Priti Patel and Lord Cruddas have joined forces to give Rishi Sunak a major new headache. This weekend they launched a new Tory grassroots pressure group, The Conservative Democratic Organisation, aimed at “taking back control” of the party. The CDO, founded by former MEP David Campbell Bannerman, has been created to “restore democracy in the Party” after “Tory MPs ousted grassroots favourite Boris Johnson as prime minister.” Brace, brace…

“They then overthrew his successor Liz Truss, voted in by members, and installed her defeated rival Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister – this time without bothering with a ballot of party members.”

They also voice anger at the “left of centre position Rishi Sunak’s tax-raising Government has adopted.” The campaign’s being orchestrated by The Conservative Post website, who ran the petition to get Boris on the members’ ballot in the summer…

The CDO is drafting a new proposed constitution, which would give local associations the right to choose their candidates, putting an end to CCHQ interference, “which has infuriated activists when left-leaning candidates have been forced on them.” They also propose:

• Having a directly elected Conservative party chairman
• Replacing the National Convention with a general meeting of the Party to stop the party hierarchy rubber-stamping decisions
• The Spring Conference becoming a policy conference for members in a more affordable location and the October party conference allowing members to submit motions with voting taking place.

Priti Patel’s backing is interesting. Guido’s old enough to remember when Boris Johnson was considering making her Tory Party Chairman…