The Conservative Policy Forum – the Tories’ official in-house grassroots think tank – boasts the opportunity for ordinary party members “to discuss and design solutions to the policy challenges facing Britain today”. It appears the party has a limit to how much free policy discussion they’ll allow though, as waves of criticism over Boris’s Christmas cancellation and fresh lockdown led to the CPF Leaders’ Whatsapp group being locked down this weekend. This came after repeated warnings from elected leader Anna Firth to stop criticising government policy…

Messages sent in the 90-strong CPF Leaders’ chat accused the government of “hypocrisy”, not caring for businesses, no longer being the party of Thatcher, and having “lost its way”. One member, to agreement from others, went so far as to claim Boris has “no chance of being re elected in 2024″. 

Firth repeatedly warned members, “this group is NOT for debating the Government’s policy on ANYTHING” and pointed out that Whatsapp groups “are not secure“, going as far as to say:

“If anybody took screenshots & leaked some of this evening’s comments we would be seriously embarrassed as a Party & CPF would be to blame”

A few hours later, Anna changed the settings of the group after her “countless warnings” had gone unheeded, so only admins can send messages.

Perhaps Anna’s questionable comments earlier in the year – celebrating the social change seen after the black death and claiming Covid provides the same opportunities – changed her attitude towards party members shooting their mouths off…