no surprise that one of the Conservative Ministers most comfortable with seeing the Party’s relationship with the Lib Dems […]
A national membership system is a good start, but it must be accompanied by pro-active engagement from local associations.