The National Conservative Convention, the power hub of the Tory grassroots, has kicked off the first contested election in years, with voting opening today. Though whispers of a potential CCHQ stitch-up are swirling around Westminster…
Local Chairmen across the country have said they feel that Julian Ellacott, the current Vice President, has been pressuring them to vote for him as Chairman. Meanwhile, CCHQ’s refusal to allow hustings, despite requests, has only fuelled anger…
Chairman of the Tory Daventry Constituency Association, Daniel Lister, tells Guido:
“Once again, members are left feeling that a preferred candidate is being imposed, with no hustings and one candidate enjoying exclusive access to members’ data. We must begin decentralising power within the party immediately. Central control has failed us yet again, and until the party machinery is overhauled, we are doomed to repeat these failures.”
Troubled times in the Tory voluntary party…
While the Tories present no opposition to Starmer’s government and dig in for the long leadership campaign, there are rumbling in other parts of CCHQ. The election for Chairman of the Tory National Convention is running concurrently – the little-publicised role heads up the volunteer wing of the party and sits on the central board. Chairmen are elected for three year terms and subject to reselection every year…
Centrally favoured choice Julian Ellacott has pitched himself as the pick of the ‘party machine’ and was expected to slot into the role without opposition. What is usually a CCHQ coronation is now being challenged for the first time in years by Hackney PPC Joanna Reeves, presenting herself as a disruptor. Expect more challenges in the months to come as the disparate party battles over its direction…
Guido hears the Tory leadership candidates meeting at CCHQ earlier this week got rather heated. Candidates sent in their Rottweiler representatives to whinge about process – in particular, Tom Tugendhat’s lot. Apparently Tom’s team went in all guns blazing, lobbying for a higher spending limit on the campaigns. Seems unlikely to be for any good reason…
The current cap is £400,000 (already £100,000 higher than the last contest) plus a £200,000 ‘entry fee’ for the final two. The suggestion went down like a lead balloon per sources in the room. Otherwise, a dull August of Tory leadership manoeuvring continues…
CCHQ have sent round a rather rose-tinted memo celebrating candidates’ “energy, effort and dedication” which put the party in “a strong position” following what most would agree was actually a Tory wipeout. Patting themselves on the back for the achievement of losing 251 seats…
The email, dripping with misplaced optimism, goes on to thank candidates for everything they did, asking them to record the “immense hard work” of their campaigns. Guido suspects most candidates would rather forget one of the worst election defeats in history…
Read the full email below:
The events of yesterday afternoon rolling into today have opened up Labour to numerous seriously punchy attacks. If only there was a functioning opposition…
Those attacks, in just this 24-hour cycle, include:
Apart from one tweet, Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak has been silent – no broadcast appearances either. Hunt did his best in the Commons and has written a letter, but without a leader it’s not enough to break through. Waxing lyrical in PMQs is all well and good – it doesn’t provide a counter narrative…
Guido hears employment contract non-renewals swept through CCHQ earlier this month. The campaign team is now a skeleton crew. Months of crickets to come…
Desperate times…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”